"I Wanna Be Down" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It served as Norwood's debut single, the first from her self-titled debut album, released in 1994. Written by musicians Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, with production helmed by the former, it was released on September 5, 1994 by the Atlantic Recording Corporation. The song is a mid-tempo track that features a thunderous beat and light synth riffs. Lyrically, "I Wanna Be Down" describes a flirt with a boy, who Norwood tries to convince of her loveliness.
The song's music video was filmed by Keith Ward and released in October 1994. It features Norwood in her tomboyish image, dancing in front of a jeep near a forest, surrounded by backup dancers. "I Wanna Be Down" was performed on several television and award show ceremonies, such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards, and the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards. It has been performed on almost every one of Norwood's concerts and tours, and is featured on the compilation album The Best of Brandy (2005).
"I Wanna Be Down" was released to positive reaction by contemporary music critics.[citation needed] Its impact on the charts was comparatively large for a debut single: While it spent four weeks on top of the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, it reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and the top 20 in Australia and New Zealand. In 1995, a hip hop remix with new lyrics from female rappers MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Yo-Yo was released.
