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Afrodisiac
by Brandy

Brandy reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 73 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.8 out of 10
based on 14 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 40 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

A ten-year music-industry veteran at age 25, Brandy returns with 15 new tracks, ditching long-time collaborator Rodney Jerkins in favor of producers Timbaland, Organized Noize and Kanye West.

LABEL: Atlantic
RELEASE DATE: 29 June 2004
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Pop, R&B

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91
Entertainment Weekly
Brandy's meatiest album to date. [9 Jul 2004, p.85]
80
All Music Guide
Afrodisiac is Brandy's fourth consecutive durable showing, fluffed out with a few innocuous — if still very listenable — filler moments, but it is stocked with a number of spectacular -- and emotionally resonant -- singles that wind up making for her most accomplished set yet.
Read Full Review
80
Rolling Stone
Recalls Janet Jackson at her best.
Read Full Review
80
New Musical Express
A superbly impertinent set. [10 Jul 2004, p.48]
70
Vibe
A far cry from the pleasing pubescent fluff of her formative years. [Aug 2004, p.139]
70
PopMatters
It's beat-filled melancholy, an affirmation wrapped in a lament, it's the Coldplay record that the R&B set have never had.
Read Full Review
70
Stylus Magazine
Ultimately we can’t get a bead on Brandy precisely because she hasn’t yet figured it out herself.... Which is exactly what makes Afrodisiac such a fascinating exercise.
Read Full Review
67
E! Online
Afrodisiac teases more than tantalizes.
Read Full Review
63
Los Angeles Times
Brandy has always tended toward blandness and is either unequipped or too restrained to unleash the soulful vocal flights that give R&B its distinctive stamp. [11 Jul 2004]
Read Full Review
60
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Analbum that flirts with the mundane just enough to tease out moments of brilliance.
Read Full Review
60
Launch.com
What gives Afrodisiac its allure are the confident club jams that mask B-Rocka’s vocal limitations without overpowering her.
Read Full Review
60
Dot Music
"Afrodisiac" is Brandy’s most personally revealing album to date and her least lyrically fluffy, but its intimacy is hamstrung by the MTV-flavoured, formulaic gloop with which most contemporary, American R&B now seems to be contaminated.
Read Full Review
60
Blender
Feels like an episode of her growing-pains TV show Moesha. [Aug 2004, p.130]
40
Billboard
Paint-by-number grooves, coupled with nonexistent hooks and forgettable melodies, do not result in an album that requires repeated plays; that is unfortunate, since a few Timbaland-produced tracks demand just that.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mario A gave it a10:
This CD was Truth, truth made into kool songs

Krystal M gave it a10:
Fantastic!

adiyba j gave it a10:
I love all of brandy albums. She is real and Ican relate to alot of her songs.

Nathan M gave it a9:
I don't think that Timbaland should have helped produce her album. I would have collaborated with Lil john, more of Kanye West, Jermaine Dupri, and Missy Elliot. These would have given a good variety of tracks and would have delivered better tracks than "Who Is she to you" and "Saddity." I loved what she came up with though, but I think it could have been better. I agree with the other comments about how her record label failed to promote some of the better tracks to become videos. It was probably the record labels way of having the album fail purposely so they could release her. I would have came out with "Who I Am" first to pull the masses into her personal life, and get the sense that this album is not like the rest, it's more personal. Then with "Where you wanna be" because it's not a slow song but a song that ,again, is personal and is a "that's my song!!" kind of single and it had popular rapper of the time T.I. collaborating along with it, which went very well the beat because his style is smooth, just like the song. I play that song to people who hate brandy, and they say she should have had a video for this song instead of "Who Is She to you." Then "turn it Up" as the third single to show how versatile the album is, going from very personal to club hopping, remixing it with missy which goes well with it's unusual beat to complement the song. Finally, ending her album promotion with "Say you Will" to show I can sing any style of music and shows she can sing a love song just as good as Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston. And maybe had the last video as "Should I go" to leave audience with a cliff hanger: Is Brandy in the music business or has she retired to take care of her baby. I just hope that she finds a record label soon, because her style and voice is like no other, and it would be ashame for a pioneer of her status to leave the business with a great album with horrible promotion as her last project. (She needs to get her braids back and eat a little bit more. I don't think anybody recognizes her anymore. People think she's a new artist or something).

Laddell gave it a10:
Brandy is the BEST! I love all her albums so far, but AFRODISIAC proves to be the best. Besides Aaliyah and Timbaland, Brandy and Timbaland are the best collaboration yet. Brandy also did a wonderful job with Kanye West. Although they helped her, Brandy's talent is why she's the Queen of R&B in my eyes. I love ya Brandy!-Laddell

J D gave it a10:
WOW! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE ALBUM! This takes the cake as 2004 record of the year (Well, besides Usher of course) How else can you describe this perfect album other than amazing? Every song is incredible and you will fall in love with it, you can listen to it five times in a row and not get sick of it. The standout tracks on this album are 'Where You Wanna Be' and 'Talk About Our Love'. Very good album, take my word for it, you will LOVE IT

Mininaenae Bob gave it a7:
I think this a pretty good album. I do think however, that she should have stayed with Rodney Jerkins instead of switching to Timbaland. Timbaland's beats are sometimes outstaning, and other times low tempo. There are many that have potential to be good singles though. My favorites are Finally and Afrodisiac. I have a whole bunch of other favorites but I am just naming my top two.

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