Finally had a chance to listen to the entire album and enjoyed a good number of the songs. While perusing both the fan, critic reviews and opinions regarding Chris Brown's latest album release "Brown", one question stood out amid often glowing and mixed reviews. The question was "What Chris Brown era did you like best? I thought that was a really important question. It definitely resonated with me. Because Brown has 12 studio albums under his belt and many songs as a prolific songwriter and collaborator with other songwriters and has recorded several deluxe albums. Some albums containing nearly 27 songs on a single release.
If you have been following the artist since his career began with his debut album release self-titled "Chris Brown" on May 29, 2005, there are some differences in musical styles as well as vocal changes throughout the years that are as captivating as they are thought and concern provoking.
There are subtle and sometimes patent variations in both his vocal and musical styles. Depending on the era, the delivery and tenor of the lyrics and predominant themes are distinctive from the early career days or as some have come to refer to it as the "Young Chris Brown" era. Some changes are of course to be expected as a young teen star grows and matures into an adult superstar. But innate talents, energy/auric fields, dancing gifts and other unique qualities that becomes a star's signature and presence don't vary that much once adulthood is reached and they project a certain image. It becomes or is unique as the fingerprint.
Motivated and inspired by some of his earlier songs from the Young Chris era like "Run It", "Excuse Miss", "With You" I decided to listen to songs from his extensive discography and the video interpretations of those songs leading up to his current album. Because I don't think you can do "Brown" justice unless you review the music through a comprehensive musical lens. I didn't listen to the albums in chronological order. Instead I began my sound variation listening journey with the 7th studio album "Exclusive" containing "With You", "Kiss Kiss", "Forever" three of his most recognizable songs from that disc. It earned a quadruple platinum certification by the recording academy and charted highly on the Billboard charts. All three songs are high energy love songs in different tempos. They give a good window into the quality and variety of the sounds. None are as sexually explicit and graphic as some of the songs that follow on subsequent releases.
Now, fast foward to F.A.M.E.,which Chris explained in an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America was an acronym for the phrase "Forgiving All My Enemies" and in the alternative, "Fans Are My Everything". His 4th studio album soars and is the perfect combination of sensitively, beautifully crafted, acoustic passionately and purely sung love songs like "All About You", "Next to You"(feat. Justin Beiber), All Back, "Up to You"
To be continued...
