As Brandy jumps on the phone from New York, her renewed zest for life, learning and inspiration is immediately apparent. She details her exhausting schedule of phoners with Japanese and Australian media as well as a long photo shoot to promote her latest album, Human, and joking about her brother Ray-J's dating show. She's gracious and excited about her life right now. At first, it seems like it could be 14 years ago, before the failed relationship, false marriage, eating disorder or fatal car crash yet. The world was hers for the taking. But it's 2009 and that is what led to her greatest discoveries of the resilient human spirit: independence and self love.

That's why her latest project sounds empowering and hopeful rather than jaded and depressing, making it the perfect soundtrack for a world already full of tragedy now emphasized by a failing economy. Instead, Brandy Norwood is slowly squeezing out by learning to let go of the pressures to be little miss perfect.

"I just think my life started to happen...," Brandy explains. "The image is pretty much created for you and you just go along with the flow because it's working. But you grow up. You start making mistakes and you start to live your life and nobody can live up to an image of perfection. Nobody can. As much of a role model as I want to be I just want people to understand that at end of the day I'm a human being and that's what this album pretty much is... I'm just a human being just like everybody else. I just have a song to sing."

The transition from people pleaser to confident woman is an ongoing struggle. The outside voices have influenced all aspects of her life, including her musical career and her relationships, forcing her to hide from herself. So she has remained single for the past three years to put things into perspective.

"When I do get a chance to fall in love again...," she shares, "I'll be ready and I'll be able to have my own individuality and not really lose myself in somebody else and not compromise anything about myself for anybody... Where you feel like you have to... Wear a certain type of mask or face for love... I won't do that ever again."

It sounds like a spiritual detoxification and, as ironic as it sounds, Brandy's family is there to keep her on track on her mission of self discovery. There have been lessons in music from her father Willie Norwood, parenting and business lessons from her mom Sonja Bates-Norwood, lessons about unconditional love from daughter Sy'rai Iman Smith. A powerful lesson, though, comes from an interesting character that most people might not describe as a role model: lil' bro Ray-J.

"I think Ray goes with the flow with who he is and he's going to do whatever he wants to do and I admire him for that," she says. "He does not care what people think and that's the one thing I wish I had on a consistent basis is not to care what other people think."

However, her biggest lesson in life probably came from the fatal car crash she was involved in two years ago that took the life of Awatef Aboudihaj, a mother and wife. Brandy honored Aboudihaj by dedicating the album to her -- it's a tribute that's slipped under the radar but is important.

"That was a very life-changing situation in my life and I was connected to everybody involved in that accident and I just wanted to dedicate my work to the people involved and her being the main person because she lost her life."
All these people, incidents and lessons have built up Brandy the woman and Brandy the singer allowing her to once again share her inspiration and hope with Human.

"I feel like this album came out at the perfect time because it was... inspired. When you're coming from a place of inspiration the creativity seems to flow... and... you feel like you have purpose to do what you're doing and I guess for a long time I didn't feel that way. I didn't feel inspired. I didn't feel like I had anything to sing about or share that I hadn't already shared before."

Words By: Carol Santos