Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He is a contemporary R&B musician,[note 1] who has often been referred to by his contemporaries as the "King of R&B".[note 2] While an R&B singer and songwriter, his music has also been influenced by hip hop and pop genres. His lyrics often address emotional and hedonistic themes.[note 3] His singing and dancing skills have often been compared favorably to those of pop icon Michael Jackson.[16]
In 2004, Brown signed with Jive Records and released his eponymous debut studio album the following year, later certified Triple Platinum.[17][18] With his debut single "Run It!" peaking atop the Billboard Hot 100, Brown was the first male artist since 1995 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album, Exclusive (2007), was commercially successful worldwide, spawning his second Billboard Hot 100 number one single, "Kiss Kiss".[19]
In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault of singer Rihanna, who was then his girlfriend, and was sentenced to five years probation and six months community service.[20] The same year, he released his third album, Graffiti, which was considered to be a commercial failure.[21] Following Graffiti, Brown released his fourth album F.A.M.E. (2011), which was his first album to top the Billboard 200. The album contained the commercially successful singles: "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now" and "Beautiful People", and earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.[22][23] His fifth album, Fortune, released in 2012, topped the Billboard 200.
Following the releases of X (2014) and Royalty (2015), both peaking in the top three of the Billboard 200, his eighth album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon (2017), a double-disc LP consisting of 45 tracks, was certified Gold for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 after one week, and later certified Double Platinum. Brown's ninth studio album, Indigo (2019) found similar success, debuting atop the Billboard 200.[24] It included the single "No Guidance" which broke the record for longest-running number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[25][26] Its chart success was outdone with the single "Go Crazy" released the following year, which broke Brown's own record for longest-running number one.[27][28][29] In 2022, his Indigo album spawned a sleeper hit with its song "Under the Influence", which was re-released as a single.[28][30]
Brown has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.[31] He has gained a cult following,[32] and is one of the highest-grossing African American touring artists of all time.[33] Brown holds the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries of any male singer in history,[2] the most top 40 hits of any R&B singer in history,[3] the most RIAA Gold-certified singles of any male singer in history,[34][35] and the most RIAA multi-Platinum singles of any male singer in history.[36] In 2019, Billboard named Brown the third most successful artist of the 2010s decade in R&B and hip-hop music, behind Drake and Rihanna.[37]Brown has won 202 awards from 520 nominations over the course of his career. He has also pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his feature film debut in Stomp the Yard, and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C. Other films include This Christmas (2007), Takers (2010), Think Like a Man (2012) and Battle of the Year (2013).
Early life
Christopher Maurice Brown was born on May 5, 1989,[38] in Tappahannock, Virginia,[39] to Joyce Hawkins, a former day care center director, and Clinton Brown, a corrections officer at a local prison.[40][41] He has an older sister, Lytrell Bundy,[42] who works in a bank.[40] Music was always present in Brown's life beginning in his childhood. He would listen to soul albums that his parents owned,[41] and eventually began to show interest in the hip-hop scene.[38]
Brown taught himself to sing and dance at a young age and often cites Michael Jackson as his inspiration.[40] He began to perform in his church choir and in several local talent shows.[43] Brown said, during a 2023 interview with Shannon Sharpe, that he started to take in consideration music as his job after winning a talent show during a summer camp when he was 11 years old, performing Sisqó’s "Thong Song": "The camp leaders, they laughed, but everybody kinda went crazy in there and I was like 'I think I can do this'."[44] When he mimicked an Usher performance of "My Way", his mother recognized his vocal talent, and they began to look for the opportunity of a record deal.[18] At the same time, Brown was going through personal issues. His parents had divorced, and his mother's boyfriend terrified him by subjecting her to domestic violence.[45] In a 2017 self-documentary, Welcome to My Life, Brown goes into detail about the abusive relationship. Brown said that when he was six, his mother's partner shot himself in the head, but did not die. The gunshot blinded him, the physical impairment only adding to his rage. His mother's partner took his anger and frustration out on Hawkins: "I had to hear my mom get beat up every night. I’d pee on myself, just scared to even walk out into the hallway, because I didn’t want to see nothing".[46]
Career
2002–2004: Career beginnings
