Music video: Brandy makes her comeback with Chance The Rapper in tow, with "Baby Mama"

Brandy is back with a brand new single titled "Baby Mama" featuring Chance The Rapper, who has been relatively quiet since the release of his last album, which got dragged in every corner of the Internet.

I love me some Brandy. Never Say Never, Full Moon and Afrodisiac stay in rotation. But as time as gone of, Brandy's sound has kinda waned. I liked Human. But I wasn't running that album back how I was the album that came before. And then Two Eleven came along and saw Brandy's sound become so diluted. She channelled the producers and the songwriters she was working with more than herself, which was a stark contrast to an album like Afrodisiac, where despite only writing one song on the entire album and the majority of it being helmed by a producer with such a distinct sound, Brandy was front and centre on every song. It was never just Brandy singing on a Timbo beat or sounding like Aaliyah. They were her songs through and through.

"Baby Mama" at the very least doesn't feel like any writer or producer is trying to push or pull Brandy in any particular direction which doesn't feel wholly true to her, but it definitely sounds and looks Two Eleven-esque.

Brandy looks amazing in this video. The dancing, the swag, the styling are all on absolute point. But I'm not in love with this song. The structure of the verses and the hook just aren't tight enough. I listen to this song and I just hear stuff and then 'Baby mama mama'. Nothing sticks. The only thing that stuck out to me was the reference of Never Say Never's "Put That On Everything" and her unreleased song with Timabland "Home". It's a shame, because the sentiment of the song is nice and empowering, but it's just lost in a messily written song.

Something that Brandy's songs weren't always given the credit for were how despite being wholly confined to R&B radio and Urban charts, they were also great Pop records. "The Boy Is Mine" and "Afrodisiac" were great examples of that. But now, that tightness in the song structures aren't there. Brandy still sounds great. Her vocals arrangements are still next level. But the songs aren't as tight as they used to be.

📝 Album reviews: Human | Two Eleven
📀 Special edition: A collection of Brandy's good unreleased shit