Brandy | Musicians at Google

DARA WILSON: How you guys doing today? [CHEERS] DARA WILSON: There you go. That's the enthusiastic Google I know. BRANDY: Yes. DARA WILSON: OK. My name is Dara Wilson. I'm a merchandising manager for devices on Google Play. I am also a happy member of the Black Googlers Network. And on behalf of them and "Musicians at Google," I want to welcome you all here. Thank you all for coming so much. We are here to have the wonderful Brandy with us-- [CHEERS] BRANDY: Thank you. DARA WILSON: --here at the Google campus in Mountain View, California. So as if we all don't already know, Brady has been a force in the entertainment industry for the past nearly 20 years. BRANDY: That's telling my age-- telling my age. That's telling my age. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: She has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, won over a hundred awards. It is no wonder why she is ranked one of the best-selling female artists in American history. BRANDY: Oh, wow. [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: No big deal. So in celebration of Black History Month, BGN has chosen three themes to focus on. Those are mapping the past, searching the present, and inventing the future. And so we're going to have Brandy here with us to talk about those themes through her career. BRANDY: OK. DARA WILSON: So first, I want to say happy belated birthday. BRANDY: Thank you very much. DARA WILSON: How does it feel? BRANDY: It feels good to celebrate another birthday. My birthday is February 11, and yeah, I just hung out with my friends and my family. and we just did a quiet celebration. It was fun. At the house, it was simple. And it was good. DARA WILSON: OK, so we actually have a video clip of you discussing your beginnings in the music industry that we wanted to start with. So let's go ahead and play that to start out. BRANDY: [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: We like that girl, huh? [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, so it has been 18 years since the single came out. How does it feel to be celebrating such a milestone in your career? You're still going strong all these years later. BRANDY: Well, it feels great to do what I love to do. Singing is my passion. Entertainment is my passion. I love people, so it feels good to keep going. I've gone through a lot, a lot of ups and downs. At one point, I didn't like what I did anymore. And so to rediscover and to reinvent and to develop all over again has truly been a blessing. I've been so blessed to get chance after chance. And I'm just happy to be an example of possibility, really. Y'all can clap on that. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I must say, that was pretty profound. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: OK, so you have been around for a significant amount of time. So tell us about some of the biggest influences in the music industry for your career. BRANDY: Oh my god. Well, my dad was the first performer I saw in church. He was the first person that I was wowed by. And then being introduced to Whitney Houston at an early age was like, whoa. I couldn't believe a woman like her existed. Her smile alone just made your heart melt, and just her voice and her aura and her presence. And so I grew up loving her, idolizing her. And I had a chance to meet her, work with her, and become a friend of hers. So that's awesome. I'll never forget her. And she will forever be my idol and someone that I look up to. DARA WILSON: You did a good job of introducing her to our generation as well. BRANDY: Oh, really? DARA WILSON: Oh, yeah. BRANDY: I did that? No, I didn't. DARA WILSON: Yes, you did, girl. BRANDY: Oh, no, y'all knew Whitney Houston. DARA WILSON: But [INAUDIBLE] have her to be so accessible-- Sunday night, you're sitting between your mom's legs. Your doing your hair, and "The Wonderful World of Disney" comes on. And Brandy is there with Whitney Houston. It just brought her to a whole new generation, I think. BRANDY: She's unbelievable, an unbelievable woman. DARA WILSON: Definitely. OK, so next we want to move to-- this one's a favorite of mine-- your TV show, "Moesha". BRANDY: Ooh. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: Yes, we could clap for that. It went on to become a great success, obviously. And it was really refreshing-- let's talk about generational gaps again-- to see a positive depiction of an African American family in some real-world situations. And one of the things that I know I personally loved about watching the show was all the celebrity guests. BRANDY: I know. We did have a lot of-- DARA WILSON: So tell us about who you favorite was. BRANDY: One of my favorites was Maya Angelou. She was-- incredible African American woman, and she just inspired so many people. So meeting her, for me, was like meeting Oprah. It just didn't seem like she was touchable. So she was on the show. There's a lot of people that came on the show. Jamie Foxx-- so many. And it's weird because I don't remember a lot of the "Moesha" days, so I'm pretty sure there was a lot of great people on there that I'm not really recalling right now. But it was a great experience for me because I got a chance to grow up through the eyes of "Moesha", because I wasn't in regular school, and she was. And she really had true teenage issues. She stood her ground, stood on her own, and I was able to live through that and learn a lot from her. I know you didn't ask me that, but I just felt the need to-- since we were on the subject, I just decided to-- DARA WILSON: That's exactly what we're here for. Feel free. Please. BRANDY: OK. DARA WILSON: I'm just going to say that my favorite, I think, was Brian McKnight. BRANDY: Brian McNight was on the show. DARA WILSON: Yes, girl. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I forgot about that. DARA WILSON: And you were dancing, and he was your teacher. And I had to leave the room because he was so fine. BRANDY: You like him, huh? [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: So I want to thank you for that as well. BRANDY: OK. Girl, you're welcome. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, well, speaking of which, since I brought that up, have you ever been star-struck by people you've met? BRANDY: Oh my god, I'm always star-struck, especially people that I'm invested in. Like recently, I had a chance to meet Kerry Washington. She's the lady that plays in "Scandal" Olivia Pope. I know you guys know. And I got a chance to really tell her how I felt about her and all of her monologues that she does on the show. And of course, I had to get through the "oh my god. Oh my god." It was a problem. And I embarrass everybody around me because I really go into groupie mode, especially when I love someone. So it happens. And I never want to lose that because when people come up to me and tell me how they feel about my work and they appreciate the things that I've done for them, it makes me feel amazing. So I always want to let the people that make me feel that way know how I feel about them. DARA WILSON: Awesome. So Kerry Washington, that's a recent one. I feel like everybody here would have that same reaction. She is amazing. BRANDY: It was a mess, how I was acting. It was really bad. DARA WILSON: Anybody else? BRANDY: Oh my god, so many. When I first met Whitney Houston, I had to register that she was a real person. Like you can go on YouTube and see it-- I'm running from her. I'm screaming. I'm crying. I was a hot mess. And then Michael Jackson, I fainted. I just walked in and saw him and just-- you know what I mean? [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: I think that's a perfectly acceptable response to meeting Michael Jackson. BRANDY: Yeah. