My Worlds Acoustic
My Worlds Acoustic is the debut remix album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on November 26, 2010 and was initially sold exclusively at Walmart retail stores and Sam's Club. The album features nine acoustic versions of songs from his debut extended play, "My World" (2009), and first album "My World 2.0" (2010), as well as a new song "Pray". The new versions of the songs were produced by Bieber's music director, Dan Kanter, his vocal producer Kuk Harrell, and also producer Rob Wells. Internationally, the set is included as a part of the compilation album, "" (2010), which included songs from the previous two releases. "My Worlds Acoustic" was released to iTunes, on February 8, 2011.
According to Bieber, he wanted to release the album for the naysayers who critiqued his actual singing ability. The singer said that he wanted to have an acoustic album, to reflect the effect of production on his vocals. Although labeled as an acoustic album, the songs still include subtle usages of electronic sounds such as synthesizers. The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, however most critics were not satisfied that the album was not genuinely acoustic. In Canada, the song debuted at number five, and later peaked at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart and certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. "My Worlds Acoustic" debuted at number seven on the US "Billboard" 200, selling 115,000 copies in its first week, becoming Bieber's third consecutive top ten album.
Background and marketing.
On October 18, 2010, Bieber announced on his Twitter plans for an acoustic album in time for the holiday season, and that it would feature unplugged versions of his songs, as well as a new song. Days later, on October 24, 2010, he revealed that the album was set for release on November 26, 2010. In an interview with MTV News, Bieber said that the album was for the "haters" who say he cannot sing and saying his voice was auto-tuned, and that "stripping it down and having it kind of really mellow and being able to hear my voice" was his purpose. The singer said he wanted to do the acoustic set because the Electronic Music production sometimes "drowns out your voice" and "takes away from the singer, over the synths and everything." According to Kyle Anderson of MTV News the album might not have been "just another project", but rather the purpose could be "to prove that he has the skills to sustain a long and fulfilling career." In the same interview he confirmed that "Baby" and other "My World 2.0" songs were re-recorded, as well as a new song.
It was later confirmed that the song was an inspirational song entitled, "Pray." According to Bieber, the song is a gift to his fans. The song's arrangement is set to reflect Bieber's music before he was discovered, but also includes instrumentation from a string quartet, congas, and a cajón drum, the latter to represent Bieber's worldly travels, specifically to Africa. While Bieber was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest on his radio show, Bieber talked about the song's initial writing stating that it was influenced by Michael Jackson, and he thought of Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" when writing the song. Vocally, Bieber's vocals are sung in a lower key compared to previous singles. Bieber plays guitar on the album, along with his guitarist and musical director Dan Kanter. The new versions of the other songs on the album were produced by Kanter, Bieber's vocal producer Kuk Harrell, and also producer Rob Wells.
To promote the album as well as draw interest for Bieber's then-upcoming 3D film, "", Bieber shot an alternate music video for the acoustic version of the song, "Never Say Never." The video premiered during Game 3 of the 2010 World Series, and in the clip, the singer dons apparel from both teams. Bieber performed "Pray" for the first time at the 2010 American Music Awards. The performance opened with Bieber sitting playing the piano while singing. Midway through the performance Bieber arose from the piano and took center stage; he was accompanied by a choir singing background vocals. The performance was ended with Bieber kneeling singing the song's title, the performance was greeted by standing ovation from the audience. After originally being sold only at Walmart and Sam's Club first, the album was released on iTunes on February 11, 2011, accompanying the release of "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never", and preceding the release of "Never Say Never – The Remixes".
Critical reception.
