He Is

Producer Warryn Campbell met Brandy Norwood at age 15 when he started playing keyboards in her live band.[1] Though he left the band two years later to pursue a career in music production, the pair reteamed in 2001 along with songwriter Harold Lilly to collaborate on Norwood's third studio album Full Moon.[1] During the first month they worked together, Campbell, Lilly, and Norwood discussed spirituality.[2] Norwood, who was raised in a Christian household, read a lot of religion and spiritual texts as that time,[1] but while conversations prompted Campbell to ask Norwood to record a gospel song, Norwood declined.[2] Determined to get Norwood to sing a gospel song however, Campbell convinced Lilly to craft a song which would speak discreetly about God in third person.[2] Though Norwood later joined the couple for additional writing on the track, Campbell and Lilly kept the initial meaning of the song a secret until its single release. In an interview with Yahoo! Music in August 2002, Campbell revealed, "I've never told [Brandy]. She still don't know. She thinks it's about birth. And I wanted her to sing it like it's about birth. That gave it that push. She has probably figured it out by now."[2]

"He Is" was selected as the third single from the Full Moon album in the United States and serviced to rhythmic contemporary radios playlists on September 17, 2002.[3] While it received no international release, its US release was accompanied by a promotional CD single, including two slightly shorter radio remixes that were also produced by Campbell.[4] The recording of additional ad-libs for these remixes were tracked by the MTV reality series Brandy: Special Delivery (2002).[5] Norwood also worked with Guy Roche, producer of her 1998 song "Almost Doesn't Count," on a guitar-led pop version with entirely new vocals.[5] Underwhelmed with the outcome, Norwood initially questioned whether to release "He Is" as the third single, since she felt it was not modifiable into a crossover hit.[5] Calling the product of the recording session "real shit", Norwood left Roche's version unused.[5]

In his review for Billboard, editor Chuck Taylor wrote that "the slow jam offers a sensual groove, with the sparse production leaving ample room for a vocal spotlight". He felt that the track prioritized style over melody, and "the simple chorus – using only three notes – does not include much of a hook. The cut certainly makes for good music, fitting for quiet-storm shows, but as a single, it would have a hard time standing out on radio."[6] His Billboard colleague Michael Paoletta called "He Is" one "of the most shining moments" on Full Moon.[7] Jet magazine found that the "sensuous sound" of "He Is" was evidence of Norwood's musical growth with the album.[8] Similarly, Vibe found that the song was a vessel for a "a wide range of emotions" on Full Moon, with "a more matured voice shining" on "He Is."[9] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine ranked the song among his three favorite tracks on the Full Moon album along with the title track and "What About Us?".[10]

• Official website
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics