Everyone knows the method: a music Diva stakes her declare on a fiscal quarter of the 12 months, which spawns a spectacle of distinctive advertising techniques, promotional excursions and, inevitably, “the Stan wars,” all culminating within the profitable launch of a much-anticipated album. It occurs 12 months after 12 months and final 12 months was nearly no totally different for R&B veteran Brandy Norwood’s sixth studio album, “Two Eleven.” So, what occurred?
After the poor industrial success of her fifth studio album, “Human” (2008), and her considerably abrupt departure from document label, Epic Data, shortly afterwards, Brandy gave the impression to be in search of a spot of belonging within the ever-changing music business she’d as soon as had wrapped round her finger. It appeared as if the business had change into as nonchalant with Brandy because it had change into with the existence of the R&B style, generally.
Whereas on a mission to take care of her spot as one in all R&B’s most notable and cherished voices within the years to comply with, Brandy steered her focus towards her development as an artist and a businesswoman. Shifting ahead with a brand new document label and beginning a brand new album appeared like a recent begin for the songstress…and it was.
With a four-year hiatus since “Human,” a legion of loyal followers awaiting her return and new-found consideration garnered by way of social media exposing her unparalleled expertise to new followers, Brandy appeared poised for a robust comeback. Nevertheless, one of many main exceptions within the formulation of business success for Brandy’s “Two Eleven,” was one of the damaging components for the debut of any artist’s album: an especially promoted, but extended launch.
Murmurings of what was to ultimately change into “Two Eleven,” started in late 2011 on the heels of producer Sean Garrett’s eagerness to spill the beans to Rap-Up.com about manufacturing work he had completed on the undertaking’s first single:
“What I can let you know is that it’s scorching. It’s undoubtedly one thing you might have by no means heard—you most likely haven’t heard Brandy over a observe like this. It’s very industrial, however on the similar time, it’s bought a dope hip-hop affect—it’s membership, it’s radio, it’s all codecs. . . . [I]t’s coming actually quickly. I’d most likely say earlier than Christmas. . . . [Y]eah, I feel she stated her album is coming round April.”
This info instantly despatched die-hard Brandy followers, or ‘Stars’ as she endearingly calls them, into overdrive. ‘Stars’ took to the Web to precise their pleasure and aggressively started campaigning for the return of their queen. Fb, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr–Brandy was returning and he or she was EVERYWHERE. Then got here the push backs.
A working joke on Twitter turned that Brandy’s promotional tour for the album had spanned all 4 seasons of 2012 which, on reflection, wasn’t removed from reality. Garrett’s preliminary revelation (in November of 2011) concerning the single and the month of the album launch turned out to be incorrect.
“Two Eleven” was formally scheduled for a March 2012 launch as a substitute of April, which was excellent news. That was till the one’s launch date was pushed again to accommodate the discharge of fellow R&B Diva Monica’s duet with Brandy, “It All Belongs To Me,” for her personal album.
Consequently, the album was additionally pushed again making the look ahead to any new solo music (not to mention “Two Eleven”) even longer. The frustration was short-lived, when the album was given a brand new official launch date of Could 2012. Followers rejoiced till Brandy introduced, in March, that the album would now be coming June 2012.
To carry followers over, the album’s first single, “Put It Down” (that includes Chris Brown), made its debut on Could 4, 2012. Merely a distraction for coming delays, the discharge date for the album was then modified to August 28, with the specification of an precise date offering impatient followers with a glimpse of hope. As if the followers weren’t being tortured sufficient, hope was shattered when the discharge was pushed again just a little over a month to October 2, then yet another time to October 16.
Met by rave opinions from followers and critics alike upon its official launch, Brandy had hit a house run. The album was a masterpiece, however document gross sales instructed a unique story. Coming in with a quantity 3 debut on the US Billboard 200 and first week gross sales of solely 65,000 copies led to confusion. With a lot hype surrounding the album, one would’ve thought that gross sales would’ve been an excellent, however the lots misplaced curiosity in buying one thing they’d been teased with for virtually a 12 months.
In April 2013, Brandy instructed Pynk Journal that regardless of her album solely promoting a staggering 178,613 copies since is October 2012 launch, she wouldn’t let numbers outline her, stating boldly, “I outline me.” It’s no shock, nonetheless, that “Two Eleven” continues to do poorly by business requirements based mostly on the dearth of promotion on the back-end of its launch.
Although Brandy continued to advertise the album with performances throughout the nation after its debut, the follow-up single fell wanting mainstream radio play and was accompanied by a lackluster visible. As well as, no extra singles have been launched from the album so far.
Conceptually, “Two Eleven” had all of the makings of a basic–and in some ways it nonetheless is. The lower than fascinating gross sales don’t in any respect imply that followers aren’t keen to pay for Brandy’s music or that they don’t need to hear extra from her sooner or later. What it does imply, so far as “Two Eleven” goes, is just that it was too little, too late. That’s what occurred.
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J. Williams is a Contributor for Rated RnB. For more information about J. Williams, go to http://jwilliams.TV.