After teasing fans with free song after free song after free song, Chris Brown‘s fifth studio album, Fortune, is finally in the hands of female hands everywhere! Team Breezy was concerned on how the promotion of this album would go when the 23-year old said he wouldn’t be doing interviews in 2012.
Enter a few lip syncing for his life live performances, remixes with ex-girlfriend Rihanna, a zillion Twitter beefs, a bottle melee with “Ice Age” actor Drake and his name is rolling off the tongues of many again. But are they talking about his new album?
Fortune has received pretty negative reviews from critics so far calling it shameless, pointless and just plain ugly stuff, but that shouldn’t stop Breezy from getting another Grammy . . . right?
He has been successful in the clubs so far with the “Forever” and “Yeah 3x” love child – “Turn Up the Music.” The dance track made it to the top 10 in the U.S. and topped the UK singles chart. Since then, Brown has released “Sweet Love,” “Till I Die” and “Don’t Wake Me Up,” all have yet to even hit the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
With songs featuring everyone from Nas to Amber Rose’s main squeeze Wiz Khalifa, the sequel to F.A.M.E is a mixture of dance-pop and R&B, which is slowly becoming overused in the industry right now. On first listen, you might ask yourself where is the R&B in this album?
It starts off very electronic pop – songs like “Bassline” – which if you’re not about to do a line of tequila shots it might not be too friendly to your ear drums. But just when you think you’ve accidentally bought a Justin Bieber album, here comes Nas to save the day with “Mirage.” This hip-hop track excels lyrically and in production. Brown then bares his soul in “Don’t Judge Me,” where he talks about a girl listening to the rumors and gossip that surround him instead of trying understanding who is really is.
On the next few songs on Fortune – “2012,” “Biggest Fan” and “Sweet Love” – Brown gives you sex, sex and more sex. It’s obvious these tracks are meant for those girls who envision themselves being Mama Breezy’s daughter-in-law.
Brown told MTV News that “Stuck on Stupid” was his favorite song on the album and members of Team Breezy who are fans of his vocal talents would like it too . . .if it didn’t have autotune!
In “4 Years Old,” Christopher belts, “it feel like I’m four years old all over again because I keep running fast, should be walking.” He then talks about how when he grows up we’re all going to see how great his life will be. With addition of light guitar and strings, you can’t help but feel sorry for the entertainer who has gone through so much over the last four years. Ironic?
Former RichGirl member and the newest signee to CBE, Amber “Sevyn” Streeter gives you a tamer and on-pitch version of Christina Aguilera on “Party Hard/ Cadillac (Interlude).” This song is a pleasant surprise and very different from the rest of the album in a good way. Brown returns back to his dance-pop style with “Trumpet Lights,” which features another CBE artist, Sabrina Antoinette. The production on this song is one fire, vocals are on point, making it perfect for the club and one of the best tracks on the album.
And for those fans who paid the extra bucks for the deluxe edition, you are one smart cookie! On every song on the deluxe disc, Chris Brown is giving fans those powerful vocals he used to be known for with little to no autotune. These songs are the ideal mixture of pop and rhythm and blues. Why couldn’t all the songs on the album be this good?
If he wants to do pop music with the flavor of R&B it is possible. He proved it on some tracks on Fortune, but artists like Chris are always too quick to hop on a David Guetta produced track because it’s easy and doesn’t take a lot of creativity.
Chris could’ve kept Fortune and instead get his personal life together. Plus none of the tracks on the album are even on the same level as “Forever,” “With You” or even “Look At Me Now.”
Next on the Radio: Bassline, Mirage (ft. Nas), Stuck on Stupid and Trumpet Lights (ft. Sabrina Antoinette)
Swoon Alert: Don’t Judge Me, 4 Years Old, Tell Somebody and Touch Me
Could Do Without: Till I Die and 2012
post by Brittney | bbcott
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