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But yeah. DARA WILSON: Awesome. OK. So your new album, "Two Eleven"-- BRANDY: New album, "Two Eleven," is out now. DARA WILSON: Birthday? BRANDY: Yes. DARA WILSON: It was released back in October, right? BRANDY: Yes. DARA WILSON: OK, so how is it different, this album, from your past works? What has changed for you as an artist? BRANDY: Well, I'm just a different person now. I'm older. I'm wiser. And I'm a lot more honest within myself. I know who I am as a person. So when you have a better sense of who you are, you can be honest in every part of your life. So music is the best way I can express myself and really just let loose already. So to have that connection with self, it's a little bit more freeing for me. So with this album, I just wanted to get back to my R&B roots. And it's an album that I'm truly proud of. I love every song on the album. I didn't write any of the songs, so I'm not being cocky by saying that. But I love all the songs. I relate to them. And I love the melodies, the lyrics. It was just a great experience to reconnect back to my music and then to do music that I knew my fans would be proud of and do an album that my fans have been waiting for, because they've been with me for such a long time. And it's all about them right now for me. I love my fans. I do. [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: Well I have to say, it shows, because the album is really, really incredible. BRANDY: Thank you. Thank you so much. DARA WILSON: It seems like that extension is there. BRANDY: Thank you. DARA WILSON: So you mentioned it-- you teed it off for me. You do have an incredibly passionate and engaged fan base BRANDY: I do. DARA WILSON: You really do. BRANDY: I mean they go hard. My fans are not-- like, don't talk about me to my fans. They will let you have it. They feel like my extended family. They really do. And anybody that knows me, knows my fans are a part of my family. And that's why I call them my stars, because they keep me shining, and they've been there through everything, the ups and the downs. And you can't ask for better fans than that. DARA WILSON: Yeah. So I see that you do cultivate that on YouTube. You have a pretty strong YouTube presence and following. How does that help you interact with your fan base in that way? BRANDY: Well, just being able to be that close in connection is great. I didn't have that coming up. So to have something where I can be in close contact with them-- people that can't get to every show, they can see me and appreciate-- DARA WILSON: Singing in the bathroom. BRANDY: Yeah, singing in the bathroom. All that stuff that I'm able to do to impress them and to engage with them is a blessing. DARA WILSON: So you do see it as a big difference from the early part of your career, that social media [INAUDIBLE]? BRANDY: Oh my god, social media, it has its pros and cons. But the pros are just amazing because I can talk directly to them. I can DM them. DARA WILSON: You're DMing your fans? BRANDY: Yeah, I DM. I DM a little. I Direct Message a little bit. Yes. I know if Whitney had a Twitter or something like that, I would be stalking. So it's great for them to feel like they can talk to you and feel like they know you, because that's how I feel about them. And I hate that I can't get to everybody. DARA WILSON: Well, when you have such a strong fan base, that's never going to be possible. But it's a blessing. BRANDY: That's true. It definitely is. You're doing a great job, by the way. DARA WILSON: Oh, well thank you very much. BRANDY: Girl, you should get your own talk show. [APPLAUSE] BRANDY: Yes. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: Oprah left her seat open. I'm auditioning, y'all. You don't know. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, so you did mention that your fans are called stars, and they help you to shine. But how did that name come about, specifically? Did it just come to you? BRANDY: It did come to me. I was doing some videos for them on the previous album-- not this album, but the album before. And I was just talking to them, interacting with them. And it just came out of nowhere. I was like, y'all are my stars. Y'all keep me shining. And I was like, hmm, that should be-- DARA WILSON: Inspiration. BRANDY: Yeah, that should be-- because fans sounds so-- DARA WILSON: Cold. BRANDY: It does, huh? I wasn't going to say cold, but I'm going to go with that. That was a good one. DARA WILSON: Because you're the opposite. You have a very warm presence, and I think it's partly because of that. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: I think we just had a moment. BRANDY: Yeah, we did. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But yeah, stars, it's more personal for me. DARA WILSON: OK. Do you ever get the chance to watch some of the stuff that they are putting up on social media? I know people do choreography to your music. BRANDY: I do. I watch the choreography. I watch the birthday messages they send me. And some of my stars are really talented. They can sing. There's this one guy. His name is Token. And he always makes these videos where he's like five or six different characters, and all six of his characters are Brandy fans. And so he expresses love for me in different characters. One is real Ratchet. He calls one of the characters Ratchet. And so everything is like, "girl, honey child." And it's like a whole thing where he's being this character, and it expresses the love for me. And I just love that. And I'm just amazed by that, that someone could feel that way-- people could feel that way about me. DARA WILSON: That's got to be a great thing to wake up to in the morning. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: It is. It definitely is. Definitely Ratchet. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, well again, we have a little bit of footage of one of your stars right now. So we're going to watch how they interact with you. BRANDY: Oh my god, I wish you would have played another one from this clip. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: No, it's really emotionally. It was a girl. She walked up, and she just looked at me like this. And then she stopped, and then she just broke-- it had to register to her. And I'm me, so I'm like, what's wrong? [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But it was so incredible how she responded, and I just broke down. It was a moment for me. I was like, wow. DARA WILSON: Maybe the people on the committee thought you might not want to see yourself breaking down on video. I don't know. BRANDY: Right. Yeah, because I do look crazy when I cry, so maybe not. Gotta keep it cute for Google. Gotta keep it cute. DARA WILSON: [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Right. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, so you mentioned that one. Do you have any other favorite memorable fan moments? BRANDY: It's so many great fan moments. All I know is I really appreciate when people say things like your music saved my life. I was going through a break-up, and your music turned me around. I feel like I can relate to you. I have a lot of people that come up to me and say those things, and that always makes me feel just-- it's the reason why I do what I do. And I'm so glad that I'm connected to that feeling, because when you come up and you're young, you want to be famous. You want to be popular. It's all about you when you're young. But now, I know that it's a responsibility, and it's a service to my fans to do what I do. And I'm blessed to have the opportunity to serve people and to share. So, yeah, y'all can clap on that, too. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: You're making my life so easy. BRANDY: It's really true. I mean that. DARA WILSON: It's beautiful BRANDY: Because it wasn't always like that. And it feels great to have that connection. DARA WILSON: And your people are die hard, too. We're all out here waiting. Every day, it was like, there's this Brandy thing coming, y'all? [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, so this is a little bit of a departure, but I heard that you're an avid "World of Warcraft" fan? [CHEERS] [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: Girl. You're going to fit in here just fine. BRANDY: Anybody in here play "World of Warcraft"? OK, never mind. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: This is a room full of Googlers. They all fronting. Everybody in here plays that game. BRANDY: Somebody has to-- one person. Don't be embarrassed. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: OK. DARA WILSON: That's OK. "StarCraft"? BRANDY: Oh, "StarCraft." [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Same people, but it's not the same game. No, I've never played "StarCraft.' But I'm all "World of Warcraft." I love that game. It's an escape. DARA WILSON: OK. Bordering on obsession, maybe? BRANDY: I used to be obsessed. I'm a little busy right now, which is a good thing because when I wasn't busy I was-- [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I was gone, seriously. But I am a Level 90. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: That's the highest level in the game. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Thank you. [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: I love this side of Brandy. Yes. BRANDY: Yes. Girl, who told you to ask that question? [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: I'm not going to out anybody. BRANDY: OK. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, so you're on tour now promoting the album. BRANDY: Yes. DARA WILSON: And the tour is amazing. BRANDY: Thank you. DARA WILSON: We have always really enjoyed your moves and your music. BRANDY: Thank you. DARA WILSON: But this seems like it's just on another level with the dancing. And actually, we have another clip. This is my favorite one. I've been waiting all day for this. BRANDY: Oh my god, what is it? DARA WILSON: So let's roll this clip. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: Yes. BRANDY: That's him. That's the 90 characters-- the guy. DARA WILSON: Well, there we are. BRANDY: Yes. I'm a fan of him, you know? DARA WILSON: You know what, we thought that perhaps he was a fan, but his moves were so on point, we said, no, he must be a background dancer. BRANDY: No, he is a fan. DARA WILSON: That is incredible. BRANDY: A star, yes. DARA WILSON: Wow. BRANDY: And he has my back, totally. DARA WILSON: So in terms of the performances, before, things were a little bit more subtle. BRANDY: Yeah. DARA WILSON: Well, I didn't say that. BRANDY: You could say it. It's OK. DARA WILSON: Well, I won't. BRANDY: You want me to say it? Yeah, I was stiff. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: But things have changed a lot. People are talking about it that's it's changed so much. You're incredible. BRANDY: Thanks you. I've definitely discovered a new performer on stage. I don't even know who this girl is. I still got a long way to go, a lot of work to do. But I'm a little bit more comfortable on stage now. And I'll share a quick story with you guys. When I was about 16, I appeared on a stage. It was 20-something thousand people. It was this summer jam. And I got on the stage to give the radio station this plaque-- one of my plaques-- and the entire stadium booed me. Like, boo! It was really bad. I was a teenager. I'm done after that. I'm emotional. It scarred me. DARA WILSON: You're a real human being. BRANDY: From there, I became stage fright. Every audience after that, I thought I was going to be booed, something was going to happen. So I've come through a lot being a performer and getting comfortable on stage, because that fear is still there. But it's not as much as it was coming up. So I had to really come through a lot of stage fright because of that moment. And moments after that have happened, too, where boos and things like that. But there's so much love now and so much appreciation for my music and what I do, I'm starting to get a little bit more comfortable on stage. And it feels great. And now, I don't care now when I get on stage. I just let it loose. You're going to love it, or you're going to hate it. It depends on whatever that person is feeling. I just know that I leave everything on stage. I give it 150%. And that's all I can do. DARA WILSON: And it's paying off in dividends. I'm telling you, your stars are talking. BRANDY: Thank you. DARA WILSON: You got to teach us some moves later. I'm going to corner you, because I only do half a dougie at this point. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Girl, you doing it just sitting there, honey. DARA WILSON: I'm trying to work it out. BRANDY: Yes. