He Is

Producer Warryn Campbell met then-15-year-old Brandy 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 reunited in 2001 along with songwriter Harold Lilly to collaborate on her third studio album Full Moon.[1] During the first month they worked together, Campbell, Lilly, and Brandy discussed spirituality.[2] Brandy, who was raised in a Christian household, read a lot of religious and spiritual texts as that time,[1] but while conversations prompted Campbell to ask her to record a gospel song, she declined.[2]

Determined to get her to sing a gospel song, Campbell and Lilly went on to craft a song which would speak discreetly about God in third person.[2] Though Brandy 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 [Norwood]. 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] In 2022, Campbell revealed that fellow R&B singer Deborah Cox wanted to record the song at first.[3]

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."[4] His Billboard colleague Michael Paoletta called "He Is" one "of the most shining moments" on Full Moon.[5] Jet magazine found that the "sensuous sound" of "He Is" was evidence of Norwood's musical growth with the album.[6] 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".[7] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine ranked the song among his three favorites from Full Moon, along with the title track and "What About Us?".[8]

"He Is" was selected as the third single from Full Moon by Atlantic Records in 2002. In support of its single release, Atlantic commissioned remixes of the song, with the recording of additional ad-libs tracked by Brandy: Special Delivery (2002), a MTV reality series whiched followed Brandy's 2002 pregnancy with baby Sy'rai.[9] Brandy also worked with Guy Roche, producer of her 1998 song "Almost Doesn't Count," on an acoustic guitar-led pop version with entirely new vocals. Underwhelmed with the outcome, she initially questioned whether to release "He Is" as the single at all, since she felt it was not modifiable into a crossover hit.[9] Calling the product of the recording session "real shit", Brandy left Roche's version unused.[9]

The album version of "He Is" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on September 17, 2002.[10] While it received no international release, its US release was accompanied by a promotional CD single, which included two slightly shorter radio remixes produced by Campbell.[11] Further remixes, produced by Mike Rizzo, Joe Bermudez, and Maurice Joshua, were also issued individually.[12] "He Is" debuted at number 78 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the week of September 7, 2002 and peaked at number 72 three weeks later.[13]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Full Moon.[14]