Brandy On Why She Feels She’s Had Longevity in Her Career
Brandy had grown up right before the public’s eye. She landed a recording contract when she was just 14-years-old and has successfully balanced a multi-platinum singing career while acting in shows like Moesha, The Game, and now, Queens. There’s a reason for her success and Brandy’s prediction that she’d have longevity remains true.
A teenage Brandy once manifested a long career
Brandy was confident early on in her career that she’d be around for a long time. In fact, while promoting her role on the 90s sitcom Moesha, she told The New York Times that she had no fear of burnout.
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“No way,” she said firmly when asked whether or not she was afraid her career would fizzle by the time she turned 20. At the time, Brandy was celebrating her 17th birthday. “I have a long career in front of me.”
While juggling an acting career with Moesha and roles in Cinderella and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Brandy’s sophomore album Never Say Never featured the Grammy-winning collaboration, “The Boy Is Mine.” She also embarked on a national tour. Moesha lasted six seasons.
Brandy says her family’s support has been instrumental
It’s been 25 years since Brandy’s initial prediction. During a recent interview with the publication, while promoting her role on the ABC comedy-drama Queens, Brandy says she has her family to thank for helping nurture her career.
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“I’ve had a beautiful relationship with my family being my foundation,” she explains. “I have a beautiful daughter [Sy’Rai, who is 19] who keeps me going. She also is a musician. She wants to create her own lane, but she wants to do the same things that I’m doing, so setting an example for her has been an inspiration for me.”
Furthermore, Brandy says it’s been important for her to rest when needed in order to regroup and come back better. “Just having that passion for what I love — that is my driving force,” she adds. “You can’t stop when you have that. You can take a break, but that thing — that desire — will haunt you until you feed it. And I think that’s been the key to still being here, talking to you, all these years later.”
The ‘Queens’ star admits to experiencing an identity crisis
Transitioning from a childhood phenomenon to an adult in the public eye has not been easy. Especially in Brandy’s case where her success skyrocketed quickly.
“Everything was happening so fast, to be honest. I do have beautiful memories — some of them vague — but I do remember having two lives. I was a musician, and I was acting. I didn’t even know that acting was going to be a part of my journey,” she says. “Somebody threw that at me, and I was like, “OK, I’ll try it,” just to see if I could do it. I was that girl.”
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But becoming a mother at a younger age and lying about being married to protect her image did more damage than she thought it would. She admits to struggling with public opinions. “I really wanted to find that person behind those names and behind that persona, so I had to take a break to really find the true me and have a foundation within myself,” she continues. “Over time, doing the work and practicing faith and journaling, I was able to find my center.”
Fans can watch Brandy every Tuesday on Queens on ABC. The show premieres at 10 p EST weekly.
