Human

Brandy's been through her share of drama the last few years (a car accident that left another driver dead and a recent confession that she lied about marrying the father of her 5-year-old daughter), so it comes as no surprise that her fifth studio album reflects on life's joys and pitfalls. She's reteamed with songwriter/producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who executive-produced the album as well as the first two singles, the heartfelt "Departed" and the ballad "Long Distance." Other standout tracks include "A Capella," with its minimalist production; the hand-clap-laden "1st and Love"; and "True," about an unfaithful boyfriend, on which Brandy takes her vocal range to untapped heights. While "Human" is missing the sassy Brandy we know and love from such tracks like "I Wanna Be Down" and "Talk About Our Love," we can still appreciate the much-needed solace of setting personal turmoil to memorable music. —Mariel Concepcion