At age 13, Brown was discovered by Hitmission Records, a local production team that visited the gas station where his father worked, while searching for new talent.[47] Around the same time, he performed with one of his production managers’ son, named TJ, for hip hop artist Puff Daddy, but the rapper refused to sign him to his record label Bad Boy Records.[48] Hitmission's Lamont Fleming provided voice coaching for Brown. The team helped to arrange a demo package, under the name of "C. Sizzle", and approached contacts in New York. Tina Davis, senior A&R executive at Def Jam Recordings, heard the demo package that Brown's local team had sent to Def Jam, and among the artists contained in the CD she was impressed by Brown with his track "Whose Girl Is That".[49] Davis later had Brown auditioning in her New York office, and she immediately took him to meet the former president of Island Def Jam Music Group, Antonio "L.A." Reid, who offered to sign him that day, but Brown refused his proposal because Reid wouldn't talk to his mother.[50] Brown then started to sojourn in Harlem, New York, to seek a record deal.[51] The negotiations with Def Jam continued for two months, and ended when Davis lost her job due to a corporate merger. Brown asked her to be his manager, and once Davis accepted, she promoted the singer to other labels such as Jive Records, J-Records and Warner Bros. Records. "I knew that Chris had real talent," says Davis. "I just knew I wanted to be part of it."[52] Brown attended Essex High School in Virginia until late 2004, when he moved to New York to pursue his music career.[53]
According to Mark Pitts, in an interview with HitQuarters, Davis presented Brown with a video recording, and Pitts' reaction was: "I saw huge potential ... I didn't love all the records, but I loved his voice. It wasn't a problem because I knew that he could sing, and I knew how to make records."[54] Brown ultimately chose Jive due to its successful work with then-young acts such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Brown stated, "I picked Jive because they had the best success with younger artists in the pop market, [...] I knew I was going to capture my African American audience, but Jive had a lot of strength in the pop area as well as longevity in careers."[52] Brown said in a 2013 interview, that during his permanence in Harlem, when he was trying to get his music heard by major labels, his artistic intention was to both rap and sing on his records, but Jive convinced him to stick to just singing, because according to him "it wasn't acceptable yet" for an R&B singer to also rap on records.[55]
Brown performing at KBKS-FM's Jingle Bell Bash in Seattle in December 2005
After signing to Jive Records in 2004, Brown began recording his self-titled debut studio album in February 2005. By May, there were 50 songs already recorded, 14 of which were picked to the final track listing.[40] He has worked with producers and songwriters Scott Storch, Cool & Dre, Sean Garrett, Jazze Pha, and others, and has said that they "really believed in [him]".[56] Brown co-wrote half of the tracks.[40] "I write about the things that 16 year olds go through every day," he said in 2009. "Like you just got in trouble for sneaking your girl into the house, or you can't drive, so you steal a car or something."[57] The whole album took less than eight weeks to produce.[57] In 2023, Brown described working on his first album as a "learning experience", recalling that he felt "insecure" about releasing "Run It!" as his first single.[44]
The album's lead single, "Run It!", was a great commercial success, making Brown the first male act since Montell Jordan in 1995 to have his debut single to reach the summit of the Billboard Hot 100—later remaining for four additional weeks.[38] Three other singles, "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)", "Gimme That", and "Say Goodbye", were successful, peaking in the top 20 on the same chart.[58] Released on November 29, 2005, the self-titled Chris Brown album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 154,000 copies.[59][60] Decca Aitkenhead of The Guardian wrote that it was "a smooth slice of commercial R&B".[61]Chris Brown sold over three million copies in the United States and was certified three times Platinum by the RIAA; worldwide, it sold six million copies.[62][63]
On June 13, 2006, Brown released a DVD entitled Chris Brown's Journey, which shows footage of him traveling through England and Japan, preparing for his first visit to the Grammy Awards, behind the scenes of his music videos and bloopers. On August 17, 2006, to further promote the album, Brown began his major co-headlining tour, The Up Close and Personal Tour. Due to the tour, production for his next album was pushed back two months. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received $10,000 in ticket proceeds from Brown's 2006 "Up Close & Personal" tour. Brown has made appearances on UPN's One on One and The N's Brandon T. Jackson Show on its pilot episode.[64][65]
In January 2007, Brown landed a small role as a band geek in the fourth season of the American television series The O.C..[66] Brown then made his film debut in Stomp the Yard, alongside Ne-Yo, Meagan Good and Columbus Short on January 12, 2007.[67] In April 2007, Brown was the opening act for Beyoncé, on the Australian leg of her The Beyoncé Experience tour. On July 9, 2007, Brown was featured in an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 (for the event, it was retitled: Chris Brown: My Super 18) celebrating his eighteenth birthday in New York City.[68]