Lucy Jones of "The Daily Telegraph" said that "with catchy choruses, soulful key changes and cute hooks laid bare, these are undeniably brilliant pop songs." Jones further commented that "finger clicks, bongos and mellow guitars are a welcome change from the squealing synths and pounding beats favoured by Bieber and his peers," and that the album had the ability to connect with audiences beyond his demographic. Mikael Wood of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the album a "B−" rating, stating that the album doesn't change Bieber's beloved "kiddie-soul vocals" calling it "perfunctory", but said that acoustic renditions such as "Baby", "One Time" and new song "Pray" deliver their "saccharine payload." Thomas Conneron of "Chicago Sun-Times" said that "calming down several of the pop tunes with slower tempos and patient singing" was not bad and that slowing everything down made listeners hear how the singer's voice had matured.
Calling it "the sugariest acoustic album in history," Allison Stewart of "The Washington Post" said "its arrangements and melodies – the best parts of any Bieber record - are stripped down but otherwise little changed, demonstrating just how great most of these songs were to begin with." Stewart also said that urban numbers such as "Baby," "survive their makeovers without a hitch." Andy Kellman of "Allmusic" gave the album 2 and a half out of 5 stars saying that the album was "an enticement." Dan Savoie of "Rockstar Weekly" gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying that it is "the perfect showcase for a talented young artist who's on his way to the Grammy Awards this year." Although she commented that the "acoustic" labeling was a bit misleading, Monica Hererra of "Billboard" said that the album "succeeds", calling songs like the live version of "Favorite Girl" the album's saving grace and "truly acoustic." On the former, Herrera said, "It's the one moment where you can hear all of the young artist's strengths falling in line-raw talent, maturing vocals and, of course, an all-too-valuable connection with his fans."
Commercial performance.
In Canada, "My Worlds Acoustic" it debuted at number five on the Canadian Albums Chart, then rose to number four the following week. The album was subsequently certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association the same month it was released, shifting over 80,000 units. The album debuted at number seven on the "Billboard" 200 with 115,000 copies sold in the first week released. "My Worlds Acoustic" became Bieber's second top ten album in a little over a year, following the extended play "My World" and debut studio album, "My World 2.0". After fluctuating on the chart for weeks, due to the album being available for digital download on iTunes, the album returned to the top ten of the "Billboard" on the week of February 26, 2011.
Track listing.
Notes
Personnel.
Adapted from "My Worlds Acoustic" liner notes.
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Charts.
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Never Say Never (Justin Bieber song)
"Never Say Never" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song is used as the theme song for the 2010 film "The Karate Kid", and features a rap verse from its star, Jaden Smith. Originally a risque demo with sexual lyrics performed by Travis Garland, it was written and produced by The Messengers, and Omarr Rambert. However, Bieber was tapped to record the song for the film. He re-wrote the song with the original artists along with Smith and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell, to feature inspirational lyrics to foil the film's theme.
The song was released for digital download in the United States on June 8, 2010. The song was later included as an acoustic track on the remix album "My Worlds Acoustic" (2010) and both the acoustic and single versions were on the compilation album ' (2010). To promote Bieber's , the song was released as the lead and only single from Bieber's second remix album, '.
"Never Say Never" peaked within the top twenty in Canada, Norway, and New Zealand, while reaching the top forty in Australia, as well as charting in other international markets. After it was re-released as the lead single and the only single from "– The Remixes", promoting his film, the single peaked at number eight on the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming Bieber's second top-ten single in the United States. Its accompanying music video, directed by Honey, features Smith and Bieber in a recording studio playing around and dancing, and is intercut with scenes from the film. He has notably performed the song on "Today" and on his My World Tour. Smith joined Bieber during the tour's stop at Madison Square Garden to perform the song for scenes in "".
Background.
A demo of the song, "Sexy Together" was originally recorded by Travis Garland. Reportedly the song was re-written by its original writers Adam Messinger, Nasri, Omarr Rambert, and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell, while Smith added lines. Carina Adly MacKenzie of Zap2it preferred Bieber and Smith's version, commenting, "No wonder Bieb skipped this version -- it's a total snoozer. You'd think that a song about dying would be more interesting than a song about little kids doing karate... but no." Bieber hinted at the collaboration by posting a promo photo of himself and Smith on his Twitter, and also posting that a video of his would premiere before "Somebody to Love", the second single from his studio album debut, "My World 2.0". The song was confirmed when the track listing for the soundtrack was revealed. It was released on iTunes in the United States on June 8, 2010.
