She has laid down tracks that are true pieces of work in music history. "Have You Ever," excellent pop ballad that pretty much everyone can relate to. The song, "Almost Doesn't Count," is my favorite on the album. This song truly shows her outstanding vocal talent and how it matches well with accompanying harmonic beats. Excellent message represented in the song "Sitting On Top of The World" and the hot "department-storish" single "Angel in Disguise" is also among my favorite. "The Boy Is Mine" which was the duet with Monica was pretty good.

Brandy is such an absolutely beautiful girl who is such a positive role model in the music industry. She has such a nice outlook on life and her image is lovely. She's been raised quite well from her parents. I've been a fan of Brandy since she came out with her first album. And I'm anxiously awaiting some more new stuff from her. She's not only a great singer but also a great actress. I've been forever a fan of her UPN show Moesha. Brandy keep up the great work...your wonderful image and beautiful personality have inspired many individuals across the country to follow in your footsteps. By following positive aspirations and dreams in life. It's great to have such a grounded performer in the music industry today!

"Never Say Never" by Brandy receives a Kenny rating of A+. Excellent Album....Trust me you will have fun with this one.


...THE BEST POP/R&B ALBUM OF 1998...   January 18, 2002
Knyte (New York, NY)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

When Brandy dropped her debut in the fall of 1994, she was the first 90s R&B solo artist to successfully mix her sound with pop music without trying to sound like she desperately wanted to cross over. With ultra-catchy singles like, "I Wanna Be Down", "Baby", "Best Friend", and "Brokenhearted", Brandy Norwood's rise to fame was swift, yet solid. In 1995, Brandy even blessed the Babyface-produced 'Waiting To Exhale' soundtrack with "Sittin Up In My Room". Then in 1998, Brandy dropped this jewel of an album, featuring incredible production by the soon-to-be "most wanted" hitmaker, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. I firmly believe (especially after hearing Brandy's latest single, "What About Us") that Rodney Jerkins saves his best work for Brandy.

The type of sonic chemistry shared between Rodney Jerkins and Brandy on the 'Never Say Never' album is strikingly reminiscent of the musical synergy created two years earlier by Timbaland and the late Aaliyah on the 'One In A Million' project. Both 'Never Say Never' and 'One In A Million' were sophomore projects, and both Brandy and Aaliyah had reinvented themselves (new look, new sound) for their second albums. Also, both 'One In A Million' and 'Never Say Never' were marked improvements over their notably successful predecessors.

We begin with the "Never Say Interlude" that employs Timbaland-esque studder beats really well. Then, we're off into the dark, misty, and mysterious-sounding "Angel In Disguise", a jaded, bittersweet midtempo (featuring vocals by R&B singer Joe) that kicks off this album perfectly. Next up is "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with R&B singer Monica. Back in the spring of 1998, this song was a bona-fide hit, and an MTV staple. By September however, a very real "beef" had developed between Brandy and Monica, culminating in an extremely tense performance at that year's Video Music Awards. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), a future collaboration between Brandy and Monica is highly unlikely.

"Learn The Hard Way" is a guitar-laced, decent midtempo that oh-so-perfectly segues into "Almost Doesn't Count" which ended up becoming the album's fourth U.S. single. "Almost Doesn't Count" (like much of this album) has a "grown-up" feel to it. No more happy tunes like 1994's "I Wanna Be Down"...this album is all about heartache, pain, and a little bit of fun. "(Sittin On) Top Of The World" served as the album's second U.S. single. Featuring Bad Boy rapper Mase, this uptempo number addressed "haters" in a fun, lighthearted way; I like this one. "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" was the fifth (and sadly overlooked) U.S. single...but I liked the remixes better than the original.

"Never Say Never" (the title track) was one of my favorites when I first heard it, and it still sounds as refreshingly crisp to me as it did back in 1998. However, my absolute favorite song on this album is track #9, "Truthfully". Written and produced by Marc Nelson (former lead singer of Az Yet), "Truthfully" is a beautifully arranged ballad that sounds as serene as a secluded, shimmering pond in the still of a warm summer night.

"Have You Ever?" was Brandy's hugely successful third U.S. single, and also a huge hit on MTV. "Put That On Everything" is a decent slow jam. After a spoken interlude, we go into "Happy", a song I felt should have definitely been a single; I've even heard it being played on occasion in a few department stores. "One Voice" is a surprisingly strong inspirational ballad, with powerful vocals by both Brandy and the splendid choir put together for this song. "One Voice" is easily one of the best songs on the album...

On "Tomorrow", Brandy gives her best vocal performance to date on this sad, yet empowering song about moving on from a less than satisfying relationship. Featuring lyrics like: "goodbye sorrow, I won't cry no more", a ballad like "Tomorrow" sounds like it was inspired from a real experience. In my opinion, "Tomorrow" should have been followed by an interlude, and closed the album. But no, we're given what I consider a bonus cut (and the album's only real misstep), in the form of an update of Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" that unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the original...oh well.

It took me almost four hours to write and edit this review...I really wanted to get this right. I could write a whole lot more (believe me), but I think I'll end it here for your sake (smile). In a nutshell, this is a wonderfully consistent album...pretty much every song here is top-notch. If you love Pop/R&B music, then I highly recommend this album be added to your collection. Grade: A

Thanks for reading!

Knyte, aka C.H.R.


Go on Girl!!!!   April 30, 2004
kimsv (NY, New York, USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I seldom buy a CD because of one song, but when "The Boy is Mine" came out, I had to get "Never Say Never". This is a great album for an even greater Singer. Brandy has a very unique voice, and the songs on the album compliment her voice exceptionally. From the upbeats of "Angel in Disguise", "The Boy is Mine" and "Happy" to the soothing "Put that on Everything", "Everything I do" and "One Voice", this is just a great SUMMER album to have.


Sorrows and heartache goodbye....   November 16, 1999
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is one fantastic album. Brandy's sultry, wonderous voice soothes the soul, and strikes the heart. There are some absolutely amazing songs on this album. My fav's include The Boy is Mine, Almost Doesn't Count, Top of the World, Truthfully, Have you Ever?, One Voice, Tomorrow, and I Do It For You... which is pretty much half the album. And the rest is great as well. Brandy does a beautiful ballad, and there are enough of this album to keep me happy. I don't think you could possibly go wrong with this album, and it's gotta be one of my best buys this year. Get it, and enjoy!