Never Say Never

Brandy really is sitting on "Top of the World" on her second album. “The Boy Is Mine,” her playful romantic tug-of-war with Monica, speaks to her dominance as a collaborator—as does her ability to riff with Mase over a jiggy bounce. But this is a teen at the height of her own star power, whether granting a wayward ex forgiveness on the melancholy "Angel in Disguise" or expressing sweet longing in the surging soul balladry of "Have You Ever." With Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins churning out lighter-than-air R&B-pop, Ms. Norwood soars above her peers.