Gospel Music's Influence on Brandy's Full Moon
Kim Burrell and LaShawn Daniels' Lasting Impact on Brandy's Sound.
My favorite aspect of music is singing. I'm captivated by the voice as an instrument that evokes deep, inexplicable emotions. The skillful balance of breath control, intonation, and timing is a form of athleticism.
Brandy Norwood's vocal prowess awakens every cell in my body. Her effortless command of both low and high registers is mesmerising. However, it wasn’t until 2020, when she released her seventh studio album, B7, that I fully recognised her as one of the greatest vocalists of our time. Like many others, the lockdown gave me extra time to devote to my hobbies. I spent more time actively listening to music and studying various singers.
During this period, I came across these tweets by Mel Smith. He’s a songwriter, producer, music historian, and culture journalist.
Before reading his tweets, I had never heard of Kim Burrell. I didn’t realize her influence extended far beyond gospel music, shaping the vocal styles of artists like Kelela, Nelly Furtado, and Beyoncé. She is especially revered for her mastery of melisma (this short video explains melismatic singing).
Mel’s tweets led me to consider gospel music’s impact on Brandy’s career. I began to recognise gospel influences in both the vocals and production of Brandy’s magnum opus, Full Moon. Last year, Mel joined me on the podcast to explore this topic. We discussed:
How the church and gospel music shaped Brandy’s vocal development.
Brandy’s influence on gospel music.
Kim Burrell’s impact on vocalists.
How Kim Burrell’s Everlasting Life redefined Brandy’s vocal palette.
The vital role of songwriter and vocal producer LaShawn Daniels in Brandy’s signature vocal stacking on Full Moon.
Producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins' utilisation of gospel elements in the album’s production (repetition, organs, the vamp).
How Full Moon transformed gospel music.
Why Full Moon is an Afrofuturist sound.
Listen to our conversation here.
Siima’s Picks
LaShawn Daniels explains why Brandy sounds like a computer on Full Moon.
Finding The Tonic: How Kim Burrell Structures Vocal Runs by Milik Kashad TV.
EXPLAINED: Brandy’s Voice by Milik Kashad.
I hope you enjoy the episode and learn something new!
Love,
Siima
I never knew this, I remember when it came out. I’m still bumping this album. It definitely has a distinctly different sound.