Brand New Me Lyrics

[Verse 1]
It’s been awhile, I’m not who I was before
You look surprised, your words don’t burn me anymore
Been meaning to tell you, but I guess it’s clear to see
Don’t be mad, it’s just a brand new kind of me
Can't be bad, I found a brand new kind of free

[Verse 2]
Careful with your ego, he’s the one that we should blame
Had to grab my heart back, God knew something had to change
I thought that you’d be happy
I found the one thing I need
Why you mad? It’s just the brand new kind of me

[Chorus]
It took a long, long time to get here
It took a brave, brave girl to try
It took one too many excuses, one too many lies
Don't be surprised, don't be surprised


[Verse 3]
If I talk a little louder, if I speak up when you're wrong
If I walk a little taller, I been under you too long
If you notice that I'm different, don't take it personally

Don't be mad, it's just a brand new kind of me
And it ain't bad, I found a brand new kind of free
[Chorus]
It took a long, long road to get here
It took a brave, brave girl to try
I've taken one too many excuses, one too many lies
Don't be surprised, see you look surprised


[Bridge]
If you were a friend, you wanna get to know me again
If your were worth a while, you'd be happy to see me smile
I'm not expecting sorry, I'm too busy finding myself
I've got this, I've found me, I've found me

[Verse 4]
I don’t need your opinion, I’m not waiting for your okay
I’ll never be perfect, but at least now I’m brave

Now my heart is open, and I can finally breathe
Don’t be mad, it’s just a brand new kind of free
That ain't bad, I found a brand new kind of me
Don't be mad, it's just a brand new time for me

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

“Brand New Me” is the second track on Alicia Keys' 2012 album, Girl on Fire. Alicia calls it the “anchor” of the record and speaking on Capital FM Radio she explained:

“Brand New Me” is one of my favorites, it’s going to be my second single and to me it’s like my autobiography. It says everything about everywhere that I’ve come and who I am now. It’s about being completely happy with finding yourself.

The song is a slow burning declaration of self-esteem which finds Keys confronting an old lover and offering him the chance to get to know the new version of herself.

The title of the song implies that the track provides a sense of self-release… and so does the music video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOSv1TIa58M

In an interview with Complex magazine, she expressed her love for the song by saying:

Don’t be mad that I’m different […] Don’t be mad that I’m changed. Don’t be mad that I’m grown. You can’t affect me the way you once did. You can’t be mad. Like, how could you be mad? […] I love that song so much. It’s so freaking real.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Alicia Keys say about "Brand New Me"?
Genius Answer

Alicia Keys told The Boombox how she celebrated her personal growth in the song.

‘Brand New Me’ is about the journey it takes to get to a place where you are proud to be a new you. There is nothing wrong with growing. There may be people in your life that knew you for a long time and they think of you only as the person you used to be and not the person you now are.
And this song is a conversation introducing them to the new you. Where nothing can hold you back and no one can hold you down.

What Alicia said about working with Emeli Sandé?
Genius Answer

via Capital FM Radio:

I have to say, myself and Emeli Sandé – when we met and we really began to write together, it was instant magic and that doesn’t happen all the time.

Credits
Produced By
Performance Rights
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Assistant Mixing Engineer
CP 70 Keyboards
Mixing Engineer
Recording Engineer
Assistant Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Recorded At
Oven Studios (New York City)
Release Date
November 18, 2012
Songs That Sample Brand New Me
View Brand New Me samples
Tags
Comments