Composition.
"Never Say Never" is a teen pop track which includes hip hop elements. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Never Say Never" is set in common time with a metronome of 96 beats per minute, which is described as "steady, not too fast." It is composed in the key of A minor with vocals spanning from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of C6. The song follows in the chord progression of Am–C–G–D Bieber provides lead vocals in the song while Smith provides the backing with rap interludes. The song is a "motivational track," containing inspirational lyrics, such as Bieber singing about a life filled with adversity, through lines like, "I never thought that I could walk through fire / I never thought that I could take the burn/ never had the strength to take it higher". "Idolator" thought the song as a tween-friendly version of Eminem's "Lose Yourself". Smith's lines reference his father, and puns in the phrase, "raised by the power of Will". He also makes reference to his lineage by saying "Born from two stars so the moon's where I land.", as he is the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who are both Hollywood stars. Smith also makes references to Luke Skywalker and Kobe Bryant in his lines.
Critical reception.
Shima Maya of AOL Radio Blog gave the song a positive review, calling it "a burst of sexual energy", and stating, "Even on a soundtrack featuring the likes of Lady Gaga, John Mayer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, this single...is sure to stand out as the film's flagship anthem." Toor also complimented Bieber's "now-trademark silky-smooth voice." Monica Herrera of "Billboard" said that Smith's rapping skills could rival those of his former-rapper father. E! Online said "And while some might insist that "Parents Just Don't Understand", we think Big Willy would totally be down with Jaden's rap." Maria-Mercedes Lara of Celebuzz said, "don't make assumptions with the suspiciously nepotistic circumstances surrounding Jaden's appearance on Bieber's song: the kid is actually really good." Lara also commented that Bieber "should be watching his back for Jaden's rising star." "Tiger Beat" said that they loved the song, and said it had a "great beat."
Chart performance.
On the week ending June 17, 2011, the song debuted at number thirty-three on the "Billboard" Hot 100, propelled by its debut at number seventeen on the Hot Digital Songs chart selling 76,000 copies. The song became Bieber's ninth consecutive top 40 release for a regular or digital single as a lead artist. In Canada on the Canadian Hot 100, the song debuted at eleven. The single debuted at forty-five on the Australian Singles Chart, and peaked at thirty-eight in its second week, while on the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song debuted and peaked at twenty. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) certified "Never Say Never" gold on June 5, 2011, denoting the sale of 7,500 copies. On the Norwegian Singles Chart, the song debuted at eighteen, and spent one week on the chart. Debuting at seventy-five on the Austrian Singles Chart, the following week it peaked at forty-six on the chart. On the Dutch Single Top 100, after spending four weeks on the chart, the song peaked at seventy. On the Tip charts in both Belgian regions, the song peaked at two and five.
Promotion.
The accompanying clip for the single was directed by Honey. The music video takes place in a studio, and contains a heroic concept, featuring Bieber and Smith singing the song and playing around, intercut with scenes from the film. Bieber appears in a motorcycle jacket and high tops. Studio scenes include Bieber flexing karate moves, he and Smith dancing, jerkin', and eating Twizzlers. The scenes also show the two shadowboxing, as footage from the film shows Smith performing an "array of fight moves." Near the end of the clip features Bieber giving a roundhouse kick.
The music video was posted at 22:11 UTC on May 27, 2010, and released to the public four days later.
