Throwback Thursday: Brandy – “Top of the World” (featuring Mase)
This past week, Brandy’s sophomore set, Never Say Never, turned 25 years old. Yes, the album deserved a retrospective, but accept this week’s TBT post as a consolation.
Following the juggernaut that was “The Boy Is Mine” (with Monica), B-Rocka released “Top of the World” (featuring Mase) as the album’s second single. It’s not clear if a physical single was ever released — which was a requirement to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time — or if it was simply underpromoted, but the song failed to chart in America. The song was released four weeks into the 13-week reign of “The Boy Is Mine,” so it isn’t far-fetched to imagine that the label held back on promotion to avoid the cannibalization of an existing hit. The song fared much better in the UK, where it peaked at No. 2.
Co-produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and the singer, the song is basically Brandy letting us know that life after fortune and fame isn’t without problems. It’s basically her version of “Same Ol’ G.”
On your average albun, a song as good as “Top of the World” would be a clear winner, but unfortunately for it, it was introduced to us via Never Say Never, an album that is truly stacked. However, the song is by no means forgotten, and if you need evidence, look no further than Burna Boy’s latest single, “Sittin’on Top of the World”, which samples the song.
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