Brandy Norwood grew up in a musical home; the influence of her father, a choir director, appears on her two album releases, 1994's Brandy and 1998's Never Say Never. But though singing may have always been her first love, a professional acting gig on the short-lived sitcom Thea was the singer's first big break. Brandy spent that television season simultaneously filming the sitcom and recording her self-titled debut.

Brandy was an immediate success. The first single, 'I Wanna Be Down,' which included a ground-breaking remix featuring female rappers MC Lyte, Yo Yo and Queen Latifah, quickly reached the top of the charts, as did subsequent singles, like 'Baby,' 'Best Friend' and 'Broken Hearted,' a duet with Boyz II Men singer Wayna Morris. Brandy toured with Boyz II Men and Babyface, recorded songs for soundtracks such as Waiting To Exhale and Batman Forever, then landed another acting role: UPN offered Brandy her own sitcom, Moesha, which remains the network's highest-rated sitcom for the second consecutive season.