The result was an organic, mellow contemporary R&B album that experimented with the New York-based illbient style, which infuses eccentric hip-hop breakbeats, ambient soundscapes, and the unorthodox sampling of indie rock and various film scores.

An autobiographical album, the songs feature intimate lyrics which discuss the singer's personal struggles with codependency, monogamy, misplaced loyalty, and professional anxiety.

[3] The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, selling 131,700 copies in its first week;[4] it was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

[11] Following the birth of her daughter Sy'rai in June 2002, Brandy soon entered recording studios to begin work on her then-untitled fourth album with producer Mike City and companion Robert "Big Bert" Smith.

[12] As she envisioned the longplayer to sound "much rawer" and more "street" than its 2002 predecessor Full Moon, Smith quickly emerged as the album's executive producer and A&R, replacing longtime contributor and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who Brandy felt was not going in the same direction creatively after all.

"[14][15] The couple eventually finished a number of demo recordings and at least four full songs until late November 2002, including "Ryde or Die" and Sy'rai-inspired "Sunshine.

"[14][20] With the help of Timbaland protégés such as Candice Nelson, Steve "Static" Garrett, and co-producer Walter Millsap III the pair worked on what was tentatively titled B-Rocka—a nickname actually given to her by Jerkins—and originally planned for a Christmas 2003 release.

It contains several lyrical references to 1990s hip hop and R&B culture figures, including Brandy herself, Timbaland and longtime partner Missy Elliott, her peers Aaliyah and Monica, American music video program Video Soul and its host Donnie Simpson, hip-hop group Kid n' Play and their 1990 film House Party, sketch comedy television series In Living Color, and Tony!

In a 2013 interview, songwriter Candice Nelson discussed that coincidentally, she, Timbaland, and Brandy had all been privately listening to Coldplay's studio album Parachutes (2000).

She references her relationship with Robert Smith ("Who I Am", "I Tried", "Focus"), then-fiancé Quentin Richardson ("Where You Wanna Be", "Say You Will"), friends ("Sadiddy"), family ("Necessary"), career ("Should I Go"), and herself ("Come As You Are", "Finally").

The line "'Cause I don't wanna sound familiar, want a guaranteed single, not an album filler" from "Turn It Up" levels indirect criticism at creative differences with former main producer Jerkins and Atlantic Records staff.

[17] On ending track "Should I Go," which interpolates Coldplay's "Clocks", she openly talks about contemplating stepping away from the music business, admitting that she's trying to figure out where she fits in today.

[14] Although Brandy received a sole writing credit on album cut "Finally" only, she noted Afrodisiac the most honest effort of her career yet based on its deeply autobiographical content, commenting: "Everything I do has something to do with what I've gone through in my life [and] I definitely wanted to incorporate that in my art.

[33] Built around a pirouetting keyboard melody, the song discusses Brandy's rocky relationship with Smith as well as her public image in open letter form.

[37] Lead single "Talk About Our Love", the result of additional recording sessions with rapper Kanye West and violinist Miri Ben-Ari, was not composed until late into the production of the album and describes the pressures of other people meddling into relationships.

[39] The "ambient soul" song, which Brandy ranked among her favorite tracks on the album, consists of stuttering synths and instrumentation from heavy bass and an electric guitar.

[40] A 1990s tribute cut that combines elements of old school hip hop with Timbaland's beatboxing instrumentals, the song was the first full-length release preceding the album as a promotional buzz track in fall 2003.

[42] The tenth song, "Necessary", written by Cee Lo Green, discusses Brandy's desire for her hard work to matter to loved ones, and features a syncopated, skipping beat.

[45] Promotion for Afrodisiac first began with a massive media event in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where the album was previewed to a hand-picked list of journalists at a press launch held in the Royal Pavilion of the Half Moon Hotel.

[47] Outside the United States, she made appearances on Top of the Pops and Anke Late Night, where she performed a rendition of Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time" in the form of a coffee commercial.

Suffering from low airplay, the song never made it out of the lower half of the Billboard Hot 100 and emerged as one of Brandy's lowest-charting singles, peaking at number 85.

[52] Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars and praised it as "Brandy's fourth consecutive durable showing, [...] stocked with a number of spectacular—and emotionally resonant—singles that wind up making for her most accomplished set yet.

[60] He found special approval for Timbaland, "who produced most of the disc, turns up the bass, the volume, and the tension whenever he can, bolstering her less-than-commanding, down-pillow-soft voice.

"[54] Rolling Stone writer James Hunter, like both Kellman and Browne, compared the album to "Janet Jackson at her best: She's a pop star, but she's making the most of her big studio budgets and is following her muse."

[57] Vibe writer Laura Checkoway gave Afrodisiac three and a half out of five stars and noted it as "a far cry from the pleasing pubescent fluff of her formative years", and although she felt that "Brandy's sultry alto drowns on some songs", she acknowledged that "while Brandy's musical liaison with Timbaland is what some people might call a match made in heaven, it's her crazy, sexy, cool revival that's the true bliss of this fourth coming.

"[61] Steve Jones from USA Today gave the album a three out of four stars rating, and commented: "Timbaland provides her with plenty of funk-infused beats to groove to [and] while a few of the tracks are a bit pedestrian, Brandy is still seductive more often that not.

"[65] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly ranked the album sixth on his "Best of 2004 Music" top ten list and remarked that "Brandy remains the queen of the R&B murmur but the producers, especially the ever-inventive Timbaland, compensate with dramatic, rumbly, off-kilter beats and tones that add gravitas to this rueful ex-teen star.

After failing to properly secure a joint-headlining tour with Usher, Brandy asked for and received an unconditional release from Atlantic Records in October 2004, citing her wish "to move on" as the main reason for her decision.

In a 2014 music and fashion conversation with NPR, singer and model Solange discussed the album, saying "Brandy is really the foundation of a lot of this very innovative, progressive, experimental R&B.

[80] In 2008, singer Beyoncé chose the album cut "Focus" for her personal music playlist on iTunes, citing her love for the lyrics, as well as Brandy's voice and vocal arrangements.