"Brokenhearted" | ||||
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Single by Brandy featuring Wanya Morris | ||||
from the album Brandy | ||||
Released | August 22, 1995 (North America) |
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Format | CD single, vinyl single, cassette single | |||
Recorded |
1994 (album version) 1995 (Soulpower Mix) w/ Wanya Morris |
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Genre | ||||
Length |
5:52 (album version) 4:47 (Soulpower Mix) |
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Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Keith Crouch, Glenn McKinney | |||
Producer(s) | Keith Crouch (album) Soulshock & Karlin (single) |
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Brandy singles chronology | ||||
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1994 (album version)
"Brokenhearted" is a R&B ballad performed by American recording artist Brandy. It was written and produced by Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones for the singer's self-titled debut studio album, Brandy and its chorus contains an interpolation of "Cry To Me" as performed by Loleatta Holloway. A remix version of the song, produced by duo Soulshock & Karlin, including vocals by Boyz II Men lead singer Wanya Morris, was released as the album's fourth and final single in August 1995 (see 1995 in music).
In the United States, the song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Brandy's third domestic top ten hit. Fabolous' "Makin Love" featuring Ne-Yo sampled her song on Loso's Way, while Danny!'s instrumental "God Bless The Child" sampled both "Brokenhearted" and the aforementioned "Cry To Me".
The album version of "Brokenhearted" was recorded in a single take, Brandy remembered during the release of The Best of Brandy in 2005: "There's a funny story behind the recording of that song! I really wanted to go to Six Flags but the producers kept saying, ‘only after you finish recording!' I sang my heart out...I wanted to go to Six Flags so bad! You can hear the passion in my voice!"
The idea for a duet version of the album originally came up while Brandy was on a two-month stint as the opening act on Boyz II Men's national tour in early 1995. Both artists were on the airplane on the way to another city, when Morris got his hands on a copy of Brandy's debut album: "I was listening to her album on the plane and I was like, 'Yo, we should do a duet of 'Brokenhearted'," Wanya told MTV News the following year.