Shortly after ending his summer tour with Ne-Yo, Brown quickly began production for his second studio album, Exclusive. The album's lead single, "Wall to Wall" was released, and it didn't reach the chart success of his previous singles, peaking at number 79 on US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 22 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, being his lowest charting single at the time. However, "Kiss Kiss", featuring and produced by T-Pain, released as the album's second single, received huge success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and becoming Brown's second number one single following "Run It!" in 2005. "With You", produced by Stargate (duo of producers known at the time for their work with R&B singer Ne-Yo), was released as the third single from Exclusive, and had even bigger worldwide success than "Kiss Kiss", becoming one of the all-time best-selling singles, and reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Exclusive was released in the United States on November 6, 2007. According to The Guardian the album demonstrated "his agility in fusing R&B with the era’s auto-tuned strain of pop-leaning hip-hop".[69] The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 294,000 copies in its first week,[70] becoming a bigger commercial success than his previous outing.[71]Exclusive was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA.[72]
In November 2007, Brown starred as a video host for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Math-A-Thon program. He showed his support by encouraging students to use their math skills to help children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.[73] On November 21, 2007, Brown appeared as a leading role in This Christmas, a family drama starring Regina King.[74] He also contributed to the soundtrack of the movie, that contains his cover versions of "Try a Little Tenderness" and "This Christmas", the latter has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. To further support the album Exclusive, Brown embarked on his The Exclusive Holiday Tour, visiting over thirty venues in United States. The tour began in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 6, 2007, and concluded on February 9, 2008, in Honolulu, Hawaii. In March 2008, Brown was featured on Jordin Sparks' single "No Air", which received worldwide success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[75] He also made a guest appearance on David Banner' single "Get Like Me" alongside Yung Joc. The song peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100, and number two on the US Hot Rap Songs chart. In 2008, Brown did of a commercial spot for Doublemint gum, creating a jingle commissioned by an advertising company working for Wrigley. Brown first created the short version for the commercial, then extended and expanded it into a full song named "Forever" during another recording session.[76] "Forever" was later released as a single anticipating Brown's re-issue of Exclusive. The song was noted for being Brown's first record to adventure into the dance-pop genre, becoming one of his biggest singles, reaching number two on Billboard Hot 100. Billboard wrote positively of the single, stating in its 2008 review that Brown "has proved as 2008's pop/R&B prince that he has talent and charm to command the charts for as long he chooses".[77] The re-issue titled Exclusive: The Forever Edition was released on June 3, 2008, seven months after the original version, featuring four new tracks, and pushed the album's success further. In August 2008, Brown guest-starred on Disney'sThe Suite Life of Zack & Cody as himself.[78] Towards the end of 2008, Brown was named Artist of the Year by Billboard magazine, with the songs "With You", "Forever" and "No Air" resulting three of the top 10 most sold singles in the United States of 2008.[79]
In 2008, Brown began work on his third studio album, announced to be called Graffiti, promising to experiment with a different musical direction inspired by singers Prince and Michael Jackson. He stated, "I wanted to change it up and really be different. Like my style nowadays, I don't try to be typical urban. I want to be like how Prince, Michael and Stevie Wonder were. They can cross over to any genre of music."[80] Following the domestic violence scandal involving Brown and his then-girlfriend Rihanna on February 8, 2009, a major part of mass media took positions against the singer. The scandal also caused Brown to lose significant endorsements, including the one with Doublemint, with some music stations across the United States briefly banning Brown's songs.[81] The singer later participated in numerous television appearances during the year to express himself publicly about it. He spoke about it to ABC News: "I never ever had problems with anger. No, no domestic violence with any of my past girlfriends or any altercations. I never was that kind of person. I look at it, and it's really, like really difficult. It's like, 'How could I be that person?'".[82] In the 2017 self-documentary, Welcome to My Life, Brown says his reputation dropped sharply after his 2009 assault on Rihanna, "I went from being on top of the world, number one songs, being kind of like America's sweetheart, to being public enemy number one."