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, Brandy, 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 wildly successful single "The Boy Is Mine" (1998), a duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, which went on to become one of the best selling female duets of all time. Her second album, Never Say Never, won Norwood her first Grammy Award. 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 under which she is expected to preprare her eighth studio album.
Finally
Brandy Lyrics
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Feel me?
Me and Brandy
We have rise to the occasion, c'mon
Like this, talk to 'em, whoa
I could've stayed in that place too long
I would've made it OK for you to do me wrong
If I didn't hear my conscious say
Stop, look around
Is this where you belong? (oh, yeah)
Look at yourself
Are you weak? Are you strong? (oh, no no)
I realize that it's all up to me (yeah)
To make myself happy
[Chorus]
Finally I walked away (yeah, yeah)
Never would've seen this day (oh)
Givin' up on those things that hurt me
Made me who I am today (oh)
Finally I walked away (finally)
Never would've seen this day (yeah, yeah)
Givin' up on those things that hurt me
Made me who I am today
Looking back on my choices made
Thinking about the things I did to make you stay
Wonder sometimes why my love didn't turn to hate
Then I hear the same little voice inside me say
Stop, look around (look around)
Is this where you belong? (is it where you belong)
Look at yourself
Are you weak? Are you strong?
I realize (I realize) that it's all up to me (it's all up to me)
To make myself happy (oh oh)
[Chorus]
Finally I'm where I'm suppose to be (walk with us)
Finally I'm where I'm suppose to be (c'mon)
[Chorus]
Finally I'm where I'm suppose to be (walk with us)
Finally I'm where I'm suppose to be (c'mon)
[Chorus]
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Walk with us, walk with us)
Finally I'm where I'm suppose to be [Repeat: x5]
The song "Finally" by Brandy is an empowering anthem about taking control of one's life and leaving behind toxic relationships. The lyrics describe the singer's realization that they have been in a negative situation for too long, and the decision to walk away and make themselves happy. The singer acknowledges that they could have stayed and played the role for one more day, but their conscience tells them to stop and look around, to evaluate if they truly belong in this place. They also encourage themselves to be strong and not weak, and to make choices that will lead to their personal happiness. The chorus repeats the phrase "Finally I walked away," celebrating the decision to leave the negativity behind and move on to a better life.
The song was released in 2004 as a part of Brandy's fourth studio album, "Afrodisiac," and was written by Brandy, Timbaland, and Walter Millsap III. The song was produced by Timbaland, who is known for his unique sound and use of percussion in his productions. "Finally" was a departure from Brandy's usual R&B sound, incorporating elements of hip-hop and electronic music.
Line by Line Meaning
I could've stayed in that place too long
I had the option to linger in an untenable situation longer than was healthy for me
I would've made it OK for you to do me wrong
I would have allowed you to treat me poorly without consequences if I continued to stay
I would've played the role one more day
I would have acted out the part assigned to me just one more day even though it wasn't serving me well
If I didn't hear my conscious say
I wouldn't have left unless my inner voice reminded me to do so
Stop, look around
Pause, take stock of your environment
Is this where you belong? (oh, yeah)
Is this place where you feel at home and where you're meant to be?
Look at yourself
Reflect on your behavior
Are you weak? Are you strong? (oh, no no)
Are you letting yourself be pushed around, or are you standing up for yourself?
I realize that it's all up to me (yeah)
I came to the realization that I am the only one who can determine my own happiness
Finally I walked away (yeah, yeah)
After a period of contemplation, I finally left
Never would've seen this day (oh)
I never thought I would be strong enough to leave
Givin' up on those things that hurt me
Letting go of the things that caused me emotional pain
Made me who I am today (oh)
These experiences helped shape me into the person I am now
Looking back on my choices made
Reflecting on the decisions I made
Thinking about the things I did to make you stay
Remembering the things I did to try and hold onto you
Wonder sometimes why my love didn't turn to hate
Questioning why I still have love for someone who didn't treat me well
Then I hear the same little voice inside me say
My inner voice speaks to me again
Finally I'm where I'm supposed to be
I have finally arrived at the place where I was always meant to be in my life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICK GLENNIE-SMITH, DON HARPER, WALTER WORTH MILSAP, TIMOTHY Z MOSLEY, CANDICE NELSON, STEVEN STERN, HANS ZIMMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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