Good Day Atlanta viewer information July 31, 2020
ATLANTA - Grammy-winner Brandy returns with seventh studio album: She’s called “The Vocal Bible,” possessing a tone so distinctive that it’s influenced an entire generation of singers. But for the past few months, Brandy Norwood — known to the world simply as Brandy — has been hanging around the house like the rest of us.
“It has been such an adjustment. I’ve been so blessed to have my family here with me — my parents are here, my daughter is here — so we’ve just been taking it one day at a time, trying to stay creative.”
But for the Grammy-winning superstar, staying creative means releasing a brand-new album. B7 is her seventh studio album, but the first one completely co-written and produced by the artist.
“I went through so much in the last eight years of my life,” Brandy says, reflecting on what led her to write the songs on B7. “So much heartbreak, so much ups and downs with love, self discovery, my mental health. I had to really pull myself together and use music as a way to heal me. Just being able to write about it, and sing about it, it just really got me through. So, I’m the kind of artist that really has to be inspired.”
And Brandy didn’t need to look far for the inspiration behind the album’s first single. The exuberant “Baby Mama” — with a Bob Fosse-inspired music video — is dedicated to her daughter.
“‘Baby Mama’ was one of the last songs that I did for the album, and it was my love song to my daughter, as well as my paying homage to mothers in general, and then also the single moms that don’t really get the credit that they deserve and don’t have it as easy. So I wanted to do a fun, upbeat, triumphant song.”
And it’s the idea of sharing that triumph — as well as the heartbreak, and healing — that ultimately led Brandy to release the album now, despite the ongoing pandemic.
“I was honestly torn. I always feel like music should speak to the time, and I knew that my album really didn’t speak exactly to what was going on in today’s time. So I felt like, ‘Okay, is that the right thing to do?’ You know, and then promoting it…I didn’t want it to come off like it was all about my music coming out. But then I thought about, you know, music is magical. And how, it does heal people. Even though it may not be speaking to exactly what is going on, it does heal, and it does have a way of…helping people to escape, and helping people just get through the next moment.”
Brandy’s B7 is available today in Target stores nationwide and on all digital music platforms.
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Actor Curtiss Cook talks "The Chi" and "West Side Story": Curtiss Cook is known for his role as Otis “Douda” Perry, a Chicago South Side businessman and hustler who runs for mayor this season with the support of his estranged wife, played by Kandi Burrus, back at his side to influence his political agenda and to help herself. Curtiss will also star as Abe in in the highly-anticipated Steven Spielberg remake of "West Side Story." Abe,’ is a new character and a mysterious New York City man who has his hands in everything happening in the streets. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 musical. West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The film is set to hit theaters December 18th. For more information on "The Chi" click here.
Pike Nurseries DIY Succulents in a pot: For more information on Pike Nurseries click here.
Gospel music artist and Praise 102.5 radio personality Darlene McCoy joins to talk about what it takes to be compatible in a relationship: For more information on Darlene McCoy click here.
Burgers With Buck visits Marietta Burger Bar: They’ve only been open since late last year, and despite this pandemic and all the challenges it has presented to restaurants, Marietta Burger Bar has already developed a devoted following. This week, #BurgersWIthBuck headed to Cobb County to find out for ourselves.
The menu has 13 burger varieties, which means you have lots of great options, but it also means you may have a tough time narrowing down your choices.
After much discussion and consternation, #BWB finally narrowed it down to three choices, the MB Burger, The Mac & Cheese Burger, or the West Coast Burger.
They all begin with Angus beef patties, which is a nice way to start. The MB Burger has two patties, topped with Cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and onion garlic aioli. As the name implies, the Mac & Cheese Burger is topped with a heaping helping of macaroni and cheese, along with bacon and BBQ sauce. The West Coast Burger has Pepper Jack cheese, sliced avocado, and onion bacon jam.
All of their burgers are served with fries or onion rings, house made potato salad is also an option.
We finally decided to go west and feature the West Coast Burger. It was definitely the onion bacon jam that influenced our decision, and after one bite, we knew it was the right one (at least on this day). For the record, we have already committed to try the Cheesy Breakfast Burger (American cheese, fried egg, bacon, and mayo) the next time we visit Marietta Burger bar.
For more information about Marietta Burger Bar including the menu, hours of operation, go to their website, https://www.mariettaburgerbar.com/ . And, as always, if you have a favorite burger that you would like to see featured on, tell me about it on https://www.facebook.com/BuckFOX5 or https://twitter.com/BuckFOX5, and don’t forget to use the hash tag #BurgersWithBuck and/or #BWB.