All Glammed-Up In Her Fashion Spread: Brandy Talks About Whitney Houston, New LP, Working With Monica & Frank Ocean

Don’t call it a comeback, she is back! Singer Brandy recently got all glammed-up for a new fashion spread with YRB. Inside, the Grammy-Award singer talks about her idol Whitney Houston, new album, reconnecting with Monica and working with Frank Ocean. Brandy is also working on an upcoming tour with Monica. Read some of the excerpts below:

On making history with Monica and working with her again:

“This is more than just a song; it’s an event. It’s the reunion of two artists that made history together. It’s bigger than the song itself. Of course I wanted to come out first on my own so I can stand on my own two feet, but who knew that this Monica thing would come along? I couldn’t say no to that. That would be stupid. The first time [With the Boy Is Mine], we didn’t know each other. We just went to the studio and recorded the song. There was no chemistry there, really, because we didn’t really have any time to sing with each other.”

On her new sound, music and crossing over:

“It’s definitely R&B, but it has the crossover appeal. It’s grittier, it’s edgier, it’s just different type of R&B. It’s not your regular smooth, soft with the beat type music,” she describes. “It’s just taking risks and hearing how I sound over different types of music, and I wanted an album that different people can listen to. Not just R&B, but pop and hip-hop. I wanted everyone to have something that they can listen to on this album.”

On choosing her new alum title, Two-Eleven, evolving and Whitney Houston:

“Some of the titles I was working with were Rebirth, Reincarnation, Reinvention, Resurrection… I just felt like Two Eleven describes all of that. It’s the day I was born, and each year, I evolve and change with time. It also has a whole new meaning to it because I gained my angel. My icon is my angel now. It’s all tied in there and I just think it best represents who I am and the responsibilities I have moving on.”

On working with Frank Ocean:

“His music speaks volumes, and I was able to experience that before everyone else knew,” she says. “I always knew he was really special and I just wanted to see how we could vibe, what we could come up with together in the studio this time around. He’s just a genius. I think his songs have so much substance and so much depth, and you need that on an album as well.”

Read more over at YRB:

Photography by Miguel Starcevich // Styling by Darius Baptist // Hair by Kim Kimble for Margaret Maldonado // Makeup by Eric Ferrell/dion peronneau L.A.

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