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.
I Know Now
Brandy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Riches and fame, a lot of friends
A lot of luxuries
Underneath it all I've always felt so incomplete
I just want someone to really love and care for me
I do all I can to make people happy
But happiness in return is something I'll never see
Don't know why I'm going wrong trying to find what I need
1 - When I gave Him my love
Here's what came back to me
He never ran with my affections
His love is guaranteed
Didn't know unconditional love
Could ever really be found
That didn't happen to somebody like me
I didn't know what I know now
Well since I found His love
I don't try to please nobody else
Cause in Him I found all I'll ever need
And He loves me just for me, Brandy
If you don't know Him you should give Him a chance
And He'll give you the best love you've ever had
You'll love Him like I do I don't have a doubt
Listen while I tell you what I'm talking 'bout
Repeat 1
Sometimes it seems as though
Life isn't really fair at all
When the ones you try to love
Don't love you back, oh
But when you found the love
That I have found from God above
It erases all the pain of your past
Trying to tell you
Repeat 1 till end with ad-libs on last verse
No, I didn't know, I didn't know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I didn't know, I didn't know
In "I Know Now," Brandy reflects on her journey to find true love and meaning in her life. Despite her many successes, including fame and fortune, she feels incomplete inside and yearns for a deep connection with another person. However, her efforts to find happiness through material possessions and pleasing others have left her feeling empty and alone. In her desperation, she cries out to God for help, realizing that she needs something more than what the world can offer.
The song then takes a turn as Brandy describes the transformative experience of finding God's love. She says that when she gave her love to God, she received even more love in return. She discovered the concept of unconditional love, something she never believed could exist for someone like her. This love gave her a sense of completeness and fulfillment that she had been searching for all along. She urges others to give God a chance, promising that they will receive the best love they have ever had.
Overall, "I Know Now" is a powerful testament to the idea that true love and happiness come from within and cannot be found in external sources. Brandy's journey to discovering God's love serves as a universal reminder that we all have the capacity for love and that finding it requires a willingness to let go of our own desires and seek something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey I've tried just about everything
I have tried many things in my life
Riches and fame, a lot of friends
I have achieved wealth, fame and many friendships
A lot of luxuries
I have had many luxurious possessions
Underneath it all I've always felt so incomplete
Despite my accomplishments, I always felt unfulfilled
I just want someone to really love and care for me
All I truly want is to be loved and cared for
I do all I can to make people happy
I put in my best efforts to make others happy
But happiness in return is something I'll never see
I never receive the same level of happiness I give to others
Don't know why I'm going wrong trying to find what I need
I am unsure why I am unsuccessful in finding what I truly need
So I'm crying Lord please help me, yeah
I am asking for divine intervention to help me find what I need
When I gave Him my love
When I gave my love to God
Here's what came back to me
This is what I received in return
He never ran with my affections
God never took advantage of my feelings
His love is guaranteed
God's love is unconditional and everlasting
Didn't know unconditional love
I had never experienced such love before
Could ever really be found
I never believed such love was possible
That didn't happen to somebody like me
I never thought someone like me could experience unconditional love
Well since I found His love
Since I found God's love
I don't try to please nobody else
I no longer try to please others
Cause in Him I found all I'll ever need
I found everything I need in God
And He loves me just for me, Brandy
God loves me for who I am, Brandy
If you don't know Him you should give Him a chance
If you do not know God, you should give Him a chance
And He'll give you the best love you've ever had
God will give you the best love you have ever experienced
You'll love Him like I do I don't have a doubt
You will love God just like I do, I am sure of it
Listen while I tell you what I'm talking 'bout
Pay attention while I explain what I mean
Sometimes it seems as though
At times it appears as if
Life isn't really fair at all
Life can be very unfair
When the ones you try to love
When the ones you love
Don't love you back, oh
Do not reciprocate your love
But when you found the love
But when you find the love
That I have found from God above
That I found from God
It erases all the pain of your past
It eliminates all the pain from your past
Trying to tell you
I am trying to inform you
No, I didn't know, I didn't know
No, I did not know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I did not know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I did not know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I did not know
I didn't know, I didn't know
I did not know
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ivanbrunson316
Re dedicating my life back to the Lord Jesus. "When I gave Him my love, His love came back to me..."
RedSox
It’s a shame this song didn’t make the cut for the Never Say Never Album it would have been a hit single.
Being Me
This wasn’t for never say never album
Stephen Thompson
Love this song! This is definitely about God’s Love just like He Is from Full Moon!
potterylady1
Love this!
Kevin Newsome
It’s the vocals n message of the song for me 👌🏾
Navy Nick
I need this, LOVE ALL of her work!!!
Minimah Billings
Alllllll! Yes, sir.💞👑🎼💯🎤🔥
Lordpraisethe
beautiful. this is a song about Jesus.
RedSox
I miss this Brandy. I wish she continued to sing like this.