The actual 'film' within the music video is directly taken from the footage of Karate Kid, which was shot entirely in Beijing and features Jackie Chan as "Mr. Han", a mentor figure who trains Smith throughout the film. The scenes include Smith looking at the CCTV Headquarters building, a shot of the Beijing street scene, an Air China Boeing 747-400 taking off and landing, and a training scene at the Great Wall of China. The basic storyline involves Smith's character vying for the affection of a Chinese girl and being rebuffed by a rival suitor. Smith eventually wins a fight against his rival and wins the affection of the girl. Both Wall Street Journal Online and E! Online noted the low-production value of the clip. Kyle Anderson of MTV News commended Bieber's latest "attention-grabbing video," and jokingly stated, "As a video that features fighting, it's a pretty strong entry, and it joins the list of great fight-centric videos below." An Idolator writer said that they were impressed with Smith's moves, and Bieber's "spinning roundhouse." A writer for "Tiger Beat" said, "The video is SO cute–we love when Justin and Jaden get silly at the end!"
Bieber performed the song on June 4, 2011, on the Today Show as part of a medley with "Baby", "Somebody to Love", and "One Time". The song is a part of his setlist during the My World Tour. Smith joined Bieber for the song on the August 31, 2010 date, along with Usher, Miley Cyrus, Ludacris, and Boyz II Men, to film scenes for his upcoming 3D concert film.
To promote his remix album, "My Worlds Acoustic" as well as draw interest for the upcoming film, Bieber shot a music video for the song. The video premiered during Game 3 of the 2010 World Series. In the video, Bieber stands on a baseball diamond and dons apparel from both teams in the Series, wearing a San Francisco Giants hat and Texas Rangers jacket Scenes in which Bieber sings on the diamond is intercut with players hitting the ball and hanging in the dugout, as well as Bieber playing a guitar. In an interview, Bieber said that the video was inspired by his love for sports.
Charts.
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Radio and release history.
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Never Say Never (Brandy album)
Never Say Never is the second studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on June 9, 1998, by Atlantic Records. Atlantic consulted David Foster, as well as producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and his team to work with Norwood on the record; Jerkins went on to craft the majority of the album and would evolve as Norwood's mentor and head producer on her succeeding projects.
The lyrical themes on the album include the singer's personal experiences with love, monogamy, media bias, and maturity. Influenced by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, Norwood wanted to present a more mature facet of herself with the album, incorporating a ballad-heavy style and an adult contemporary feel into her urban pop sound for the album.
Upon its release, "Never Say Never" facilitated Norwood in becoming a viable recording artist with media-crossing appeal. It debuted at No. 3 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 160,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at No. 2 the following week, remaining within the chart's top 20 for 28 weeks. Six of the album's 16 songs were chosen as singles, including duet with Monica "The Boy Is Mine" and "Have You Ever?", which both topped the US "Billboard" Hot 100, as well as "Top of the World", which become an international hit.
"Never Say Never" became Norwood's highest-selling and highest-charting album to date in most international markets, being certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and selling over 16 million copies worldwide. It won numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Boy Is Mine". The album was supported by the Never Say Never World Tour (1999), which included sold-out shows in North America, Europe, & Asia.
Background and development.
Following the release of her multi-platinum eponymous debut album (1994) and several equally successful soundtrack contributions such as "Sittin' Up in My Room" from "Waiting to Exhale" (1995) and "Missing You" from "Set It Off" (1996), Norwood took a lengthy musical break in which she graduated from high school, enrolled in college and established a flourishing acting career. In 1995, she was cast in the titular role in the UPN sitcom "Moesha", and in the following two years, she appeared opposite her idol Whitney Houston in the musical television film "Cinderella" (1997) and filmed the slasher film sequel "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" (1998). While she enjoyed her acting profile accomplishments, Norwood felt that her transition had caused people to recognize her more as an actress than as a singer. At one point she even considered giving up singing to concentrate on acting due to the ever changing music industry and losing her passion for it.
According to her, "I think the music industry has changed so much... I don't know how to look at my first video... There was so much happening... And I'd rather go out with the first album, bang, and not have to come back and not be able to do the same thing again. Nevertheless, after "Brandy"'s commercial success, she was heavily pressured, stating: "It's very important to me that my music connects with the general public.
