Brandy

It's been a while since anyone has considered Brandy as leading the way when it comes to the R&B genre. After a four-year absence, she aims to change that with Two Eleven. Described as a back-to-basics approach from the former '90s R&B music superstar, the project succeeds in positioning Brandy as someone who still has a lot left in the tank. Getting past the obviously geared for urban radio "Put It Down" (featuring tabloid favourite Chris Brown), Two Eleven (named after her birthday and also the day her idol Whitney Houston died) offers up a slickly packaged project. The absence of former collaborator/producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins is barely felt, as producers like Rico Love and Bangladesh, along with songwriting help from Frank Ocean and the aforementioned Brown, serve to redefine Brandy in 2012. The Ocean-penned "Scared of Beautiful" hits the mark and tracks like "Wildest Dreams" and "So Sick" offer up the trademark vocals that made her a hit the first time around. Two Eleven is a solid R&B release that serves notice that Brandy is back.