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK, so you have gotten back into acting. We've seen you on "The Game" and "Drop Dead Diva." So what's that transition like? Tell us about it. BRANDY: I love acting. It's a little bit more of a challenge for me because acting, you play somebody completely different than yourself. But I love it. I love the challenge. I love bringing truth to someone that's not me. And it's definitely a challenging thing. So I love a challenge. So you see me on "The Game" this season. I think that drops in March. And the new movie with Tyler Perry-- DARA WILSON: Congratulation on that. BRANDY: --that comes out in March, "Temptation." Yeah, thank you. So acting is going pretty well. I want to do a lot more in the future though, definitely. DARA WILSON: Cool. So what's next for you in your career? BRANDY: Well, I'm going to keep performing. I'm going to just keep working hard. I feel like I'm definitely on the path, my path of destiny, so I just want to keep going and stay humble, stay positive, and keep doing what I love to do because this is what I was born to do. DARA WILSON: And is there anyone on the horizon that you're looking forward to working with? Anybody you have your eye on? BRANDY: It's a lot of great artists out there. I would love to work with Beyonce one day. I think she's incredible. Kelly Rowland's incredible. I love Miguel. [CHEERS] BRANDY: Oh my god. My fiance got me on to Miguel. I didn't even realize how amazing he was. And I'm just like, oh my god, can he perform at the wedding? Please. He is amazing. And that was actually my pitch if he sees that. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: He might say yes, so-- [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: So yes, Miguel, I want you to perform at the wedding. DARA WILSON: Or he can come to Google also. BRANDY: Yes. DARA WILSON: He can-- and then we can-- Yeah. BRANDY: See, Google, y'all got everybody coming up here. I just need Miguel at my wedding real quick, you know what I'm saying? [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: But can we work together? Can we collaborate? BRANDY: Yes, we can work together. We can work together. DARA WILSON: Let's make it work. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK. So you also have a few alter egos. BeRocka? BRANDY: BeatRocka is a nickname. It's not an alter ego. DARA WILSON: OK, I apologize. BRANDY: I don't have no alter egos. DARA WILSON: OK, It's just all Brandy. BRANDY: It's all-- yeah. I have, like, 10 personalities. I definitely have a couple-- I'm not crazy, y'all. But I do have a couple of personalities. DARA WILSON: And some of them rap. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: They rap very well, I have to say. BRANDY: Thank you. I used to rap. But I'm a little bit discouraged because no one believed in my rapping. AUDIENCE: Aww. DARA WILSON: What? BRANDY: Yeah, the world didn't really buy into it. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: And the new team that I'm working with definitely doesn't want to hear me rap. So I'm a little bit discouraged. DARA WILSON: You just got to drop a little mix tape on the street. BRANDY: See, that's what I really want to do. But because I don't feel like any one will take me seriously-- and for those dreamers out there, don't listen to this part, because I have no business feeling like that about something that I feel like I can do a little bit. But nobody believes, so I just say, just stick to singing. DARA WILSON: Just singing. BRANDY: Just stick to singing. DARA WILSON: OK, well, I'm a little sad about that, but that's all right. BRANDY: Me too. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK. You can rap to me later. BRANDY: Mmm-mmm. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: No. OK. So now we have a [INAUDIBLE] question submitted from a fellow Googler. So Felix asks, who, if any, was the inspiration for the song "The Boy is Mine"? That is an excellent question, Felix. BRANDY: It is. Well actually, I was a huge fan of "Jerry Springer." "Jerry Springer" was hot back in the day, let me tell you. Everything was about boys and fighting over them, and I was a huge fan. So I was like, oh my god, I should do a song around that subject. DARA WILSON: You mean, you weren't a huge fan of Jerry Springer as a man. The boy is not Jerry Springer. BRANDY: No, the boy is not-- [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: I just want to clarify that for everybody. BRANDY: Did it sound like-- yes, I'm sorry. Jerry Springer was not the boy. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: It was the show, "Jerry Springer", and the subject matter. DARA WILSON: Uh-huh. Well that makes a lot of sense. BRANDY: Yes. So I went to Rodney Jerkins, my producer at the time, and I was like, we should do a song called "The Boy is Mine", and we should put Monica on it. People are already putting us against each other, and we don't even know each other. So it would be the perfect song to get people even more into the feud. So it worked out. DARA WILSON: But the feud is not a real thing? BRANDY: No, it wasn't. We didn't even know each other. We hadn't even met, and people were already saying, oh, she doesn't like her. and it was just a whole catty thing that was not appropriate. DARA WILSON: Yeah. But it worked out because the song is incredible. BRANDY: It did work out. Thank you. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: And my 12-year-old self is dancing inside right now because it's happy. BRANDY: So which one were you, Brandy or Monica? DARA WILSON: I was Brandy, obviously. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I'm just kidding. You know, because everybody had their-- I'm just trying to check. DARA WILSON: Your vocal range is more within-- BRANDY: Girl, don't expand on that, because you know they're going to try to-- DARA WILSON: And also because you had the best-- listen, we've got to move on. BRANDY: Please. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: We all have our favorite Brandy songs. Mine is "They Boy is Mine." But what is yours? BRANDY: (SIGH). I don't think I've recorded it yet. DARA WILSON: Mmm, that's a real good answer. BRANDY: That was, right? Yeah, girl, that was real good. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: I love it. OK, so still to come. BRANDY: Yeah, still to come. DARA WILSON: OK, and so you did to win a Grammy. And so we want to know what that experience was like. How did that feel? BRANDY: Winning a Grammy was like-- it's like you've arrived, because that's what they say before they introduce you. Y'all didn't say it today. It's cool. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But that's what they say-- Grammy Award winning such-and-such. So it just-- [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: You said I did a good job, and now you're saying I messed up. BRANDY: No, you did a good job. No, I didn't say you messed up. You didn't introduce me today, did you? You did? [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Aww. It was a joke. They laughed. They laughed. They laughed. We good. We good. We good. DARA WILSON: It's OK. BRANDY: You can say it now if you want to. No, I'm just kidding. No, but it really felt like, oh my god, I've made it. And that was the one thing I wanted. I really wanted a Grammy for that validation, I have to be honest. At that age, you want to be validated. You made it. And when they called our name-- because Monica won it, too-- when they called our name, it was so ghetto how I reacted. It was really, really, really a problem. