After what feels like years of waiting and date push backs, Chris Brown has finally released his hotly anticipated sixth studio album, X. The album already has a string of hugely successful singles and a lot of buzz surrounding it and, with a track list of 21 and a ton of features, it looks set be a massive hit. Here is a little break-down of each track based on my opinion after a couple of listens.
X
The title track and possible future single which I already wrote a little review of a few weeks ago when it leaked. At first, I was skeptical of this strong dance sound that Chris was going for after a string of heavily r'n'b influenced tracks prior to this song. However, it has definitely grown on me and, although it may have been better suited for another artist, I like the message that Chris shares on this song as it stands very true to his life.
Add Me In
There is something instantly captivating about the production of this song which had me hooked from the start. It reminds me of old school Michael Jackson but still very modern, a sound that only Chris Brown could work. I can picture a music video and dance performances which makes me want this to be a single though I doubt it will.
This is a favourite of mine and had me really excited for the rest of the album.
Loyal feat. Lil Wayne and Tyga
A song that everyone already knows as it is probably Chris' biggest hit to date, and rightfully so, with it's catchy hook and beat. Unfortunately, I think this is the strongest, and my favourite, song on the album which doesn't bode too well when it has been released as the debut single months ago. This was the sound I was looking forward to hearing from Chris and the expectations were set high with this as the lead single.
New Flame feat. Usher
Another single and track that I have reviewed a little already but it has since grown on me too, not that I wasn't a fan after the first listen. A Chris and Usher collaboration was well overdue what with them being the biggest-selling and most popular R'n'B artists of this generation, and two of the best male performers in music.
This track is a really nice change for Chris with a lot more softness and vulnerability, lyrically and vocally, that reminds me of the With You era.
Song on 12 Play feat. Trey Songz
This song is exactly what you would expect from a Chris and Trey collaboration which was a bit disappointing. There's no surprises and it just sounds like any song you would find on a Trey Songz album
101 (Interlude)
This track annoyed me because it had the potential to be great if only it was a full song and not a 1 minute interlude.
Drown In It feat. R. Kelly
This was the biggest let down on the album and my least favourite song for two simple reasons. The first is that I am not an R.Kelly fan anymore - he is irrelevant, creepy, and quite frankly, needs to stick behind the scenes from now on. So his appearance on this song was not for my personal taste.
Secondly, the content in this song, lyrically, is just way too forthright and downright nasty. There is an art to making a good slow jam which Trey Songz has mastered, and that includes subtlety.
I am no prude but there is simply no interest or attraction to a song that explicitly discusses sex in a less than artistic or playful way.
Came To Do feat. Akon
Akon ?! Chris just seems to be throwing in features for the fun of it at this point. Akon is as irrelevant and unnecessary on this song as he is in the 2014 music industry.
As for the song itself, it is presented as a part two for Loyal with the exact same intro and a very similar song format but it certainly isn't as good. It feels like Chris got a bit lazy with this song and it is just another unnecessary and skippable album track.
Stereotype
The production on this song is probably at its best here; however, the song lacks in creativity lyrically and the hook can either be catchy annoying - for me it's the latter.
Stereotype hasn't definitely grown on me the most since my first listen though and this is the turning point of the album where the quality goes up quite dramatically for the most part.
Time for Love
A really nice, upbeat song that has a throwback feel like Add Me In and Fine China but with less of an MJ copy. It is certainly catchy and changes the pace of the album as the first track that ticks all the boxes in terms of lyrics, production and vocals.
Lady in a Glass Dress (Interlude)
Do not see the point in this interlude in all honesty. Unlike the other, it doesn't really grab my attention as a potential full length song, it just sits in the middle of the album unnecessarily.
Autumn Leaves feat. Kendrick Lamar
By far a firm album favourite of mine is this stunning song. It is one of the most meaningful and poignant songs Chris has produced in a while and it is greatly welcome at this point on the album. Kendrick, as usual, adds a haunting and show stealing verse making his feature on the album one of the few that actually brings something to the song.
It's also worth mentioning that this is the first song on the album where I noticed that Chris is still one of the strongest male vocalists in the game; a fact that often gets overlooked.
Do Better feat. Brandy
It took me a while to like this song because it didn't catch my attention on the first listen and then continued to feel bland upon a second and third play. However, I can always appreciate a bit of Brandy and always embrace the softer side of Chris Brown so it has started to grow on me.
See You Around
A different sound for Chris and I can't say I am a fan as this song falls completely flat and left me uninspired. It doesn't belong on the album, the lyrics are basic and it really brings down the latter half of the album which had been quite consistent up until this point.
Don't Be Gone Too Long feat. Ariana Grande
Sounds very similiar to something that Will.I.Am would record which made me look into whether he may have produced it. The hotly anticipated Ariana and Chris collaboration but where is Ariana?
Well if you compare this track to the one used in the recently dropped music video it becomes obvious that this is a different version.
Not sure why Chris chose to leave Ariana off the album as she brings great vocals to her version and, in my opinion, strengthens the track.
Aside from that, it is a decent song and undeniably catchy but plays very much into the commercial sound which can sometimes be a bit of miss for some fans.
Body Shots
My least favourite track on the album for a collection of reasons and the primary one is that this doesn't belong on the album at all. It feels so out of place and unlike Chris Brown, that I almost immediately had to the skip the track.
The production is cheap and dated and like almost every other dance track when it comes to the drop which, by the way, is what really destroys the song because up until 1:20 it had potential.
Drunk Texting feat. Jhene Aiko
A perfect collaboration for two of music brightest current stars and strongest vocalists. This song may not have the depth and beauty that Jhene brings on her debut album but it is still quite atmospheric and reminds me of those old school R'n'B male/female collaborations.
I almost don't mind that the entire song is about texting an ex when you're drunk because the vocals and melody and are on point.
Lost In Ya Love
Another album highlight and the song I feel should have closed out the album instead of Fine China because it rounds off the album perfectly. Chris showcases his vocals on the chorus, the content is sweet, the production is strong and, once again, this song has a throwback feel that is perfect to just jam to. You will definitely have this song stuck in your head once you have finished playing the album.
Love More feat. Nicki Minaj
One we have all heard before as a successful single and huge club hit for obvious reasons. For some reason, I get glimpses of Run It and other early Chris hits when I hear this song which is always a positive.
Nicki, of course, brings it on her short verse and makes this the perfect mainstream R'n'B/pop song.
Don't Think They Know feat. Aaliyah
I am pleasantly surprised that this song made it onto the album after all the backlash it received and the fact it didn't achieve as big a mainstream success as Chris probably hoped for. But, I was always a fan of this song and so I am happy to see it made the cut.
Aaliyah sounds hauntingly beautiful on the song and I love the meaning behind the song, once again showcasing a vulnerable side to Chris which often gets forgotten.
Fine China
Personally, I don't think this song should have closed out the album because it was released months ago and it is such a strong track that it should have followed Loyal.
I prefer for album closers to be a little more understated and conclusive whereas, Fine China is so full of energy that it leaves me wanting more. Having said that, this song brought be back to 2008 Chris with his youth, innocence and obvious MJ-inspired sounds.
All in all, I applaud the hard-work that goes into a 21 track album that was able to produce at least four smash hit singles, but I can't deny that I was a little disappointed with the final product. I probably set my expectations way too high after being a massive fan of Love More, Fine China and Loyal so I had a preconceived idea of what I was going to hear.
Unfortunately, when you have a 21 song long track list, it is unlikely that every song is going to be great or consistent and that was the case with X. There are a lot of brilliant moments on this album such as Autumn Leaves, Lost in Ya Love and Time For Love but they get lost amongst some of the irrelevant fluff like Body Shots and See You Around.
I believe this could have been an almost perfect album if Chris had opted for quality over quantity and cut out five or six of the songs that fell flat for me.
This album is still worth a listen and even buying as long as you are willing to traipse through some below average songs to find the excellent ones.
Rating : 3/5
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