[83]Graffiti's lead single "I Can Transform Ya" was released on September 29, 2009. The song peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Crawl" was released as the album's second single on November 23, 2009. The song reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. Graffiti was then released on December 8, 2009. Brown, with this album, started to take full control of his art, managing the artistic direction, and writing every song of the album (with the exception of the song "I'll Go", written and produced by Brian Kennedy and James Fauntleroy). He said that his decision to entirely direct and write his albums and songs came from the fact that he wanted to give his "own perspective of the music [he] wanted to make" and by his wanting to "verbalize whatever [he] was going through". Critics noted that with the album's sound Brown aimed to expand his music beyond the genres of his previous works.[84] According to Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times, the album is made of an "upbeat" part, that "can be considered the sonic sequel to "Forever"", mixed with power ballads, observed to express his remorse and feelings following the Rihanna incident.[85] The album, compared to its two predecessors, was a commercial and critical failure, debuting at number 7 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 102,000 copies in its first week,[86] and receiving generally negative reviews from critics.[71] Despite this, Graffiti was nominated for two Grammy Awards; including one for the Best Contemporary R&B Album and the other for the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the track, "Take My Time" featuring Tank. As of March 23, 2011, it has sold 341,000 copies in the United States.[72]
While performing a Michael Jackson Tribute at the 2010 BET Awards, Brown started to cry and fell to his knees while singing Jackson's "Man in the Mirror".[87] The performance and his emotional turmoil resonated with several celebrities present at the ceremony, including Trey Songz, Diddy and Taraji P. Henson.[88] Songz said, "He left his heart on the stage. He gave genuine emotion. I was proud of him and I was happy for him for having that moment".[88] Michael's brother, Jermaine Jackson, expressed similar sentiments stating, "it was very emotional for me, because it was an acceptance from his fans from what has happened to him and also paying tribute to my brother".[89] Later during the award ceremony, Brown stated, "I let y'all down before, but I won't do it again...I promise", while accepting the award for the AOL Fandemonium prize.[88] In August 2010, Brown starred alongside an ensemble cast, including Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Hayden Christensen and T.I. in the crime thriller Takers,[90] and also served as executive producer of the film.
During 2010, Brown released three free mixtapes: In My Zone (Rhythm & Streets), Fan of a Fan (collaborative mixtape with rapper Tyga), and In My Zone 2, which featured a new writing style for the singer, and a different musical style, mixing R&B with hip hop. For the mixtapes he worked with new producers, most notably Kevin McCall. The mixtapes received a great response from the artist's core audience, consolidating it. The single "Deuces", extracted from the Fan of a Fan mixtape, obtained critical and commercial success, peaking at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song was later remixed by some of the biggest names in the hip-hop scene of that time, including Drake, Kanye West, André 3000, Rick Ross, Fabolous, and T.I.. He later released the solo track "No BS" as his second single from Fan of a Fan, and decided to include the two singles from the mixtape as anticipation singles for his next album.
Brown performing at Supafest in Sydney, Australia in 2012
In September 2010, Brown announced his album, F.A.M.E., a backronym for "Forgiving All My Enemies", would be released in October. The album's first single, "Yeah 3x", a dance-pop song, different from the urban content of the previous mixtapes. The single received big international success, entering the top-ten in eleven countries, including Australia, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It was succeeded by the hip-hop single "Look at Me Now", featuring rappers Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, that reached number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[91] where it remained for eight consecutive weeks.[92] It also reached number one on the US Hot Rap Songs chart.[93] The single became the best-selling rap song of 2011, as well as one of all-time best-selling singles in the United States. Stereogum while critiquing Brown's public image during a review, praised his musical ability and the track, stating that "It brings me no joy to report that “Look At Me Now” is a 10".[94]
Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E. was first released on March 18, 2011. Defined by critics as a "musical kaleidoscope" for its versatile sound, the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 270,000 copies, giving Brown his first number-one album in the United States.[95] Steve Jones of USA Today said that the album showed "a more mature, confident and adventurous Brown who has emerged in the wake of all the drama, and he has delivered the strongest album of his career".[96] The album's third single, "Beautiful People", featuring Benny Benassi, peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and became the first number-one single on the chart for both Brown and Benassi.[97] "She Ain't You" was released as the album's fourth US single, while "Next 2 You", featuring Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, served as the album's fourth international single. To further promote the album, Brown embarked on his F.A.M.E. Tour in Australia and North America.
