“I had to get my heart together. I had to get my mind together,” said Brandy, who had her journal open during this interview with The Associated Press. “I’m no good when my spirit is off.”

There’s pleasant familiarity on the seventh studio record from the woman who has influenced stars like India.Arie, Solange and H.E.R and is known as the “vocal bible.” With “B7,” Brandy aimed to create fresh, creative music without losing “what my fans know me to be.”

But she also opens herself up by tackling heavy subjects. Mental health is at the center of “Borderline” and on the raw closing track, “Bye BiPolar,” she sings of a love gone terribly wrong (Brandy said she hasn’t been diagnosed). She also hints at past possible substance abuse on “Lucid Dreams,” a dreamy, minimalistic track where she lulls, “Got demons to tame (illusions)/Maybe it’s a daze/Got worse over time/I was always high.”

“I wasn’t with the person that I wanted to be with, so I was with this person when I fell asleep. And so, I was addicted to being asleep, and that was just not a healthy place for me,” she explained pensively. “That was a scary time. And I had to face a lot of things about myself that I never thought I could.”

Released on her new imprint Brand Nu Entertainment, “B7” is Brandy’s first independent album. It debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s R&B albums chart and No. 1 on the Independent albums chart. She worked on the album with the songwriting master and mentor, the late LaShawn Daniels, producer DJ Camper (H.E.R., Mary J. Blige) and songwriter Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk, who contributed to nine tracks on the album.