For a while, she placed the recording of the album on the "back burner" because she was "barely satisfied with the material that was presented to her. She found that many songs would not express what she wanted to tell at that point of her career. According to her, "Many of the songs I heard were not 'me'," the singer stated during a promotional interview with "Jet" in 1999, "And If I can't feel it, then I won't sing it." Also, after "Brandy", she felt in a space of wanting to do something different, while exploring her voice and playing with different sounds. Elaborating on her desire for progression and a more mature sound, Norwood added, that "I'm not the little girl I was when I made my first record. My voice is a strong instrument now; my vocals come from both my heart and my diaphragm. My heart because I matured in the four years since the last album; I'm more emotionally there." She also regained interest with music when she met then upcoming producer Rodney Jerkins and his production team. "They really turned it around. When I met Rodney, his tracks were so mean, so unbelievable, and the writing that Sean and Jaffey did, they came to the table and they really brought a lot of the fill ins that I had inside of me out. They changed my whole perspective on the music thing. When I started to work with them, I wanted to go to the studio every day. I wanted to sing every day. I didn't want to act anymore after that", says Norwood.
Recording and production.
Production for the album dates back as early as May 1997, during this time MTV News reported that Norwood was "taking up two recording studios in both New York and Los Angeles, and is working on what she hopes will be a fall release". Producers that were slated to work on the album at that point were Sean "Puffy" Combs, Babyface, David Foster, and Keith Crouch. During the early recording stages she recorded a few songs with Puffy but didn't finish them due to their hectic schedules. The plan was for the pair to resume what they had started. According to her: "I'm going to go back in the studio with him. I'm really excited to work with Puffy. I'm more nervous than excited because I'm like the biggest Puffy fan. The last time I worked with Puffy, I couldn't even sing right". Norwood was also planning to record a song with Wyclef Jean, in which she expressed that she had heard that his track was "so hot" and she was "ready to go in there and sing it, master it, get it done, and put it on the album". Rapper and songwriter-producer Missy Elliott was also requested as a producer at one point.
Recording for the album resumed in October 1997, with Norwood confirming that she was "right in the middle" of completing the album. She stated that the material was going to be "sophisticated a little, a little sexy, a little edge, but I'm still gonna be innocent, you know, I still have to give 'em that America's sweetheart thing. I have to do that, can't never get rid of that". The albums mature direction can be attributed to Norwood being influenced by Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Jewel. "I look at all these other female artists that are coming out and who've done so well. I get to see what they're doin' with they self, you know, and the imaging and the songs, and I get to take bits and pieces from everybody and put it into my own style", says Norwood.
Eventually, Rodney Jerkins jumped on board and the pair recorded "The Boy Is Mine"; the sixth track recorded for the album. Norwood stated that the song was not a friendship type of duet, "you've seen friendship duets like Whitney, Cece and different duets. This is Brandy and Monica, like, they're, we're just gettin' it on". Jerkins was brought in when Atlantic Records A&R Paris Davis called him to meet with Norwood at "Georgia's", a restaurant in Los Angeles. Accompanied by his brother Fred Jerkins III and songwriter LaShawn Daniels, he ended up completing five songs in five days with her, including “Learn the Hard Way”, “Happy”, “Put That on Everything,” and title track “Never Say Never.” Satisfied with their output, Atlantic Records secured a production deal with Jerkins's team and encouraged them to work on more material for the album. With Jerkins and his team producing the majority on the album, he was eventually promoted to executive producer on the album.
Jerkins and his circle worked excessively on the album, with typical sessions starting in the afternoon and lasting until the early morning hours. Despite the physical distance between the recording studios and Jerkins's native in New Jersey, he brought many of his family and friends to Los Angeles to help work on the album. His brother Fred quit his steady job working at Prudential Insurance Company to work with Norwood on "Never Say Never", while his sister Sybil received co-writing credits on the album. Drawing from their own experiences, many titles of "Never Say Never" were built on a cliché book in the studio. With Jerkins being inspired by the singer/producer partnerships of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Janet Jackson as well as the influence of DeVante Swing on Jodeci's sound, he envisioned a full body of work for Norwood's second album, telling: "I wanted to make records where you fell in love with and heard the journey of the artists from beginning to end. The intro is just as important as the song, the outro is just as important. Once I got Brandy to believe in that vision, then we just locked in."
