If you were a kid of the nineties, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing Brandy’s melodic voice pouring out of the radio or seeing her iconic box braids grace the screens of television sets everywhere. Brandy “the Vocal Bible” Norwood was the moment, and at just 20 years old had already accomplished more in her career than most do in a lifetime. She was quite literally sitting on top of the world.
But the glamour of living in the public eye came with hidden battle scars that are only now starting to heal.
In her new memoir, Phases, Brandy invites us to join her on a reflective journey of the moments that shaped her artistry and womanhood. And while the text follows the familiar format of a traditional celebrity memoir, what’s woven into its pages are the memorable takeaways below, a set of urgent life lessons we should all keep close.
Black Girls Deserve More Protection
Brandy’s meteoric rise to fame thrust her into the spotlight at an age when emotional maturity and personal advocacy were not yet fully formed. The vicious bullying she experienced in her early school days cast shadows of self-doubt and insecurity that would later come back to haunt her. And as her star began to shine even brighter, she found herself in extremely predatory and emotionally abusive relationships with men who claimed to love her. The world treats Black girls like women the moment we start to walk with more confidence and our bodies start to grow and stretch without our permission. And it’s in these precious, formative years that Brandy, like every other Black girl, deserved more protection.
Manifestation Means Nothing Without Preparation
From the start, Brandy knew three things: she wanted to be a solo artist, she wanted to be on television, and she wanted to meet and work with Whitney Houston. She manifested each of these things, but she also relentlessly pursued her craft in the process. She put in the work and took the “no’s” and “not yet’s” as delays, not denials, so that when the time came, she was well prepared for that life-changing “yes” from Sylvia Rhone at Atlantic Records. Brandy shows us that what’s for you won’t miss you, but you have to be ready to receive it.
Surround Yourself with People Who Believe in You
Brady is an example of what happens when a child’s parents not only acknowledge but also fully respect and nurture their dreams. Her parents were her musical guides and teachers, and her fiercest advocates. They took her passion and talent seriously and did everything they could to help her realize her full potential. Brandy was surrounded by people who believed in her, and we all need people like that in our corner.
Sometimes, the Best Thing You Can Do is Walk Away
After years of success, Brandy encountered some rough patches with her music. She became so afraid of failure that she started second-guessing everything and stopped trusting her instincts. She no longer felt free in her artistry, and instead of pushing through, she walked away. Brandy turned inward, anchored herself in her family and created space to just be. That space made room for her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago, something she never thought possible but ultimately helped her find her voice again.
Phases: A Memoir is out now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Kayla Conti is a Brooklyn-based reader, writer and newly-liberated woman in tech. You can find more of her musings on Substack at TLDR Things, where she discusses books, travel, fashion and life as a 30-something-year-old Black woman.