Songoftheday 10/5/21 - I can't keep on loving you one foot outside the door, I hear a funny hesitation of a heart that's never really sure...

 

 

"Almost Doesn't Count" - Brandy

from the album Never Say Never (1998)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #16 (one week)

Weeks in the Top-40: 12

 

Today's song comes from singer/actress Brandy, whose second album Never Say Never had already scored a pair of #1 pop hits with the Grammy-winning duet with Monica "The Boy Is Mine" as well as "Have You Ever?", which topped the list in the beginning of 1999. (In between those two the song "Top Of The World" just missed the pop top-40 in the fall of 1998.) The album track "Angel In Disguise", with neo-soul singer Joe on backing vocals, rose to #17 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, and popped on to the pop Hot 100 at #72. The fourth "single" promoted to radio was the ballad "Almost Doesn't Count". Written by Shelly Peiken with producer Guy Roche, the song was reworked by Fred Jerkins (Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins' brother) for the album release. As Brandy sings about her relationship where her partner isn't there 100% and she needs to sadly move on. The illustrious words really cut to the core, where you can feel the heartbreak in thinking that he was the one, but realizing it won't happen, resolves to let go even though he keep coming back. It's a very vulnerable piece and it works well for Brandy's understated vocals (though not as well as the remake I'll talk about later)...

"Almost Doesn't Count" became the third top-40 pop hit from Never Say Never in June of 1999. The song also climbed to the same rank (#16) on Billboard's R&B chart, while getting to #8 on their Rhythmic radio format list. Internationally, the single reached the top-40 in New Zealand (#13), the UK (#15), and Canada (#24). At the 2000 Grammy Awards, "Almost Doesn't Count" was nominated for Best R&B Female Vocal, which Whitney Houston won for "It's Not Right, But It's Okay". 

A fifth single in the U.S., "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)", featuring rappers Shaunta and Da Brat, rose to #25 on the R&B chart, while being a minor hit on the Hot 100 pop list at #79. Internationally, that song was paired with album track "Never Say Never", but neither got much notice. Instead, a cover of the Bryan Adams megahit "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You", was a top-40 hit in New Zealand at #28. Brandy will return to the series.

(7/10)

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Here's Brandy performing "Almost Doesn't Count" on The Tonight Show in 1999...

Brandy picks up the tempo for her Never Say Never tour in Chicago that same year...

In 2000, country singer Mark Wills (whom I just featured with his first SOTD two days ago), covered the song for his third album Permanently. Released as the second single from the set, his version went to #19 on Billboard's Country Singles chart, while "bubbling under" the pop Hot 100 at #106. I totally fell for this remake, as Mark's pained emotional vocals and sparse production fit the song much, much better, and maybe I was biased for going through a bad breakup at the time, with the exact same feelings and events as the lyrics describe, but Mark really knocked it out of the park on this. An instant cry-inducer (and a 10/10 for me, the music video doesn't give it justice)...

Back to Brandy, who strips it down a bit for her Human Live concert...

Finally, last year Brandy took part in the US Census-hyping charity event, and performed "Almost Doesn't Count"...

Up tomorrow: Country singer promises companionship.