Grade: 70/100
After a flurry of setbacks and stints in rehab and prison, Chris Brown’s long-hyped sixth album “X” has finally seen the light of day. Fans of Brown have awaited the record since word of it surfaced early last year, but the result may not be what anyone hoped it would be.
Brown starts off the album with the Diplo-produced title track making the statement that he isn’t the monster the media portrays him to be. Instead of continuing on a path of strong R&B songs, “X” roughly transitions into a bunch of songs that either refer to sex or question a woman’s loyalty.
The most recent single, “New Flame,” sneaks its way into the lustful song flurry but feels completely out of place with its surrounding material.
Once listeners navigate the Chris Brown sex stint, they’re given a repeat performance of “Loyal” under the disguise of new lyrics, a new title and a feature from Akon. “Came To Do” sounds exactly the same as “Loyal” but instead of talking about how unfaithful women can be, Brown compliments the ladies while trying to get their attention in a club setting.
After a few more lackluster songs, Brown brings a little more gravity to the album with “Autumn Leaves.” On paper, a feature from Kendrick Lamar seems like an instant hit, but in execution, it fails to translate to a solid contribution.
Luckily, Brown redeems himself on “Do Better” where he finds himself looking into his own soul and realizing that he could be a better man than what he is. A welcomed feature from Brandy sends the song into the standout category on the album.
Yet again after a bright moment on “X,” Brown channels his inner One Direction on “See You Around” and fails miserably. The song is clearly full of regrets the Virginia native holds within his heart, but there is an evident wall holding him back from achieving the full potential of the track — a theme that carries through the entire album.
A large majority of the remainder of “X” centralizes around Brown’s regret until the infectious pop single “Love More” hits the ears. The song is still as enjoyable as it was when first heard more than a year ago.
Unfortunately, the best parts of “X” come exclusive to the deluxe edition of the album, including Brown’s greatly hyped “Don’t Think They Know” with the late Aaliyah. Finishing the record off with “Fine China” is a nice touch by Brown that leads one to wonder why the whole album couldn’t sound as nice as the last few tracks of the deluxe edition.
“X” can’t really be called a cohesive album. It feels more like a collection of songs packaged together and shipped to stores. An album should flow well from song to song and have a solid concept, but neither one of those is found on this 21-song project.
Brown is talented and has many years left in his career to fine tune his sound. He doesn’t need these over-produced, super pop hits to keep his career afloat. The bright spots on “X” are what the whole album should sound like. Brown is too gifted to be known as an artist who makes good singles, but if content like “X” is the future of his career, that may be his only saving grace.