Brandy, “Have You Ever” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 39^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Have You Ever” by Brandy.  

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! In the 39^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Have You Ever”, performed by 🎙 Brandy. 

Theme & Lyrics ✍ 

“Have you ever loved somebody / So much it makes you cry?” Yes, yes, yes! Back in the day, 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Brandy had contemporary R&B on lockdown.  Yes, 🎵 “The Boy is Mine” alongside 🎙 Monica is her ace-in-the-hole, but she had another no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 all by herself.  That hit, my friends (and non-friends, I suppose) is the stunning ballad, 🎵 “Have You Ever”. “Have You Ever” appears on Brandy’s 1998 album, 💿 Never Say Never.

There are many reasons why “Have You Ever” is the sugar honey iced tea. The biggest reason, of course, is Brandy.  She has an amazing voice that’s incredibly distinct.  There’s a raspy, smoky quality of her instrument that makes it incredibly ear-catching.  This ballad is perfectly suited for such expressive pipes, particularly when she ad-libs and ‘lets loose.’ The next contributor to the success is the songwriter, the legendary 🎼 ✍  Diane Warren, who is one of the best songwriters in the game.  The lyrics, driven by love, are poetic and relatable.  The melody (the tune) is memorable, particularly in the chorus, which Brandy sings exceptionally beautifully.

“Have you ever loved somebody

So much it makes you cry?

Have you ever needed something

So bad you can’t sleep at night?

Have you ever tried to find the words

But they don’t come out right?

Have you ever, have you ever?”

Finally, how about that production by 🎛 David Foster? Like Warren, Foster has been an amazing producer for years and years and years. The backdrop is classy, perfectly suited to a then-teenaged R&B singer.

Final Thoughts 💭

They don’t make R&B ballads like “Have You Ever.” That isn’t to say that there aren’t awesome R&B ballads and songs being made in the 2020s but this one right here is timeless.  Elite vocals, elite songwriting with a relatable theme, and elite production make “Have You Ever” a sensational Throwback Vibe 🕶️🎶.

🎙 Brandy • 💿 Never Say Never • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 1998

Brandy, “Have You Ever”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 39 (2022) [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash,  The Musical Hype]