Human (Brandy Norwood Album) - Content

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Introduced by the words of Brandy's description of a human being on "Human Intro," the album opens with Jerkins-crafted "The Definition," one of the few uptempo recordings on the album. Penned by Atlanta writer Crystal Johnson, the song depicts the singer rhapsodizing about love. It received generally mixed reviews, with The Boston Globe emphasizing it the most essential track on Human. "Warm It Up (With Love)," another Darkchild production, was created around a piano sample and released to strong positive reactions. Highlighted by AllMusic and Slant Magazine, Newsday writer Glenn Gamboa noted it as "guiding principle" on the album. Lead single "Right Here (Departed)" was not recorded until late into the production of Human and the first song Brandy recorded with Jerkins following their musical reunification in early June 2008. Written by The Writing Camp and recorded with therapeutical background, the track chronicles a woman's talks about mutual support with loved ones. It reached number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, number 22 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top ten of the French Singles Chart, becoming the singer's biggest chart success in years. Fourth track "Piano Man" was recorded as an ode to the kind of creative relationship cultivated by a vocalist and his or her producer or DJ.

Norwood collaborated with several singers on the record. Natasha Bedingfield (left) co-wrote and recorded vocals for "Fall" while Esthero (right) penned the album's title track "Human".

"Long Distance," a ballad about the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, was released to positive reactions by critics, with The New York Times calling it an "hymnlike single that distantly echoes Janet Jackson’s "Again." Sixth track "Camouflage," one out of two songs on the album that were penned by songwriter Claude Kelly, garnered strong reviews in general, with Newsday declaring it a "worthy cousin to Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable' that more about esteem-raising and self-improvement than a search for a sassy put-down." "Torn Down," a joint production by Midi Mafia and Dapo Torimiro, was one of the few prominent Human features on the setlist of Brandy's promotional 2009 concert tour, Human World Tour. Incorporating elements of country music, critics noted it a "resolute, crisp mix of static synths, acoustic guitar, and hand claps." Brandy wrote the album's title track with help from producer Toby Gad and Canadian singer Esthero. A "silky R&B anthem" as described by Newsday, the adult contemporary ballad deals with forgiveness. "Shattered Heart" is a downbeat track, that incorporates elements of Middle Eastern music and changes its tempo after three minutes. It has been described as the only "Timbo-esque" record on Human.

The album's twelfth track, a piano-driven ballad entitled "True," was contributed by RedOne and Claude Kelly and initially written for Michael Jackson. The song was re-arranged and partially re-written to fit Norwood's persona. It was released to positive reviews by critics, who noted it one of the stronger tracks on Human. "A Capella (Something's Missing)," produced by Soundz, is a near-a cappella song on which Brandy provides "a polyphonic cyberchorus" with multiple tracks of her own voice. Humming the bassline and providing the rhythm, the instrumentation on the track consists of a sole electric guitar. Hand-clap-laden uptempo recording "1st & Love," the album's fourteenth track, depicts a woman's euphoria with a new-found love at first sight and was discussed as the third single at times. Final track "Fall," another piano ballad, was co-written by label mate Natasha Bedingfield. As reported Brandy and Bedingfield were forced to delay their first joint recording session from Atlanta, Georgia to Los Angeles, California as singer Chris Brown and his entourage crashed into the studio, where they blasted Brown's songs and horsed around.