Album of the Day

In the four years since her debut album, Brandy had become a TV star with the sitcom Moesha; she'd also grown up. As the performer noted of follow-up NEVER SAY NEVER, “I'm not the little girl I was when I made my first record. My voice is a strong instrument now; my vocals come from both my heart and my diaphragm." The Atlantic collection, co-produced by Rodney Jerkins, takes full advantage of Brandy's more mature approach, deftly mixing adult-oriented pop with streetwise R&B. Seven of the 16 tracks were released as singles, including “U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To),” "Have You Ever?" and “The Boy Is Mine,” a duet with Monica that hit No.1 on the U.S. singles chart on this day in 1998. NEVER SAY NEVER was itself a huge hit, selling more than 15 million copies worldwide and establishing that, TV show or not, Brandy was a talent to watch.