UPDATED: Timbaland Sounds Bran’Nu With Brandy… And Miley

Robbie Daw | November 30, 2009 2:55 pm

UPDATE: By now, most of Timbaland’s Shock Value II has leaked online (happy hunting!) but we’ll do you a solid and post one more track—Tim’s collaboration with Miley Cyrus, titled “We Belong To The Music.” Miley’s hyper-treated vocals adorn what turns out to be a repetitive, mostly innocent track (although she does threaten to put on “a crazy outfit”—probably something backless?), while Tim limits himself to brief appearances in the beginning and middle of the song. Hear Miley—plus the Tim-assisted return of Brandy!—after the jump.

We could imagine it making the rounds in the clubs—let’s just hope Cyrus has learned something about authenticity and downloaded some Timbaland songs off iTunes before hitting the studio.

Next up is it’s “Meet In The Middle” (or, “Meet In Tha Middle,” depending where you read) featuring Brandy—although, this isn’t your “Sittin’ Up In My Room” Brandy. Instead, the 30-year-old singer slips into her rapping alter ego, Bran’Nu, here.

Now, you think “Brandy” and “rap,” and you’re kind of expecting something tragic on par with Madonna spitting out rhymes on “American Life.” But you know what? Moesha Mitchell actually cuts the mustard as a female MC rather effectively!

As for the track itself, it’s got Timbaland’s trademark hypnotizing quality, thanks (or no thanks) in part to a repetitious keyboard riff. In fact, it takes Bran’Nu to liven things up. (Pity she doesn’t come in till the third verse.) That said, it’s still miles ahead of “Crazy Girl,” the leaked Justin Timberlake track that was nixed from the album.

“Meet In The Middle” is one of two songs featuring Bran’Nu on Shock Value II. With the other one, “Symphony,” Brandy joins up with Attitude and D.O.E. (who rapped on the Keri Hilson hit “The Way I Are” from the first Shock Value).

Have a listen to the rebirth of Brandy as Bran’Nu on “Meet In The Middle”: