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Chris Brown: F.A.M.E

Josh Ballou
The Broadside

Breezy is back, fresh off his victorious appearance at Good Morning America with his new project, “F.A.M.E.”
Chris Brown exploded onto the scene in 2005, was heralded as the future of R&B and his first single “Run It” offered great promise for his future.

Domestic abuse charges and a career that has seen lots of turmoil have not stopped Brown from continuing to do what he loves. “Forgiving All My Enemies” or “Fans Are My Everything” is what his latest project stands for and it’s his testament that he wants to put the past behind him and move forward.

Brown is back to doing what propelled him to the head of the game back in 2005. Solid production, good vocals and great music and collaborations with everyone from Justin Bieber to Lil’ Wayne and Busta Ryhmes.

Don’t get me wrong, the album isn’t all good. Brown has a good amount of musical variation from the pure R&B of tracks like “Up to You” and “Wet the Bed” to danceable tracks like “ Yeah 3x” and “ Oh My Love.”

“F.A.M.E.” has already seen success despite all the surrounding controversy; it is his first number one on the Billboard 200.

It’s hard to see someone so talented get bogged down with drama, and maybe Brown will find a way out as this album continues to do well. If you can get past the ever-evolving chaos which is the “Chris Brown Show” and simply focus on the music, you will enjoy “F.A.M.E.”

Album fav’s include “Look at Me Now,” which is more of a rap song with an extremely cocky edge, shows the playfulness of Brown as an artist and features Busta Rhymes and Lil’ Wayne. The slow and sexy “Up 2 You” and “Beg for It” are both good late-night-by-candlelight songs, if you know what I mean.

As much as this album succeeds, it fails on songs like “She Ain’t You,” which samples SWV’s “Right Here (Human Nature Mix),” a remix of their hit featuring samples of Michael Jackson’s, “Human Nature.” It just didn’t elevate the sample or go anywhere that reinvented the track—fail. If you’re not a dance music fan all the more upbeat electro-pop tracks will be a waste; just regurgitated trash from the pop machine.

All in all “F.A.M.E.” is a solid “B” and will offer a variety of listeners a few solid tracks to love and a few more to like. Pick it up online or check out all the tracks on YouTube and let me know what you think of Chris Brown’s latest.

Josh Ballou can be reached at jballou@cocc.edu