Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and model. Her sound, characterized by heavy voice-layering and intricate riffs, has seen her nicknamed “the Vocal Bible”. As of August 2020, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.

Born in McComb, Mississippi, Norwood was raised in Carson, California, beginning her career as a backing vocalist for teen groups. After signing with Atlantic Records in 1993, she released her self-titled debut album the following year, which sold six million copies worldwide. Norwood ventured into acting with the UPN sitcom Moesha (1996–2001), which won her an NAACP Image Award, and resulted in numerous other roles, such as the titular character in the television film Cinderella (1997) and Karla Wilson in the slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). Her musical breakthrough came with the single “The Boy Is Mine” (1998), a duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, which became one of the best selling female duets of all time and won her the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group. Her sophomore album, Never Say Never, was also released to critical success that year. In 2002, Norwood starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter. Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to critical success.

Norwood served as a judge on the first season of America’s Got Talent before being involved in a heavily publicized car accident in 2006. Norwood’s fifth album, Human (2008), was released to positive reviews, although it was a commercial failure. In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business. She was a series regular in the BET series The Game (2012–2015) and released her sixth album Two Eleven (2012) thereafter, both earning her critical praise. In April 2015, Norwood made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. She starred in and executive produced a sitcom titled Zoe Ever After on BET which premiered in January 2016. In July 2020, Norwood released her seventh studio album, B7, also her first project as an independent artist, to critical acclaim. In 2021, Norwood starred alongside Naturi Naughton, Eve and Nadine Velazquez in American Broadcasting Company’s music drama series Queens to critical acclaim.

In June 2022, Norwood announced her major label return after signing with Motown Records. Norwood was born on February 11, 1979, in McComb, Mississippi, the daughter of Willie Norwood, a gospel singer and choir director, and Sonja Norwood (née Bates), a district manager for H&R Block. Brandy is the older sister of entertainer Ray J, as well as a cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg and wrestler Mercedes Moné. Raised in a Christian home, Norwood started singing through her father’s work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel solo at the age of two. In 1983, her parents relocated to Carson, California, and Norwood was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. Norwood’s interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer Whitney Houston at the age of seven, but at school, she experienced trouble with persuading teachers to send her on auditions as she found no support among the staff. Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and, as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions.

In 1990, she signed with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who gave her work as a backing vocalist for their R&B boy band Immature, and arranged the production of a demo tape. In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records, Norwood’s parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for Darryl Williams, the company’s director of A&R. To manage her daughter, Norwood’s mother resigned from her job, while Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School, and was tutored privately from tenth grade on.

During the early production stages of her debut album, Norwood was selected for a role in the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea, portraying the daughter of a single mother played by comedian Thea Vidale. Initially broadcast to high ratings, the series’ viewership dwindled and ended up running for only one season, but earned her a Young Artists Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble alongside her co-stars. Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time, and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album. She stated, “I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing.”