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.
The Definition
Brandy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The definition
Real good
Dark Child
I dropped all that baggage
Let go of that habit
The pain you can have it
I'm lovin' this skin
And I got a good man
Feels like the beginning
Now I?m content with me
It's hard to explain it
Been through it, you name it
The heartache and break and
The shame played that game
But I, couldn't seem to win
I started to think
Something was wrong with me
'Til I was finally introduced to happy
I made the greatest discovery of mankind
You define the existence of love
And I found it in you
Searched my whole life through
So rare but so true
The definition of love is you
The definition baby is you
The definition baby you are
I traded that frown in
Bought me a brand new smile
I'm wearing it proudly
'Cause now I'm content with me
No longer uncertain
I'm sure of the verdict
I'm free and love it
And now I'm content with me
It's hard to explain it
Been through it, you name it
The heartache kept breaking
The shamed played that game
But I, couldn't seem to win
I started to think
Something was wrong with me
'Til I was finally introduced to happy
I made the greatest discovery of mankind
You define the existence of love
And I found it in you
Searched my whole life through
So rare but so true
The definition of love is you
The definition baby is you
The definition baby you are
'Cause I've been digging for years
Barely see past the tears
'Cause I thought my heart had disappeared
But until you, came into my life
Made me anew
Showed me the truth
I made the greatest discovery of mankind
You define the existence of love
And I found it in you
Searched my whole life through
So rare but so true
The definition of love is you
I made the greatest discovery of mankind
You define the existence of love
And I found it in you
Searched my whole life through
So rare but so true
The definition of love is you
The definition baby is you
The definition baby is you
The definition baby is you
The definition defined by you
The song "The Definition" by Brandy is an ode to self-love and the discovery of true love through a good man. The lyrics express Brandy's journey of shedding her past baggage, insecurities and self-doubt and finding contentment within herself. She talks about the heartbreaks and shame she has experienced, but her introduction to "happy" through a good relationship has defined her understanding of love.
The chorus emphasizes the theme of the song, as she declares that her lover is the definition of love itself. The lyrics suggest that "the definition" of love is subjective and varies from person to person, but for Brandy, it is the love she has discovered with her partner. Throughout the song, Brandy emphasizes that defining love is a personal journey, and she has finally found it for herself.
The song inspires listeners to let go of their past and embrace contentment within themselves while keeping their hearts open to the possibility of love. It emphasizes the importance of self-love as a prerequisite to discovering true love with someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
I dropped all that baggage
I have let go of all of my past emotional burdens.
Let go of that habit
I have freed myself from unhealthy behaviors and patterns.
The pain you can have it
I am no longer holding onto the pain of the past; you can have it.
Now I'm content with me
I have found inner peace and happiness with myself.
I'm lovin' this skin
I have learned to love and appreciate myself for who I am.
And I got a good man
I am in a healthy and positive romantic relationship.
Feels like the beginning
My life and relationship feel new and exciting.
It's hard to explain it
It's difficult to put into words.
Been through it, you name it
I have gone through various struggles and difficulties.
The heartache and break and
I have experienced emotional pain and trauma.
The shame played that game
I have felt ashamed and insecure in the past.
But I, couldn't seem to win
I felt like I was constantly losing in life and love.
Something was wrong with me
I questioned my self-worth and believed there was something inherently flawed about me.
Til I was finally introduced to happy
Until I found happiness and contentment within myself and in my relationship.
I made the greatest discovery of mankind
Finding love and happiness is the most important and valuable discovery in life.
You define the existence of love
Love is defined by the person who embodies it for you.
And I found it in you
I found love in my partner.
Searched my whole life through
I have been searching my whole life for love and happiness.
So rare but so true
This love is rare but genuine and authentic.
The definition of love is you
My partner embodies and defines love for me.
I traded that frown in
I have replaced my sadness with happiness.
Bought me a brand new smile
I have a renewed sense of joy and positivity.
No longer uncertain
I am now confident and sure of myself.
I'm free and love it
I have liberated myself from negative emotions and am enjoying my freedom.
Cause I've been digging for years
I have been searching for love for a long time.
Barely see past the tears
My tears and sadness have clouded my vision of love and happiness.
Thought my heart had disappeared
I believed that I had lost my capacity for love.
Until you, came into my life
My partner has brought love and joy into my life.
Made me anew
My partner has helped me transform into a better version of myself.
Showed me the truth
My partner has taught me the truth about love and happiness.
The definition baby is you
My partner is the definition of love for me.
The definition defined by you
My partner's love defines what love means to me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: CRYSTAL JOHNSON, LASHAWN DANIELS, RODNEY JERKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kerry
on Drum Life
The best of her songe