Flashback Friday: "Have You Ever?" - Brandy (1999)

No matter how intrusive you think teen stars are these days in music, they were always around. You got your David Cassidys, your Tiffanys, and in the late 90s, you had... Brandy and Monica.

Oh yeah, I guess those guys were around too. Anyway, Brandy and Monica were some of the hottest names in R&B in the late 90s. Despite my preference of Monica, today we're going to look at a Brandy song, because... well, have you ever?

Specifically, have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry? Have you ever needed something so bad you can't sleep at night? Have you... just listen to the song.

This is a pretty obvious song about heartbreak. That's kind of the thing with R&B: they don't exactly hide their big emotions. But how good of a song is it about heartbreak?

I think it's a good song. It seems to push the vocals just enough to convey the right emotions. Maybe a little more could have been done, but for what it is, it works. The lyrics do a pretty good job too, telling conflicting emotions:

Have you ever been in love
Been in love so bad
You'd do anything to make them understand
Have you ever had someone steal your heart away

You'd give anything to make them feel the same

Brandy wants this person to understand what she's feeling, and she also wants to make them feel the same way. And later, she would do just about anything to look into their eyes. But really, this song isn't about her. It' about you. Yes, you, and your ability to connect with Brandy's heartbreak? Have you ever felt this way? Well then, you should be able to connect.

I still prefer Monica, just because I think she has a slightly stronger voice. But Brandy was pretty good too. In any case, they should have outshined the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Each of them had more talent than the both of those acts combined. Brandy yeah, Britney nah.