Brown received six nominations at the 2011 BET Awards and ultimately won five awards, including Best Male R&B Artist, Viewers Choice Award, The Fandemonium Award, Best Collaboration and Video of the Year for "Look at Me Now".[98] He also won three awards at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards, including the People's Champ Award, Reese's Perfect Combo Award and Best Hip Hop Video for "Look at Me Now".[99] At the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards, F.A.M.E. won Album of the Year.[100] The album has also earned Brown three Grammy Award nominations at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album, as well as Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "Look at Me Now".[101] On February 12, 2012, Brown won his first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Album. During the ceremony, Brown performed several songs marking his first appearance at the awards show since his conviction of felony assault.[22]
Originally, Brown wanted F.A.M.E. to be a double-disc, consisting of 25–30 tracks, but the label was contrary to that. Right before the release of F.A.M.E. Brown decided to follow his intentions in an acceptable way for the label, working on a sequel of F.A.M.E. called Fortune, that would be a whole new album that contained new material and even some tracks that didn't make the cut of the previous album.[102] On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Brown (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release future material on the RCA Records brand.[103][104] Brown's fifth studio album Fortune was anticipated with the release of "Strip", "Sweet Love", "Till I Die", and the top 10 singles "Turn Up the Music" and "Don't Wake Me Up". Fortune was released on July 3, 2012. The album's musical style was noted for mixing Brown's R&B with pop and electronic music. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200,[105] but received negative reviews from critics.[71]Los Angeles Times wrote that the album is "brash and commercial", stating that "Brown’s “F.A.M.E.” hit with a solid combination of freaky, heavy-duty R&B bangers and the requisite sex-in-bed seduction numbers. But “Fortune,” his fifth studio album, is the work of an artist who has gone all-in with a handful of commercial tracks designed to get Our Hero paid and back in America’s good graces".[106] Despite the negative reception, it was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 55th Grammy Awards. To further promote the album, Brown embarked on his Carpe Diem Tour in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Trinidad.
After concluding his Carpe Diem Tour in 2012, Brown's next studio album started to develop. On February 15, 2013, the singer unofficially released the song "Home", where he expresses a reflection on the dark side of fame, and how the only moment of respite from that thought is when he returns to the neighborhood where he grew up with people who knew him from the start.[107] On March 26, 2013, Brown announced the release of X, in various interviews and listening sessions.[108] In an interview with Ebony, Brown spoke of taking his music in a different direction and changing his sound from the pop-infused and sexually explicit one of the previous album Fortune, to a more mature, soulful and vulnerable theme for the album.[109] On March 29, 2013, he released the critically acclaimed "Fine China" as the lead single of X.[109]Yahoo! lauded "Fine China" as "a soulful, 1970's-inspired track" and said that it was "Brown's most musical sound to date".[110]
Following the release of two other anticipation singles of X, "Don't Think They Know" and "Love More", on August 9, 2013, at 1:09 am PDT, Brown was reported to have suffered a seizure from Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California as a 9-1-1 call was made. When paramedics arrived, Brown allegedly refused to receive treatment and also refused to be transported to the local hospital. (Brown has reportedly suffered from seizures since his childhood.[111][112]) The next day, Brown's representative reported the seizure was caused by "intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress, both due to the continued onslaught of unfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity."[112][113] On November 20, 2013, Brown was sentenced to an anger management rehabilitation center for three months,[114] putting the December 2013 release of X in jeopardy. To "hold [fans] over until [the X album] drops," Brown released a mixtape, titled X Files on November 19, 2013.[115] Brown revealed in 2022, that at the time, when he was on the way to go to the counseling, he received a phone call from Prince, that told him to "don't lose focus", wanting a conversation with him about "being special". Brown described the phone call as "one of [his] most influential" moments.