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: No class, no etiquette, just-- [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I'm booking to the stage like, oh my god. I just felt like it was just really bad. I'm so glad it was on the pre-show. It wasn't on the main show because it would have just looked horrible how it happened. DARA WILSON: I'm sure we could find some footage of that somewhere BRANDY: Please don't find it. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Please don't. I'm running for my life to grab that Grammy, seriously. DARA WILSON: That's passion. BRANDY: It was passion, but it was wrong. It was very wrong. But I got that Grammy. I got it. And it felt amazing. It really did. DARA WILSON: Great. BRANDY: Yeah [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: So going back to "Moesha" a little bit-- because that little 12-year-old girl won't let me stop-- we all know the theme song. It's incredible. We love it. How did the creation of that come about? BRANDY: Oh, the creation of "Mo to the E to the, Mo to--" I don't remember. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: OK. BRANDY: I don't even remember recording that. DARA WILSON: So when you say you don't remember the "Moesha" years, you were being honest? BRANDY: Yeah, I'm being honest. A lot of it is a blur. I have special moments that I'll never forget, but that part of my life was a blur-- is a blur. DARA WILSON: What are some of those special moments? BRANDY: Well, of course, the Maya Angelou moment. The first episode, because I couldn't believe I was actually doing a television show. And all my friends were there, my family friends were there. And I had a moment where I had to cry in the first episode, and I'm asking everybody, how do you cry? So what do you do? What's going on? So it was like, just blow something in your eye and then tears. So someone blew something in my eye, and got a chance to cry and played it off pretty well. So I remember that. And my first kiss on television was crazy. DARA WILSON: Mmm-hmm. You want to expand on that? BRANDY: He passed away, the guy that I-- the first kiss. He passed away. His name was Merlin Santana. DARA WILSON: Oh BRANDY: Yeah. DARA WILSON: I remember. BRANDY: But yeah, my first kiss, it was interesting. DARA WILSON: In a great way. BRANDY: No [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: No? BRANDY: He's a great guy, a great actor, but mmm-mmm. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I think it was because it was in front of people and cameras, and I was really shy. DARA WILSON: And it was the first time. BRANDY: Yeah, so that and, hmm, what else? I'm pretty sure if someone could help me remember things, I would remember more. I'm sorry. DARA WILSON: No, don't be sorry. You mentioned a little bit about having a familiar support there. But what is it like now trying to balance your career with being a mother? BRANDY: Well, my daughter is my biggest supporter, and she's my biggest inspiration. And she's just really a sweet person inside. And so to be a mother of someone like that, someone I like and love and have a great time with, it's truly a blessing. And my fiance is very supportive-- just my family in general. I have a really great support system. And you need that. You need that to keep going and to push forward. DARA WILSON: Awesome. OK, and so your "BET Honors" performance of "Without You" received a lot of rave reviews. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Yes. DARA WILSON: And it premiered on your birthday which is amazing. BRANDY: It did. DARA WILSON: So can you tell us about the experience of doing that? BRANDY: Yeah. I was really nervous because I knew that it was going to be a lot of people in the audience. Again, and that stage fright thing comes on. I knew Halle Berry was going to be there, TD Jakes, Lisa Leslie-- all of these great people being honored there. And I knew I had to do a good job. I knew I had to really bring it home. And this was the first time I had ever performed "Without You" on television. And it's a favorite of my fans. They love this song. So I really wanted to deliver a great performance. And so I just wanted to be very creative. So the performance was creative. It wasn't a lot of dancing, but it was a moment between me and one of my dancers. And it was about love between the both of us. And I was inspired by the Pink performance at "American Music Awards," and I was so in love with her performance. I was like, now, we not going to do no splits or no acrobatics or nothing like that. But we can get the inspiration with two people that really love each other. DARA WILSON: OK, so getting back talking about the acting a little bit, what do you prefer, TV or film? Where do you think you're going to be going in the future? BRANDY: I like both. I like TV and film. I like the business of TV and film better than the music business, I must say that. DARA WILSON: Why is that? BRANDY: It's the union. You guys know what I mean? With the music business, you just keep going and going and going. You don't have any time to sleep. With the TV and film, you can do your job, and then you can go to sleep and then wake up the next morning and don't have to go right back to work because they have a union to protect you from-- you get your 12 hours. But in the music business, you don't get that. DARA WILSON: Nobody's giving you overtime in the music business. BRANDY: You just keep going and going and-- no. But I love what I do, so it's OK. But the business is better. DARA WILSON: OK, and in terms of-- since we are at Google, we're a technological company-- where do you see the future of technology and music collaborations going in the future? BRANDY: Y'all got a lot going on here. I think you guys are already in the future, seriously. I can't think of anything, seriously. DARA WILSON: Like one day, you're going to be singing on Mars because of Explorer machine that we saw? BRANDY: I didn't know if I could actually say that I saw that today, but I was on the moon today. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Mars. I was at my old high school. It's a lot going on in Google today-- a lot. So I can't think of any new-- because if I thought of some new ideas, then-- seriously, you guys have thought of all the ideas. So I don't know. I just know that it's going to be huge, whatever it is. And I'm really happy to be here today. And I'm really happy that I was able to see everything and to see everybody. And I felt so comfortable. I think I might be a little bit too comfortable up here. I'm cracking jokes and just being myself, so it's great to feel this type of energy and just to be in the midst of good people. So thank you. DARA WILSON: Well, we are very happy to have you. BRANDY: I didn't mean to end the interview, but it just seemed as though that's where you were going. DARA WILSON: Well, I guess we should just wrap up. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But I'm happy to be here, seriously-- really happy. DARA WILSON: Great. [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: So we are going to have 10 minutes for questions for the audience. Mmm-hmm, live questions. BRANDY: Yay. JASMINE: Hi Brandy. BRANDY: Hi. DARA WILSON: Make sure you introduce yourself. BRANDY: My name is Jasmine Way. BRANDY: Hi Jasmine. JASMINE: I work here. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Of course. [LAUGHTER] JASMINE: So you've penned quite a few songs. I'm just wondering what your take is on song writing. What's your favorite part, and does it come easily for you? BRANDY: Song writing doesn't easy for me at all. But when I do it, I definitely feel amazing. I feel more connected to the song because I know that the lyrics are coming from me. But also, just songs that I can relate to in general-- it's easier to bring that song to life when you've actually been through the experience or you've actually seen somebody else go through it and you can relate to it. But yeah, I like song writing, but it doesn't come as easy for me. JASMINE: OK. I have a follow-up question, really quickly. BRANDY: Oh, go ahead. JASMINE: OK. My other question is, if you were not a singer, what do you think that you would be-- if you weren't in the entertainment industry? BRANDY: If I were not in the entertainment industry, I would be a kick-*** lawyer. I would represent all of y'all, honey. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Seriously, I would be an incredible lawyer. I know that. And I would do hair and makeup. I love doing hair and makeup for my friends. DARA WILSON: Why didn't you help me out today? BRANDY: Girl, because when I saw you, you was already done, honey. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: You didn't need no help, OK? But I got you next time. DARA WILSON: OK. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: Go ahead. BRANDY: Hi. AUDIENCE: Thanks so much for coming, Brandy. BRANDY: Oh, thank you. AUDIENCE: I may not look like it, but I was a huge closet fan back to the '90s. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: A closet fan? DARA WILSON: So me and my male cousins, outside of our family, we could not talk about it amongst our friends, so that's why-- BRANDY: Why? [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Oh, I wasn't cool enough for y'all? No. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Thank you. AUDIENCE: So I guess my question is, my wife and I, we just started a nonprofit to help low income and under-served kids with college admissions advising, and this is totally free. And so one thing that we discovered in our outreach to these kids was a lot of them, they look up to people like you-- to celebrities and artists and musicians. And they don't realize how much hard work it took, outside of just having amazing natural talent, to get to where you are and to maintain that level of success. And so I guess my question is, they feel that they can achieve that success without having to really work hard or without sort of understanding what goes into all that. What are your thoughts on that? And I know you're extremely busy, but if you would love to help us promote higher education-- [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: All right. AUDIENCE: --that would be amazing, because-- BRANDY: I absolutely would AUDIENCE: --to have star power to say how cool and attractive and sexy higher education is would be a blessing. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: College is sexy, yes. BRANDY: Yes, sexy education. No, I absolutely would. And I just wanted to say that it's impossible to succeed without hard work. It really is. But I think the key to getting to even working hard is finding the love for what you do. Once you find the love for what you do, you can push yourself, and you can motivate yourself to keep going because sometimes the work just seems like it's too much. It's just too much, need a break. But if you want to keep going and you want to get to all the places that you want to get to, you have to continue to work hard, and you have to continue to push yourself. And that takes connecting with the love for what you do. That's what I think. AUDIENCE: Great, thank you. BRANDY: And I will put you in touch with the right person for the face of your charity. No, I'm just playing. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I'm just kidding. [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: That sounds funny. AUDIENCE: Hi, Brandy. BRANDY: Hi, how are you. AUDIENCE: I'm also a huge fan. I'm one of his cousins, actually. BRANDY: Hey. [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: I'm really nervous, but I'm going to try to keep it cool because I'm really star-struck right now. But you're awesome. You're beautiful. Thank you for coming. BRANDY: Thank you. Aww. [APPLAUSE] AUDIENCE: I actually remember "Special Delivery," maybe 10, 11 years ago, your documentary on-- BRANDY: 10 years ago. AUDIENCE: --on MTV. I was a little high school kid just watching you going through that stuff. And also, I remember your more recent reality TV on VH1. So I just wanted to know-- just to keep it a little bit more informal-- if you follow reality TV yourself, and if so, what kind of shows you like? "Basketball Wives," maybe? BRANDY: Do I follow reality? [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: "Bad Girls Club"? I don't know, something. BRANDY: Well, let's start with I follow the "Mary Mary" show. I love that show. It's so positive. I watch "La La" from time to time, and I watch "Basketball Wives LA," "Loving Hip Hop: New York" and "Atlanta." And yeah, I'm a reality junkie, definitely. AUDIENCE: Cool, thank you. BRANDY: Definitely. AUDIENCE: Thanks so much. BRANDY: Mixed in with "Scandal" and "American Idol" and all those shows, too. AUDIENCE: Cool, thank you for coming. BRANDY: You're welcome. DARA WILSON: Thank you. BRANDY: (LAUGHING) Do you like reality shows? JASON: Hey Brandy. How you doing? BRANDY: Hey, how are you? JASON: My name is Jason. Sorry, I'm a little star-struck, so bear with me. BRANDY: No, don't-- no, no. JASON: I remember back in high school, I was listening to "I Wanna Be Down," so it goes all the way back. But I want to thank you for doing "Moesha" and then especially "The Game." My wife and I are big fans, so we want to know what's going to happen with you and Jason Pitts this season. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Well, Chardonnay and Jason Pitts are going to stay married. AUDIENCE: Oh, nice. BRANDY: You didn know they were married? AUDIENCE: Oh, I remembered that from the last episode. BRANDY: Oh, OK. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But yeah, they're going to stay married, and that's all I can tell you, because then it wouldn't be a surprise. JASON: Yeah, we can't wait until March. BRANDY: OK, cool. That is so cute. JASON: Thank you. BRANDY: Thank you, Jason. AUDIENCE: Awesome. Hi. BRANDY: Hey. AUDIENCE: So I have a little bit more of an obscure reference, maybe. I remember when you did "Cinderella." [CHEERS] BRANDY: Yes, thank you. AUDIENCE: And it was awesome to see this multicultural retelling of an American classic, Rogers and Hammerstein. What was that experience like? It was huge. I don't know if it still is, but it's huge. My mother-in-law is going crazy right now somewhere once I tell her that I asked you this question. BRANDY: Aww. OK, well it was a dream come true. Number one, to just work with my idol and then to be the first African American princess. That was a big deal for me. And it's so weird because when you get older and you start to look back on things, you really start to appreciate-- I didn't really know what was happening at that time. I didn't really know what kind of history was being made. I didn't really understand it, or I couldn't receive it. But when I look back on it now, it's like, oh my god. What a blessing. What a great opportunity to be able to set that type of an example and to be, again, a face of possibility-- that things can actually happen if you put your mind to things and you just let go and let God, you know what I mean? So, yeah. I love that you brought up "Cinderella"-- AUDIENCE: I love that I brought that up, too. BRANDY: --because we didn't talk about that today, really. So thank you. AUDIENCE: Cool. Thanks for coming. BRANDY: Thank you. [APPLAUSE] SUMMER: Hi, Brandy. I don't usually get star-struck, but I'm like, oh my god. I'm going to have that moment. And you're absolutely beautiful in person. BRANDY: Thank you. SUMMER: My name is Summer, and I have a question for you regarding R&B music, specifically for women. When you came out with "Boy is Mine" and "I Wanna Be Down," everything was fun. And then you had your sultry, very touching moments with "Waiting to Exhale," the song that you did for that movie track. Where do you see R&B music, specifically for women, going in the future? BRANDY: Well I really can't speak for other artists. I know that I will continue to contribute to that genre of music because that's where I come from. And there is no music like R&B. It just touches a different place in your spirit, and it's a freedom there that I don't feel with any other type of music. I love my pop. I love my country and all that. But R&B, for me, is where I can just let loose. And I'm going to continue to do that. And then music is just real subject matters, and so I'm just going to keep it real in that genre. Of course, I'm going to venture out, too, but R&B is where it is for me. It's where I live. SUMMER: And thank you for coming back because we need more of the real R&B coming back. There's not too many female artists out there right now that we can listen to, so kudos to you. BRANDY: Thank you. [APPLAUSE] AUDIENCE: Hi. So my heart's beating a little bit fast, so excuse me. But I wanted to ask you, if you could meet anyone, dead or alive, in the world right now-- [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: No pressure. AUDIENCE: --who would it be and why? BRANDY: Oh my god. That's a hard one. That's a really hard one, because I've met two of the greatest entertainers of all time. Let me think about that one. AUDIENCE: OK, take your time. BRANDY: Let me think about that one. Yeah, that's a tough one, because then if I say the wrong thing, and then it will be something else. Let me really think about that one, because I have to represent for everybody on that question. AUDIENCE: OK, thank you. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: OK. AUDIENCE: Hello, I'm so excited to meet you again. BRANDY: Yeah, I just met you on the stairs. AUDIENCE: I know. And now-- I know. Anyway, let me calm down. [INAUDIBLE]. OK, I sing, too, and I love your vocal arrangement. BRANDY: Thank you. AUDIENCE: Like on "Never Say Never," "Angel In Disguise" is like my-- anyway. I get so excited just talking about it. Your vocal arrangements-- I know you said you don't write a lot of your songs, but do you had a hand in-- BRANDY: Oh, I vocal arrange now. AUDIENCE: Right. As far as the background, do you do it all yourself, or do you have people? BRANDY: Yes. I have to take claim for something. AUDIENCE: Yes. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: This is an artist right here. BRANDY: Yes. That is where I experienced god is doing backgrounds. I hear things in my head and really able to bring a song to life. Now, I love the writers and producers, but I'm taking credit for that. AUDIENCE: Right. Your vocal arrangements are awesome. The notes that you find to harmonize together are amazing, and I appreciate them. BRANDY: And thank you for appreciating them. AUDIENCE: Oh, I do. I listen to that. BRANDY: Because a lot of people don't understand what it is. They like what they hear, but they don't really know old the ins and outs. AUDIENCE: No, I hear every note you sing. It's awesome. BRANDY: Thank you. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] BRANDY: I love this. AUDIENCE: Hi Brandy. BRANDY: Hi. AUDIENCE: You're beautiful. BRANDY: Thank you. You're beautiful, too. AUDIENCE: Huge fan. My question was going to be to where music is going. We hear a lot of house and a lot more of the club beats. Are you going to venture into that at all? BRANDY: House, hmm. I'm not mad at house. I'm not mad at it. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: But are you joining? [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I don't know if I'm going to become a part of the club, but I do appreciate all types of music. But I don't know if house is about to be my new thing. AUDIENCE: Maybe, say, on some different tracks? BRANDY: You want me to, huh? AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]. BRANDY: You want me to explore a little bit? AUDIENCE: I would love to hear you more in the clubs and everything. I love you. BRANDY: It's OK if you want me to. You said you're a fan. I'll venture out a little bit. Now, I can't stay. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: But we can venture a little bit. AUDIENCE: Thank you. Thanks for coming. BRANDY: You're welcome. DARA WILSON: OK, we're going to take these last two and then move on. ASHRAN: Hey, my name's Ashran. My question is not going to be as interesting as the others, but I'm going to try. Just so you know, I studied engineering in an obscure part in southern India, and you are popular there. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] BRANDY: Really? DARA WILSON: [INAUDIBLE]. ASHRAN: Just so you know, you have a new demographic of fans today. [APPLAUSE] BRANDY: Yes. ASHRAN: Anyway, I'm a vocalist myself, [? Iranian ?] classical. But I want to ask you, as a musician, you wear different hats. You're with legal. You do business. You have to do media appearances. There's all this circus around you. How do you try and disconnect yourself when you really want to get into a groove and not be worried about the realities of the business? How do you connect with your soul and produce good music? BRANDY: Well, I grew up in the business, so I had to learn the hard way of how to disconnect and how not to care about what the business part of it was all the time. But now, I'm so in touch with my purpose, and I'm so normal. The business part of it, I don't even want to hear about it. I don't want to deal with it, I just want to connect with people and connect with what I'm supposed to do. And that's how I stay grounded. That's how I stay normal. I know you guys feel like I'm like a big sister right now or a friend because the business part doesn't matter. And I just don't deal with it. ASHRAN: OK, cool. Thank you. BRANDY: My money got to be right, though. [LAUGHTER] ASHRAN: Thanks. DARA WILSON: Amen. BRANDY: Amen. [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: Hi Brandy. How are you? BRANDY: Hi, how are you? AUDIENCE: Hi. I'm that crazy girl from the cafeteria. BRANDY: I just saw that just now. AUDIENCE: And I was like, oh my god, it's Brandy. But I just wanted to say hi. I'm actually a pediatrician from New York. I just came into town to visit a friend. BRANDY: You are a cute pediatrician. AUDIENCE: She was like, Brandy's here. I was like, awesome. I'm going to come get to meet her. [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: And then I saw you in the cafeteria two minutes later. It was awesome. Anyhow, I do motivational speaking on the side, and I wanted to ask you what motivates you, because I want to share that with the kids that I speak with when I go back home. BRANDY: Just in general? AUDIENCE: Yeah, whatever. Go wherever you want with it. BRANDY: Oh my god, my family motivates me. My friends, they motivate me. My love for what I do, it helps me to strive and to continue to push forward even when I don't want to. Just life in general, life is a school. You learn so many different things about yourself with different experiences. And that, in itself, can create new creations and new opportunities for you to express yourself. AUDIENCE: Awesome. I agree. So I'm going to jump in like that other guy-- if I could get that on video, you could share with the kids. They'll love it. BRANDY: OK, absolutely. You should have got that on camera. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: That's what the camera phone is for, right? BRANDY: [INAUDIBLE]. DARA WILSON: Well, thank you all so much for your questions. They were really insightful and interesting. BRANDY: I know. This was so much fun. DARA WILSON: And we have one more fun thing for you. BRANDY: Y'all don't have me leaving in here. I don't even want to leave. Babe, get a new flight. We gonna stay. DARA WILSON: Since we have just a little bit of time left, we're going to do rapid fire with you. I'm going to ask you 10 either/or questions. BRANDY: Oh, OK. DARA WILSON: They're here. OK, you ready? You got to answer as quickly as possible. There's no pressure. BRANDY: It's alreayd done. DARA WILSON: But it's really important. BRANDY: Go ahead. DARA WILSON: OK. LA-- BRANDY: LA. DARA WILSON: OK. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: Truth or dare? BRANDY: Truth. DARA WILSON: Early riser or night owl? BRANDY: Early riser. DARA WILSON: Lakers or Celtics? BRANDY: Lakers. [CHEERS] BRANDY: Girl, don't play with me. They ain't doing well right now, but you know. Love you, Lakers. DARA WILSON: Martin or Fresh Prince? BRANDY: Martin. DARA WILSON: Mmm. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Love you, Will, but it's Martin all day. DARA WILSON: OK. OK. Coffee or tea? BRANDY: Tea. DARA WILSON: Diamonds or pearls? BRANDY: Neither, except for this diamond. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I'm not a diamond girl, but I like this one. DARA WILSON: OK. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: SWV or TLC? BRANDY: Ooh, that's a tough one. SWV because Coko's vocals-- [APPLAUSE] BRANDY: Coko's vocals, oh my god. DARA WILSON: Yes. OK, I agree with that one. BRANDY: Sorry to expand. I know we supposed to be fast. Go ahead. BRANDY: Autumn or spring? [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Autumn. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: I don't know why. I'm an LA girl because the autumn and spring is the same. DARA WILSON: OK [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: And salty or sweet? BRANDY: Mmm. DARA WILSON: Mmm. BRANDY: Ooh, slow-- sweet. DARA WILSON: Where's your fiance? OK. BRANDY: Oh, not in that category. Salty, honey. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: Oh, lord have mercy. OK, we gonna wrap this up. BRANDY: He's sweet though, too. He's both. He's both. He's sweet and salty. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: All right. Well, Brandy, we have obviously had a wonderful time with you. BRANDY: That was TMI? DARA WILSON: Well-- no. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Well, salty and sweet go together when you're in a relationship. DARA WILSON: Well, that's very sweet. OK. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: We want to thank you so much for coming. BRANDY: Thank you. [APPLAUSE] DARA WILSON: We have a little gift for you. I'm not going to get up because I don't know what this dress is going to do. BRANDY: Thank you. Open it right now? DARA WILSON: OK? BRANDY: Wait? DARA WILSON: Yeah. BRANDY: OK. DARA WILSON: OK. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Y'all, seriously, thank you. I had a great time with you guys. I love to laugh. I love to share. And you did an awesome job, seriously. DARA WILSON: Thank you very much. [APPLAUSE] BRANDY: Really. And it felt like we were just old friends connecting. [? Dope. ?] DARA WILSON: We will be. BRANDY: I know. [LAUGHTER] BRANDY: Those are the best interviews is when you can connect to the person, and I connected to all of you guys. DARA WILSON: You guys have been a fantastic audience, so thank you. BRANDY: You have. Y'all laughed at all my jokes. That doesn't happen normally. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: So one final piece of business. There are four Google Play autographed gift cards underneath the seats-- four seats. This makes sense. So check under you seat and see if you're one of the lucky people. BRANDY: It ain't under your seat. Don't even bother checking. [LAUGHTER] DARA WILSON: If you have them, can you scream, or-- [CHEERS] DARA WILSON: --we'll take a picture? Yeah, we have time for that. BRANDY: OK, good. DARA WILSON: OK. All right, congratulations to the lucky winners. Thank you everybody for coming. BRANDY: Thank you. DARA WILSON: Goodbye. [CHEERS]