Just as Brandy’s Behind The Music ended, I was left in shear admiration. Not just for her vocal gifts, but for her truly humble spirit and candor as well. As it has been four years since she has had significant presence on the music front, amir jamar and I were anxiously anticipating the next single from her sixth studio effort, Two Eleven, “Put It Down.”

By every measure possible, this track is underwhelming. From its lackluster production by Bangledesh, mediocre lyrics by Sean Garret, and an extremely random feature from Chris Brown, “Put It Down” is simply puzzling. Brandy has never recorded a song so ill-fitting, unexpected, and inadequate to the talent and artistry she has been synonymous with for her nearly 20 year career. With such a disappointing single, her forthcoming album has gotten a weak start.

With that said, I realize she is signed to a major label and numbers are of utmost importance, especially for an artist who has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Conversely, there is a way to attain artistic integrity while fusing commercial appeal to one’s sound. Here’s hoping that the rest of Two Eleven demonstrates such.

SOUND OFF.