[49] On February 22, 2014, it was announced that the album would be released on Brown's birthday, May 5, 2014. On April 14, 2014, Brown released a teaser of the new track "Don't Be Gone Too Long" featuring Ariana Grande. However, at his May 9, 2014, court date, Brown was ordered to serve 131 days in jail for his probation violation, and the collaboration ended up never being released, furthermore, the album was again delayed due to Brown's prison sentence.[116][117] While incarcerated, the album's fourth single, "Loyal", became one of Brown's most successful songs, by selling over six million copies in the US, and peaking in the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Brown said in a 2022 interview, that following his release from jail he experienced more episodes of fans explaining to him how some of his records helped them through life-changing situations, making him realize that he was making music for an "actual purpose".[49] "New Flame" featuring Usher and Rick Ross was later released as the album's final single. The title track "X" was released as an instant-gratification track alongside the album pre-order on iTunes on August 25, 2014.[118]
Brown's sixth studio album, X was released on September 16, 2014.[119] The album received positive reviews from critics, that considered it a big improvement compared to its critically panned predecessor Fortune. Brad Wete of Billboard reviewing X described Brown as "a talent whose skill for hit singles and agile performances is only matched by his knack for cannonballing into career-threatening pools of legal and PR problems",[120] At the 2015 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for the Best Urban Contemporary Album, while "New Flame" was nominated for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. Commercially, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 selling 146,000 copies in its first week, becoming his sixth consecutive top ten debut in the United States. X has been certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Pushing the promotion for the album further, Brown performed and appeared at several televised music events and music festivals across the United States.
On February 24, 2015, Brown released his first collaborative studio album with Tyga, titled Fan of a Fan: The Album. The album was a follow-up to the pairs' 2010 mixtape Fan of a Fan, and its lead single "Ayo" received commercial success.[121] In early 2015, Brown also embarked on his Between the Sheets Tour with Trey Songz.[122]
In spring 2015, Brown was featured on DJ Deorro's song "Five More Hours", which received worldwide success.[123] On June 24, Brown released "Liquor" as the first single from his seventh studio album, titled Royalty, being dedicated to his daughter.[124][125][126] On October 16, he revealed the album cover.[127] On October 13, 2015, Brown announced that Royalty would be released on November 27, 2015.[127][128][129] After it was revealed that the album has been pushed back to December 18, 2015,[130] in exchange on November 27, 2015, he released a free 34-track mixtape called Before the Party as a prelude to Royalty, which features guest appearances from Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, Kelly Rowland, Wale, Tyga, French Montana and Fetty Wap.[131] The mixtape is composed by previously unreleased tracks that Brown recorded in different studio sessions between 2012 and 2015. Royalty was released on December 18, 2015, and debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200, selling 184,000 units (162,000 in pure album sales) in its first week.[132][133] Brown directed and released eight music videos for the songs of Royalty, serializing them to construct a linear story.[134] According to Iyana Robertson of Vibe, Brown on the album "sticks to the absence of a sonic script", showcasing "a pure, palpable display of an “outside of the box” approach to music".[135] Robertson said that lyrically the album "waves goodbye to amour on its way out the door", noting it to be a "stark contrast to 2014’s X, which included professions of affection".[135]
Brown started working and recording tracks for his next album few weeks before the release of Royalty, in late 2015. From the first days of 2016, Brown started to preview on his social media accounts several unreleased songs from his recording sessions.[136][137][138] In March 2016, he collaborated again with Italian DJ Benny Benassi, for the song "Paradise" from the latter's album Danceaholic.[139] On May 3, he announced the single "Grass Ain't Greener", showing its cover art and announcing it as the first single from a new album titled Heartbreak on a Full Moon.[140] The single was released on May 5, 2016. On July 7, after the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers, Brown released on his SoundCloud page two piano ballads, "My Friend" and "A Lot of Love", saying that the songs are "released for free for anybody dealing with injustice or struggle in their lives."[141][142] In 2016, the singer released two hip hop collaborative mixtapes with his OHB crew, Before the Trap: Nights in Tarzana and Attack the Block.