Apart from Jerkins and Darkchild crew, Norwood also worked with Canadian producer David Foster on the album. Lending a certain level of adult contemporary–pop crossover credibility to the project, he would produce three songs on "Never Say Never", including "Have You Ever?," written by his frequent collaborator Diane Warren, the Gordon Chambers-penned "One Voice" and "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," a cover version of Canadian singer Bryan Adams's 1991 song. Initially she was scared to record "huge" Pop ballads because she didn't know if she "could pull it off", however Foster showed her "the insides of doing a pop ballad". Norwood recorded songs multiple times if she wasn't satisfied with them. She stated: "I'll do a song, and then go in my car and listen to someone's CD and if that sounds better than what I did, I'll have to go do it again. Like I listened to number 4 on Mariah's album, I said, "Oh my God, I have to do the slow song again, it has to be just like this, it has to be this type of quality." Ultimately, she credits the chemistry with Jerkins and Foster for her musical growth: "They brought out the best in me, the vocals I didn't know I had," she said. Aside from improving vocally, she further showed musical growth by co-writing and producing songs on the album.
Music and lyrics.
The album's opening track "Angel in Disguise" is a Rodney Jerkins-produced mid-tempo track that features backing vocals by fellow R&B singer Joe. It consists of a "dribbling bass line" that Chuck Taylor of "Billboard" compared to a "dreamlike, moonlit night". The harmonic background song, created using the so-called multi-track recording, was described as "enchanting" and "seductive". The lyrics of "Angel in Disguise" describe a protagonist who still loves her partner despite his infidelity, with Norwood quoted: "An angel in disguise she was / But somehow you fell for her / Till she broke your heart that day / And left you in the rain / But still I love you". Set as the album's lead single, "The Boy Is Mine" was originally intended to be a solo song for Brandy, but due to Monica's success at the time, it was conceived as a duet. Inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's 1982 duet "The Girl Is Mine", the lyrics of the mid-tempo R&B track revolve around two women fighting over a man. "Learn the Hard Way" is the album's fourth track and shares similarities with the album's title track. The song's background revolves around Norwood telling a man "it's a shame you had to learn the hard way", and the lyrics quote: "You did me wrong / You told me lies / Treated me bad / All of the time." The lyrics also show Norwood does not feel sympathy for him after all he's done. The Guy Roche-produced "Almost Doesn't Count" follows; its lyrics revolve around its writer Shelly Peiken's powerful but unfruitful on-again, off-again relationship she had with a man while in college. Peiken recalled her emotions during a writing session with Roche decades later when she "dug up that laundry list of all the 'almosts' I felt we had, and we put it into the song." In a 2020 interview, she further elaborated about the lyrics: "It was a relationship that was more in my head than in his, and I always felt like we almost got there, he almost said I love you, he almost broke up with the girlfriend he had the whole time. He almost faced his feelings but he never quite got there – maybe that was all in my head too. Maybe he never had any of those feelings, maybe it was all my imagination." Brandy performed the song in the 1999 television film "Double Platinum", starring Diana Ross and herself. The international single "Top of the World" is the album's sixth track. It is a collaboration with Mase and talks about Brandy as a popstar "just trying to be her" and not feeling like being in her own world.
