Brandy's teen daughter shares adorable photos with mom on her birthday, showing their resemblance
Brandy Norwood turned a year older some days back and her family, including her teenage daughter, Sy’rai Iman Smith, has been sharing tributes to the singer on social media.
Brandy clocked the Big 4-0 on February 11 and Sy’rai, 16, did not let the day go by without a mention of her mom on Instagram.
The teen beauty shared a carousel of photos where she was pulling goofy faces with her mom and one where they posed together with her uncle, Ray J.
Sy’rai sported long braids while Brandy looked cute in a dramatic head-wrap, but the resemblance and bond between mother and daughter could not be missed.
“Happy birthday mom. I love you,” Sy’rai captioned the heartwarming post.
Since welcoming her daughter in June 2002, Brandy has been a doting mother, never hesitating to show off Sy’rai’s talents or praise her publicly.
Although the "Have You Ever?" singer mostly keeps her only child out of the spotlight, she’ll be the first to tell you that they are friends.
Ray J also wished her a happy birthday with a throwback picture of Brandy cradling a doll.
“A lot of mothers feel like they’re the mom first, with that authority,” Brandy admitted in a 2010 PEOPLE interview. “But for me, I’m a friend first. I believe that just being there for my daughter as a friend more than ‘I’m in charge…’ causes her to be more open with me as a person.”
The friendship they share may be the reason Sy’rai packs in so much wisdom at such a young age and does not mind addressing sensitive topics even on social media.
Last year, Sy’rai, then 15, held a live Instagram session where she spoke about losing weight and dealing with body image.
She admitted that she was bigger than most kids, but refused to wish she was someone else.
Sy’rai added:
“Being who you are should be more important than worrying about what you look like on the outside because there can be a beautiful person in a beautiful body, but in the inside, you can be so ugly. …If you really want to change, change because you want to change. Don’t change because other people are saying, ‘You’re a big girl, you’re fat, you’re this, you’re that.’ …That’s the one thing that made me want to lose weight. It’s because I wanted to lose weight for myself.”
Brandy shared the live video on her Instagram and proudly gushed over her baby girl. “I see God #Only in you! I am crying, and I am speechless,” she wrote.
On several occasions, the Grammy winner has also raved about her daughter’s many talents, revealing at one point that Sy’rai can not only sing but also writes, plays the piano and the ukulele.
Brandy must, no doubt, have been thrilled to get a birthday shout-out from her multi-talented, inspirational mini-me.
The singer’s brother, Ray J, also wished her a happy birthday with a throwback picture of Brandy cradling a doll.
“Best friends since day 1,” he captioned the post.
Happy birthday again, Brandy!