Navigating Teen Stardom: Brandy Speaks on Growing Up In The Limelight

Brandy has reemerged in 2020 and we have been happy to see the icon back at the forefront of conversation as she promotes her B7 album and the release of Moesha on Netflix. After her television debut on the hit 90s sitcom that was later followed by her iconic portrayal of Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella with Whitey Houston, her star was burning bright.

"My childhood dreams were to be a singer, touch as many people as I could and to meet Whitney Houston, just meet her," Brandy recalls. "So to meet her, hang out with her and sing with her," she adds, "it was unbelievable. For her to cast me in such a role, the first Black princess, I don't know the words to really describe what that feels like."

The cultural icon recently told PEOPLE that navigating the winding path of Hollywood at such a pivotal stage of her career was a heavy burden to carry.

“I struggled with being put in a box of perfection,” she told the publication for their latest cover story. “I felt like my mistakes would let down everyone if I made them. I had to make the transition from being a teenager to a woman and figure out what direction I was going to go in.”

“I felt like I didn’t have the space to grow and to grow up in a safe way,” she added. “I had to deal with so many other opinions about what I should do, how I should be and what I should look like. And that can get tough when you’re trying to find your own voice.”

We’re so happy to have the beautiful star back and shining in the limelight!