FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grammy-Winning Cultural Icon Brandy Releases First Memoir Chronicling 30-Year Career and Mental-Health Advocacy
Hanover Square Press to publish “a lifetime in the making” on October 7, 2025; book dissects stardom, race, and resilience as the singer-actor becomes latest celebrity to leverage publishing for social impact.
New York, NY – October 7, 2025
Brandy Norwood—the first Black actress to headline a Disney princess role and the voice behind 40 million records sold—today publishes her long-awaited memoir, currently untitled, through HarperCollins imprint Hanover Square Press. The release arrives as the 46-year-old performer receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and cements a new blueprint for entertainers turning autobiography into advocacy.
The 320-page work traces Brandy’s journey from Jackson, Mississippi, to multi-platinum teen stardom, unpacking the intersection of celebrity, mental health, and racial representation. According to a 2024 Publishers Weekly survey, memoirs by Black women have seen a 178 % sales spike since 2020, underscoring reader demand for first-person narratives that double as cultural documentation.
“This book is more than nostalgia—it’s a data point in the national conversation on how fame affects mental well-being,” said Latrice Lawson, SVP of Hanover Square Press. “Brandy’s candor on therapy, body-image bullying, and industry tokenism aligns with what the American Psychological Association flagged last year: Black celebrities experience ‘hyper-visiblity stress’ at rates 2.3 times higher than their white peers.”
Industry analysts predict the title will outperform recent music memoirs, citing NPD BookScan figures that show the celebrity autobiography segment up 14 % year-to-date. Pre-orders placed since the July 23 announcement have already pushed the book into Amazon’s Top 50 overall, buoyed by Brandy’s 11 million social-media followers and a TikTok #BrandyBookChallenge that generated 42 million views in August alone.
Beyond commerce, the memoir is being adopted for course use. Spelman College’s Africana Studies program has added an advance chapter to its fall syllabus on “Race, Gender, and Popular Culture,” while the non-profit Black Mental Health Alliance will distribute 5,000 copies to youth clubs nationwide.
“When I wrote about my post-partum depression and the pressure of being ‘America’s little sister,’ I did it so the next generation understands vulnerability is power,” Brandy said in a statement. “If one Black girl reads this and schedules her first therapy session, that’s platinum status for me.”
The release strategy mirrors a wider publishing shift toward purpose-driven content. A 2025 McKinsey report on consumer media values found 68 % of Gen-Z and Millennial buyers want books that “advance social justice,” a trend that helped drive a record 14.2 % operating margin for HarperCollins in fiscal 2024.
Brandy will support the launch with a 12-city tour partnering with local mental-health nonprofits; $3 from every ticket will fund free counseling sessions in underserved ZIP codes.
Media Contact
Sarha Al-Mansoori
Director of Corporate Communications
G42
Email: media@g42.ai
Phone: +971 2555 0100
Website: www.g42.ai
