The closing title card from Brandy’s new “Borderline” video.

I was stunned at the level of care. So, I decided to listen to the album again to catch the story.

#B7

It’s been said that “Borderline” serves as the anchor of #B7.

We meet a perpetually heartbroken Brandy at the beginning of the album. As the album goes, we delve into the effects of heartbreak on *her* mental health. “Borderline” IS the breaking point.

From that point, we see a Brandy in pursuit to put herself back together by finding love for herself and in her family. “High Heels” serves as that beacon of light. It also features *her* beacon of light—Sy’Rai. “Baby Mama” is a song of realization: these niggas ain’t worth it.

This loose narrative puts “Love Again” in context past it *just* being an industry move. Rather than a “love song,” it feels like the last attempt to salvage a relationship—one of those tangent moments on the album that actually makes sense for the album’s greater narrative.

...however, “Bye Bipolar” is the [real] response record to “Borderline.”

“One day I woke up,
Now my love is unstuck,
I can see who you really are,
Cuz I’m a star.”

A triumphant stand against heartbreak and who she became in it.

...this whole journey foreshadowed in “Saving All My Love”

“Sorry for my tardy
For a long time I was brokenhearted
Hardened and guarded [...]
I’m a solid as a rock w/o the boat,
Kinda like the GOAT,
But I ain’t saving all my love for you”

this was a REAL conceptual album

Society tends to trivialize the effects of heartbreak, but real heartbreak (of any kind) can mutilate your inner self past recognition if it’s not properly cared for. It’s wild to hear Brandy speak on her deep experience with it and how it took a years to get to “High Heels.” #b7

I’m thinking about the timeline of Brandy’s life: her sham marriage, the accident that people still make fun of, her failed engagement, her public fallout with Sir, and the loss of her dearest friend and collaborator.

Whew. I’m so glad she’s healed & continues to heal. #b7