Throughout 2016 and 2017, he continued sharing several snippets from songs that he was recording. He also built a recording studio inside of his home to work on the album. During this period he embarked two concert tours as well: the European leg of the One Hell of a Nite Tour in 2016, and The Party Tour in 2017.[143][144][145] On December 16, 2016, he released the second official single from the album, "Party", featuring guest vocals from American R&B singer Usher and rapper Gucci Mane. Around this time, Brown decided to create Heartbreak on a Full Moon as a 40-track album. Talking about this decision, he stated in a 2017 interview that he wanted to "outdo expectations" and "push the boundaries on artistry".[146]RCA Records, the record label of the singer, initially wasn't agreeable of satisfying Brown's intentions to make a 40-track album, thinking that it would've damaged its commercial performance, but the singer ended up convincing them. "Privacy" was later released as the album's third single.[147][148][149] On June 7 he released Welcome to My Life, a self-documentary focused on his life and career, directed by Andrew Sandler.[150] Numerous celebrities participated in the movie, describing Brown from a personal and professional point of view. Among them there are Jennifer Lopez, Mike Tyson, Rita Ora, Usher and Tyga.[150]
On August 4, 2017, he released the album's fourth single, the trap song "Pills & Automobiles", featuring fellow American rappers Yo Gotti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Kodak Black,[151] while shortly after he released the fifth single, "Questions".[152] On October 25, 2017, Brown organized with Tidal a free pop-up concert in New York City to perform the singles on the album and promote it.[153][154]
Heartbreak on a Full Moon was eventually released as a double-disc album on October 31, 2017, via digital retailers and onto CD, three days later by RCA Records.[155] He explained the concept for the album in August 2017 during an interview for Complex, saying: "I thought Heartbreak on a Full Moon was a depiction of what my soul wanted to say. It's funny because we're doing a double album. I've done so many records, but all of the records, to me, are personal favorites and I feel like it gets what I want to say across".[156] Cultural critic and media personality Joe Budden defined Heartbreak on a Full Moon as his best album.[157] Despite being counted for only three days of sales, Heartbreak on a Full Moon debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, becoming Brown's ninth consecutive top 10 album on the chart.[158] One week after its release Heartbreak on a Full Moon was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States, and Brown became the first R&B male artist that went Gold in a week since Usher's Confessions in 2004.[159] In 2019 the album has been certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
On January 31, 2018, shortly after President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address, Brown released for free the track "State of the Union", a ballad where he expresses a message about social harmony.[163][164] In February 2018, Brown and rapper Joyner Lucas announced an upcoming collaboration project, titled Angels & Demons, with the release of the single "Stranger Things".[165] However, the project ended up never being released. On March 15, 2018, Brown was featured on Lil Dicky's hit single "Freaky Friday". The song became one of the most successful comedy songs in contemporary pop music, topping the charts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, also entering the top 10 in the United States.[166]
Following the end of the "Heartbreak on a Full Moon tour", Brown started to work on his ninth album, Indigo. On January 4, 2019, Brown released "Undecided" as its lead single. "Undecided" saw Brown reunite with producer Scott Storch, who previously worked with Brown in 2005 on his breakout hit "Run It!". The single marked Brown's first release after signing an extension and a new license agreement with RCA Records, that gave him the owning of his master recordings, making him one of the youngest artists to do so at the age of 29.[167][168] On April 11, he released the second single off the album titled "Back to Love". Andy Kellman of AllMusic described the song as a "career highlight",[169] although it failed to chart in the US.[170] The third single, "Wobble Up", was released a week later, featuring Nicki Minaj and G-Eazy, and a summer tour with Nicki Minaj was announced, but ended up never happening.[171] On April 25, he appeared on a track with Marshmello and Tyga called "Light It Up".[172] On May 2, Brown revealed the list of artists featured on Indigo, including Nicki Minaj, Tory Lanez, Tyga, Justin Bieber, Juicy J, Juvenile, H.E.R, Tank, Lil Jon, Lil Wayne, Joyner Lucas, Gunna and Drake.[173][174] The announcement of the Drake collaboration sparked headlines, due to their public feud that lasted for several years. On May 31, he appeared on the commercially successful single "Easy", where he duetted with singer DaniLeigh.[175] On June 8, Brown released "No Guidance" featuring Drake as a single. It debuted at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Brown's 15th top-ten song, and later peaked at number five.[176] The single won Best Collaboration Performance, Best Dance Performance and Song of the Year at the 2019 Soul Train Music Awards and received a nomination for Best R&B Song at the 62nd Grammy Awards.[177]
Indigo was eventually released on June 28, 2019, marking Brown's second double album.[178] Musically, the album explored his R&B roots, and other genres such as Afrobeats, pop, dancehall and bounce music.[179] According to A.D. Amorosi of The Inquirer, the album's themes mix spiritual awakening with sexuality.[180] In the United States, Indigo debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 108,000 album-equivalent units, which included 28,000 pure album sales in its first week, making it his third number-one album in the country.[181]Indigo was further promoted with the release of the single "Heat", which topped the BillboardRhythmic Airplay chart, and earned Brown his 13th number one on the chart, and second during 2019. On October 4, 2019, Brown eventually released a deluxe version of Indigo entitled Indigo Extended, which included 10 additional songs, making the extended version a total of 42 songs.