The Darkchild-produced "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)", which is the album's seventh and final single, is noted for its remix version with Shaunta and Da Brat. The title track, also produced by Rodney Jerkins, is the eighth song of the album. "Truthfully", a ballad about a broken relationship, was written by former Boyz II Men member, singer-songwriter Marc Nelson. Recorded in a single take, it took Nelson five different sessions to get Norwood in the recording studio as she felt initially nervous about working with him. Main production on the song was helmed by Harvey Mason, Jr., who received his first major placement as a producer on "Truthfully". Mason was consulted by Jerkins after he had shopped around several tracks for record executives. The No. 1 single "Have You Ever?" is the album's tenth track. Brandy states that it was the first time she had been in the studio with a producer like David Foster, initially being nervous about recording the song. In the song's lyrics, Norwood sings about unrequited love with lyrics such as "Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to / Only to find that one will not give their heart to you". "Put That on Everything", a mid-tempo ballad, is the album's eleventh track. The album's twelfth track "In the Car Interlude" is actually a phone conversation in the car between Brandy, Rodney and Fred Jerkins. "Happy", an R&B up-tempo song, was the album's thirteenth track. It was also featured in "Double Platinum" and received positive reception from "Rolling Stone". It also served as the theme song of the 2002 MTV reality television series "". "One Voice", the fourteenth track, was the official UNICEF theme song during its 50th anniversary celebration. "Entertainment Weekly" describes her voice in the song as "soft and smoky" and as a "gospel-fired ballad that finds her effortlessly raising the roof". "Tomorrow", a nearly six-minutes-long ballad, is the fifteenth track and the album's longest song. The final song on the album is the Bryan Adams cover "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You".
Release and promotion.
"Never Say Never" was released in the United States on June 9, 1998, by Atlantic Records; its double-disc limited edition was released exclusively in Australia on July 13, 1999. Promotion for "Never Say Never" began with Brandy's appearance on music magazine "Vibe"'s April 1998 cover, followed by a massive print campaign, including cover shoots for "Teen People" and "Ebony" as well as coverage in fanzines. The co-marketing venture between "Vibe" and Atlantic Records resulted in a number of joint projects, such as a "Vibe"–Brandy website, a college marketing tour, and several retail and radio promotions. With television channel MTV, Brandy hosted the network's spring break shows in Jamaica on March 13–15.
On May 14, Brandy performed "The Boy Is Mine" for the first time, solo on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". In June, Brandy performed "Top of the World" alongside Mase at the 1998 MTV Movie Awards. On June 13, MTV aired a special in which Brandy presented a video countdown that consisted of her favorite music videos. The following day, MTV produced a 30-minute "Ultra Sound" segment special about her. On June 16, Brandy appeared on "CBS This Morning". On July 17, Brandy went on "The View" ; Three days later, she appeared on "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." On July 22, Brandy appeared on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". On August 28, she made yet another appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" ; this time performing "Have You Ever". On September 3, Brandy performed the remix version of "Top of the World" alongside rappers Big Pun and Fat Joe at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Also in September, Brandy and Monica performed "The Boy Is Mine" live for the first time together at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. On September 26, Brandy performed at the Hip-Hop Unity Festival held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. On October 11, Brandy performed at the 1998 International Achievement in Arts Awards. Two days later she made an appearance on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show".
On January 11, 1999, Brandy and actress Melissa Joan Hart hosted the 1999 American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During the award ceremony, she performed her song "Have You Ever?". On January 31, Brandy and rapper LL Cool J hosted Miami radio station WEDR's Super Bowl concert, surrounding Super Bowl XXXIII. In March 1999, Brandy joined former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno at the National Museum of Women in the Arts to recognize six young women that were selected for the second annual Volunteerism Awards. On April 13, Brandy performed alongside Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Cher, Chaka Khan, and Faith Hill, among others, at "VH1 Divas Live '99". By May 1999, Brandy had embarked on a world tour with shows in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan. Also in May, she performed "Almost Doesn't Count" on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" In June, Brandy returned to the US for the North American leg of her tour which was originally scheduled to run from June 18 to August 2. The tour was cut short because she had to film the then-upcoming fifth season of her UPN sitcom "Moesha". On September 8, 1999, she performed "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)", on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".
In retail, a Brandy standee was provided to merchants, while