“Put It Down” is a single by R&B recording artist Brandy Norwood, featuring additional vocals by fellow singer Chris Brown. It was written by producers Dwayne “Dem Jointz” Abernathy Jr., Shondrae “Bangladesh” Crawford, Sean Garrett and Dem Jointz along with Chris for her upcoming sixth studio album Two Eleven (2012), which has been scheduled for release on October 10, 2012. Brandy’s Chameleon Entertainment (RCA Records) debut. The title Two Eleven references Brandy’s birthday and the day her icon, entertainer Whitney Houston had died. Brandy said: “Some of the titles I was working with were Rebirth, Reincarnation, Reinvention, Resurrection [...] I just felt like Two Eleven describes all of that. It’s the day I was born, and each year, I evolve and change with time, It also has a whole new meaning to it because I gained my angel. My icon is my angel now. It’s all tied in there and I just think it best represents who I am and the responsibilities I have moving on.”At One point Brandy was also considering titling her album Raw. In April 2012, Brandy had confirmed that she was going to release “Put It Down“ featuring Chris as the album’s leading single, following the release of her duet single “It All Belongs to Me“ with singer Monica in February 2012. Produced by Bangladesh and written by Sean Garrett, Brandy described the song as “very commercial, but at the same time, it’s got a dope hip-hop influence — it’s club, it’s radio, it’s all formats.” On her decision to release it as a single, she said: “I love taking risks in music and it’s great to challenge yourself to be different. That’s what I love about the song.” Watch the video down below…
On July 17, footage was released of Brandy practicing for future live performances of the song on Access Hollywood. On July 18, Brandy performed “Put It Down” for the very first time in Washington, D.C. at the Howard Theatre. The performance was praised for its choreography and Brandy’s vocals. She also performed the song at the Global Fusion Festival in Philadelphia. The official music video was filmed on July 10, 2012. Frank Gatson, who worked with Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child and En Vogue, handled the choreography for the video. Brandy said: “I wish I could tell you who’s directing it……it’s going to epic, which is great because I haven’t had [an epic video in a] while and it’ll be my first video [as a solo artist] in four years. Can’t wait till it’s out!!!” During rehearsals for the video, Brandy posted pictures of her rehearsing on her Instagram. Behind the scenes photos leaked of Brandy and Chris on set of their “Put It Down” music video. On July 11, it was revealed via Twitter that the director of the music video was Hype Williams. Brandy tweeted, “Breyon and Hype Williams – Thank you for all the visions and wanting the best for me!!! @chrisbrown – you are always and forever my boy!!!” On August 1, more on set pictures were uploaded online of stills of the music video. The pictures were given rave reviews from fans and Brandy became a trending topic on Twitter. On August 6, Brandy and Chris gave links on twitter to a 30 second teaser of the video.
Lyrically, it features Brandy complementing a prospective beau on his swag. “You’re talking so tough, damn, I love it all, even the way you flex, that’s what turns me on,” she sings. According to Idolator, Chris adopts a Nicki Minaj-like vocal delivery and raps, “Sippin’ on that Brandy, that liquor comes in handy, girl, I know you fancy, but this party I’m financing.” In the chorus (hook), Brandy sings: “I’mma put it down / you gon’ fall in love.” The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. However D-Money from Soul Bounce was less enthusiastic about the new single saying: “Producer Bangladesh somehow saddles B-Rocka with an energy-less mid tempo track that loses momentum the minute the beat drops. It’s also unclear what Chris Brown is doing on this song. Honestly, Brandy should’ve taken advice from the song’s chorus. If she had ‘put it down right,’ then maybe this song would be the exact vehicle she needed on her way back to the top of the charts.” Two Eleven is the first album from Brandy to include a diverse roster of collaborators including songwriting credits from some major artists like Frank Ocean, Chris Brown and Drake. Production comes courtesy of Sean Garrett, Bangladesh and Rico Love amongst many others. What do you think about Brandy’s single that she did with Chris? Was Chris’ rapping a bit much? Let me know below…
