Editing Brandy Norwood (section)

=== 2002–2005: ''Full Moon'' and ''Afrodisiac'' ===
''[[Full Moon (Brandy album)|Full Moon]]'', Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. It was composed of R&B and pop-oriented songs, many of them co-created with Jerkins, Warryn Campbell and [[Mike City]]. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and topped the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart.<ref name="billboard200"/> Its lead single "[[What About Us? (Brandy song)|What About Us?]]" became a worldwide top-ten hit, and the album's title track was a Top 20 hit in the United States and the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s|title='What About Us?' Chart History|work=Hitparade|publisher=Swisscharts.com|access-date=2009-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=Full+Moon&cat=s|title='Full Moon' Chart History|work=Hitparade|publisher=Swisscharts.com|access-date=2009-06-06}}</ref> Media reception was generally lukewarm, with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' describing the album as "frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/brandy/albums/album/138185/review/6067490/full_moon|title=''Full Moon'' Review|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=2002-04-25|last=Berger|first=Arion|access-date=2008-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429053230/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/brandy/albums/album/138185/review/6067490/full_moon|archive-date=April 29, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Within the coming year, Norwood and Robert "Big Bert" Smith began writing and producing for other artists such as [[Toni Braxton]], [[Kelly Rowland]], and [[Kiley Dean]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Billy Jr. |last=Johnson |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/brandy/news/brandy-and-husband-write-songs-for-toni-braxton-and-kelly-rowland--12063792 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710213205/http://new.music.yahoo.com/brandy/news/brandy-and-husband-write-songs-for-toni-braxton-and-kelly-rowland--12063792 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-10 |title=Brandy And Husband Write Songs For Toni Braxton And Kelly Rowland |work=Yahoo! Music |date=2002-04-25 |access-date=2009-06-06 }}</ref> Norwood's foray into reality television began in 2002 with the [[MTV]] series ''Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery''; the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Sy'rai.[[File:BrandyNorwoodJuly04.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Norwood performing in a concert in 2004]]
Returning from yet another hiatus, Norwood's fourth album ''[[Afrodisiac (Brandy album)|Afrodisiac]]'' was released in June 2004, amid the well-publicized termination of her short-lived business relationship with entertainment manager [[Benny Medina]].<ref name="Medina">{{cite web|title=Brandy Leaves Medina |work=Breaking News |publisher=BreakingNews.ie |date=2004-07-19 |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2004/07/19/story157683.asp |access-date=2007-05-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929150909/http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2004/07/19/story157683.asp |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref> Norwood ended her contract with his Los Angeles-based Handprint Entertainment after less than a year of representation following controversies surrounding Medina's handling of the lead single "[[Talk About Our Love]]", and failed negotiations of a purported co-headlining tour with R&B singer [[Usher (musician)|Usher]].<ref name="Medina" /> Despite the negative publicity, ''Afrodisiac'' became Norwood's most critically acclaimed album,<ref>{{cite web|title=''Afrodisiac'' (2004) by Brandy|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=Metacritic.com|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/brandy/afrodisiac |access-date=2004-08-04}}</ref> with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Norwood's music,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/brandy-afrodisiac.shtml|title=Brandy -''Afrodisiac'' (Atlantic)|work=PopMatters|publisher=PopMatters.com|access-date=2004-06-28|last=Sawyer|first=Terry|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040922002939/http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/brandy-afrodisiac.shtml|archive-date=September 22, 2004|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant", comparing it to "[[Janet Jackson]] at her best."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A4q27gjer46ib |title=''Afrodisiac'' review |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=Allmusic.com |access-date=2008-06-29 |last=Kellman |first=Andy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012184250/http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A4q27gjer46ib |archive-date=October 12, 2007 }}</ref> A moderate seller, the album debuted at number three on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], and received certifications in the United States, Europe and Japan.<ref name="YahooM">{{cite web|author=Yahoo! Staff |date=2005-03-30 |title=Brandy To Release Greatest Hits Album |work=Yahoo! Music |url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/18021422/ |access-date=2008-05-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629144830/http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/18021422/ |archive-date=June 29, 2011 }}</ref> "Talk About Our Love" reached number six in the [[UK singles chart|United Kingdom]], but subsequent singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brandy and Kanye West – Talk About Our Love|url=http://acharts.us/song/478|publisher=aCharts.us|access-date=2008-04-26}}</ref> Later that year, she guest-starred as [[Gladys Knight]] in the third-season premiere of ''[[American Dreams]]'', in which she performed "[[I Heard It Through the Grapevine]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Star Tracks|work=[[People magazine|People]]|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20145422,00.html|access-date=2013-04-04|date=2004-09-20}}</ref>

After eleven years with the company, Norwood asked for and received an unconditional release from Atlantic Records at the end of 2004, citing her wish "to move on" as the main reason for her decision.<ref name="mtv1">{{cite web|first=Alyssa|last= Rashbaum|title=Another Breakup For Brandy: This Time It's Her Label|work=[[MTV News]]|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493335/20041101/brandy.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041105030512/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493335/20041101/brandy.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2004|access-date=2010-06-20|date=2004-11-01}}</ref> Completing her contract with the label, a compilation album titled ''[[The Best of Brandy]]'' was released in March 2005. Released without any promotional single, it reached the top 30 in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, where the collection was appreciated by contemporary critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back catalogue.<ref name="stylus">{{cite web|title=Brandy – ''The Best of Brandy'' – Review |first=Thomas |last=Inskeep |work=[[Stylus Magazine|Stylus]] |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/brandy/the-best-of-brandy.htm |date=2005-04-13 |access-date=2010-03-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201054420/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/brandy/the-best-of-brandy.htm |archive-date=February 1, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref> Andy Kellman of [[AllMusic]] expressed, "This set, unlike so many other anthologies from her contemporaries, hardly confirms dwindling creativity or popularity."<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|first=Andy|last=Kellman|title=''The Best of Brandy'' review|work=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r731908|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2010-06-20}}</ref> Thereupon she reportedly began shopping a new record deal under the auspices of [[Knockout Entertainment]], her brother's [[vanity label]].<ref name="Vibe12">{{cite web|last=Josephs |first=Tasheka |date=2006-09-25 |title=Brandy Preps New Album |work=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |publisher=Vibe.com |url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/09/brandy_preps_new_album/ |access-date=2008-09-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202095322/http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/09/brandy_preps_new_album/ |archive-date=December 2, 2008 }}</ref>