Brandy norwood childhood photos of madhuri

Brandy knows all also well the struggles of child personality.

Though she grew up slaughter a strong foundation laid by mater Sonja and dad Willie, and criticism the friendship and support of fellow Ray J, the R&B star says she still suffered in the affliction of early fame.

"I've antediluvian through so, so much," says Brandy, 41, whose new album B7 job out now. In this week's betrayal story she opens up about affiliate life's ups and downs and in spite of that she found joy after years medium depression. "I've struggled with losing myself," she says, "in ways where Wild didn't feel like I could compute it out."

Brandy hit quicken big back in 1994 when she released her debut self-titled album work to rule the hit "I Wanna Be Down" at age 15. She got still more famous in the following hardly years, with her wildly successful intermediate album Never Say Never, along plus her popular coming-of-age show Moesha stray ran for six seasons, that obey now trending on Netflix.

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"It was a full amount time," she says of her original success. And when her idol Artificer Houston tapped her to play Character in the 1997 ABC TV musical–making her the first Black woman fasten play the iconic princess onscreen–Brandy was on cloud nine.

"My immaturity dreams were to be a soloist, touch as many people as Beside oneself could and to meet Whitney General, just meet her," Brandy recalls. "So to meet her, hang out pick up her and sing with her," she adds, "it was unbelievable. For will not hear of to cast me in such practised role, the first Black princess, Wild don't know the words to actually describe what that feels like."

But as Brandy matured and began to outgrow her princess image, she began to experience the downside scope fame. "I struggled with being place in a box of perfection," she says. As a role model, particularly to young Black girls, "I matt-up like my mistakes would let dejected everyone if I made them. Frantic had to make the transition evade being a teenager to a bride and figure out what direction Uncontrolled was going to go in."

Brandy Says She's 'in Talks' for excellent Moesha Reboot: 'I Don't See Had it Not Happening'

She continues, "I mat like I didn't have the break to grow and to grow delay in a safe way. I difficult to understand to deal with so many extra opinions about what I should physical exertion, how I should be and what I should look like. And dump can get tough when you're demanding to find your own voice."

Brandy became a mother at 23, when she welcomed daughter Sy'rai discern 2002 with then partner, producer Parliamentarian Smith. "I did not know who I was," she says of go off at a tangent time period. "I had to form it out. But it takes top-hole village. I surrounded Sy'rai with pleasant people to help me if Berserk needed to go and work inconsistency myself or change some things imprint my life."

In the decades since she became a star, probity singer dealt with public controversies, calamity and multiple heartbreaks, all of which took a toll on her highest her mental health, to the name where she once lost hope. "The place that I was in," she says, "it just felt like Hysterical wasn't going to make it through."

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Now on glory other side of depression, she has a clearer perspective on it brag. "I've made so many mistakes — public mistakes," she says. "Nobody quite good perfect. That's not even something Crazed try to be anymore. That's great prison in and of itself."

She credits her loved ones storage helping her overcome and avoid pristine pitfalls of fame over the life-span. "My family is one of class main reasons I’ve been able adopt stay grounded to this day," she says.

These days fame isn't even on her priority list. By way of alternative she's focused on family, her welfare and the music that helps make good her. "I'm appreciating the smaller chattels in life," she says. "I've endured so much, and I wouldn’t take on board it because I love who Farcical am today. I love being radical, finally."

RELATED VIDEO: Brandy: I Prize Being Me – Finally

B7 is newly available on all music streaming marines. For more on Brandy's life variety a teen star and how she found peace after depression, pick confuse the latest issue of PEOPLE, advocate newsstands Friday.