Older R&B male crooners may have a problem on their hands. His name is Chris Brown. After splashing onto the scene with his smash up-tempo single Run It!, the 16-year-old artist shows his versatility with his self-titled debut. With his incredible voice and an album laced with clever lyrics, hypnotic tracks and impeccable vocals, he’s someone that the world will soon know. Chris Brown doesn't hail from one of the established hip-hop centers such as New York, Atlanta or Los Angeles. Straight from a small town Tappahannock, VA – population 2000 – Chris Brown proves that real talent, persistence, and charisma still have a place in the music industry. As such, Chris has the opportunity to carve his own direction in the crowded hip-hop world. The week his single Run It was released, it went straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first single from a male artist to debut at that spot. At just 16, Brown's young voice and content is bound to mature, which should make for even better music. Although comparisons to Usher may be too early at this point, Brown's ambitious and fresh vocals have laid the foundation for a bright, successful career.
The album begins with Chris challenging young ladies to control the dance floor over Scott Storch's synth-heavy steady bass production on Run It. It is an irresistible up-tempo dance joint with an attention-grabbing hook. Storch hooks Brown up again with a stirring uptempo beat on Gimme That. The track has Chris sporting his swagger and confidence, as he pleads his case to an older girl. Yo has Brown melodically crooning in hopes of diverting a young lady's attention from across the room. He shows more innocence and charm on Young Love, which was produced by The Underdogs and includes an interpolation of Blue Magic’s 70s classic Side Show. Here he croons about puppy love and being wrapped up in the feeling. Chris’ vocals are fresh and inviting, soulful and soaring. He wraps his emotions around each and every lyric and adds the right amount of passion, fun and swagger at just the right time. From the vocally acrobatic Yŕ Man Ain’t Me to the tender, ponderous Is This Love (both produced by The Underdogs) to the naughty Poppin, Chris Brown explores the many colors of life and love as a teenage boy and he does so without being too infantile or too raunchy.
Chris got his musical initiation early on, inspired by what he refers to as the “eclectic” taste of his parents and soaking in the sounds of his favorites: Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Anita Baker, and Aretha Franklin. Now Chris Brown comes to the music industry fully-loaded as not only a talented vocalist, but a versatile songwriter, an amazing dancer and a blossoming young businessman who has learned the many intricacies of the music industry. With his self-titled debut, 16-year-old Chris Brown manages to stand out amid the sea of young singers vying for the top. Virginia native proves listeners should not write him off merely based on inexperience. Though Brown's sweet songs are set up to appeal to a young female fan base, the narratives are mature enough to sway some older folks. He definitely has a style, a flavor and a place in music and makes a strong case that age really is nothing but a number.
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