At 42, Brandy Is Stepping Into Her Full Self And We Are Here For It
Brandy Norwood is insurmountably precious to the culture. She has timeless classics, has been dubbed the 'vocal bible', and she has gracefully pillaged through the music industry ever since she was 14-ish years old. She has avoided all the major chaos of child stars, and now our girl is back to her old self, and feeling allllll of it!
And after releasing a new, highly-anticipated (and snubbed) album in 2020, our sis has re-emerged happy, healthy, and playing no games with the people, m'kay?!
And rightfully so, as she took to social media to show off her glow; a glow that made her appear as if she hasn't aged a single day in her life. I mean, this woman has been balancing fame for almost thirty years. Thirty years! *Randy Watson stomps*
It all started with an Instagram post, where the 42-year-old mega star showed off something new about herself, something we haven't seen in a while: her stepping into her full self. Simply captioned, "There she goes...," Brandy had us all questioning what year it was, as her youthful appearance caught the attention of the world wide web.
From here, a variety of other photos have been posted to her social media, dubbing her the queen of "42 where?!"
And needless to say, her noticeable light took a while for her to get back to. She told People last year that the journey is landing her footing where it is now, took time.
"I was a little bit lost eight years ago musically, creatively, spiritually, I had to pull myself together, I had to pull it all together and make it all make sense. I remember laying in bed super depressed. And I [told] myself, 'So, you're just going to go out like this? That's wack. You have a daughter. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for her because this is not the way to leave a mark in her life.'"
And neither her, or Sy'rai, who is now 18 and who Brandy credits for saving her life, have looked back since.
"If Sy'rai wasn't here, I wouldn't be either. The place that I was in, it just felt like I wasn't going to make it through."
Well, sis has done more than triumphed through, as she has a new TV show premiering on ABC this year. The show stars Naturi Naughton, Eve, and Nadine Velazquez, all of which she has also flaunted on her social media. Additionally, her latest album, B7, has received critical acclaim from industry peers and fans, alike, cementing her place as a living legend within her own right.
So the fact that sis is basking in the moment, so openly and so fulfilled, likeeeee, we're here for ittttt. All of ittt.
And listen, I say all of this to say...
...as women, we come into who we are in our thirties, and we actually are these people in our forties. And Brandy, who has openly struggled with her confidence as a celebrity, may have always felt like she may not be thin enough, or pretty enough, or light-skinned enough to maintain longevity. But she has single-handedly revolutionized what it means to be a vocalist, or an actress, a mom, a legend, or even a princess.
And she had to figure it all out in front of the world, she had to learn what this means, herself: a young Black girl, becoming a woman.
So, to see her glowing, to see her age over the span of thirty years (without a single trace of proof that she even aged at all), and to see her make big energy strides, unapologetically, is wtf we love to see. And we can't wait to see more.
Thank you for everything, Brandy!
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Featured image by Leon Bennett/STA 2020/Getty Images for BET
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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ItGirl In Motion: Paige Shari Addison Shows Us Why She's The Hostess With The Mostess
Paige Shari Addison is the epitome of an ItGirl, which is why she is one of 100 ladies on xoNecole's inaugural ItGirl 100 list in partnership with Hyundai. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Paige started her journey as a host in high school by hosting parties. Since then, she has made a career in hosting, from parties to big-name events, and she launched Strictly RNB, a platform for new artists and R&B lovers. Paige reflects on her creative path in the limited video series "ItGirl in Motion."
“My first curated event at Criminal Records was incredible. It was all for up-and-coming artists,” she says. “I needed a platform for us as a collective to be able to give ourselves the platform instead of asking for it, instead of looking for it. I was like, I want to make sure I let people get this experience that I would give as a performer but enjoy the experience with them. It was a dream come true.”
The Atlanta native also has her own line of acai bowls called Soulfull Bowls. She started it during the pandemic after events and parties shut down. But it was her love for eating acai bowls and the reactions others had to them that made her want to make it her next business move. Being open to creating new ventures in the midst of uncertainty is a bold move and one of the reasons why Paige has the “it” factor.
“Being an ItGirl means you’re just authentic. There’s an air to us. We have confidence that exudes from the way we speak, the way we put our lip gloss on, the way we walk, the way we talk. I show up as myself everytime I walk into a room. I’m hospitable, I make sure everybody’s good,” she says.
Get to know more about the hostess with the mostess in the video above.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of Paige and our partnership with Hyundai.
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production company: @polly___studio
Producer/AD: Samuel Cho @choboi90
Producer/Tech: Paul Nguyen @paul__winn
DP: Cristian Bernal @cristianbernal
Editor: @30inthemorning
2nd Cam: Paul Nguyen
1st AC: AJ Paug @ajpaug Gaffer: Dennis Albert @dennisalbert_
Audio Mixer: Victor Chavez @vic_the__
PA: Rick Carreno @ispeakrick
PA: Tiffany Do @tivani.doee
BTS Photo: Prime @theartofprime
Car Detail: @sud_studs @slugglobal
Creative Director @hellobosco
Team Lead @kevgumbo3000
Project Manager @zakk_jullot
Creative Producer @iamkingsheyla
Designers @miacolemxn @noelspiva
@xoNecole
Director, Integrated Marketing @_vang
Campaign Manager @kingchachiii
Talent Lead @kaylawalker
Feature image by Prime/ @theartof prime