On June 10, 2019, Brown announced an official headlining concert tour where he performed the album throughout United States, titled "Indigoat Tour". The tour began on August 20, and ended on October 19. Jay Cridlin of Tampa Bay Times attended the Tampa concert, and reviewing it he said it was "a guilty pleasure", wondering if enjoying his stage presence should be wrong, considering the controversies surrounding his public figure, expressing "At what point do we -- can we, should we -- forget about the blowups and restraining orders, and just marvel at the way Brown splits into a backflip and kick-spins a 360 during Drunk Texting?".[182] The "Indigoat Tour" grossed over $30,100,000 in its 37 shows, selling out most of the venues.[183] At the end of the year, Brown was ranked third on Billboard’s "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Decade" for the 2010s, behind Rihanna and Drake in second and first, respectively.[37]
In December 2019, Brown revealed that he started working on new material for his tenth studio album.[184] Later, on April 29, 2020, Brown announced the release of a collaborative mixtape with Young Thug, Slime & B. The mixtape was released on May 5, 2020, and features the hit single "Go Crazy", which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Brown's first song to spend one full year on the chart.[185] In April 2021, "Go Crazy" broke the record for the longest running No. 1 song on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, a record that was previously held by Brown's 2019 hit single "No Guidance".[186] On May 1, 2020, Brown was featured on Drake's Dark Lane Demo Tapes mixtape, on the track "Not You Too". The song earned Brown his 100th career entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 25.[187]
On July 9, 2020, Brown announced via Instagram that the title of his tenth album would be Breezy, a reference to his stage nickname.[188] Also in July, Brown stated that while working on the album he wanted to make some "really endearing music" that "talk to women's soul".[189] On August 2, 2021, he announced on his Instagram account that his Breezy album would be accompanied by a short film of the same name, however it ended up never happening.[190] On January 14, 2022, he released the single "Iffy", which peaked to #1 of the Rhythmic Radio Chart on April 3, 2022.[191] On March 27, 2022, Brown co-headined a F1 post-race concert for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.[192] On April 1, 2022, Brown released the album's second single "WE (Warm Embrace)". The song was listed on the "Top 5 R&B songs of 2022" list by Vibe magazine, that stated “"We" will go down in history as one of Chris Brown’s most timeless songs”.[193] On April 26, 2022, Brown announced his U.S. summer tour "One of Them Ones" with rapper Lil Baby.[194] The tour included 27 stops in North America and kicked off on July 15.[194] Brown performed at Drai's After Hours Nightclub at The Cromwell Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on June 11, 2022 in Las Vegas to mark the launch of his new multi-year residency at the venue.[195]
On June 17, 2022, one week ahead of the album release, Brown released the audio for an Afrobeats collaboration with Nigerian singer Wizkid titled "Call Me Every Day".[196]Breezy was released on June 24, 2022, by RCA Records and CBE and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200.[197] On July 8, an expanded version of the album with nine new songs was released.[198] At the 65th Grammy Awards, the deluxe edition of Breezy was nominated for Best R&B Album, but lost to Robert Glasper's Black Radio III.[199] Following Glasper's winning, Brown publicly attacked him and The Recording Academy on his social media accounts, later apologizing to the American musician, congratulating him for the accolade, stating he was not the intended target.[200][201]
On September 4, 2022, Brown won international artiste of the year at the 15th annual Headies awards. The category is designed for non-African artists or groups with outstanding achievements and impact on Afrobeats.[202] In the summer of 2022, his song "Under the Influence", contained in the extended edition of his 2019 album Indigo, went viral on the TikTok platform, giving the song great commercial success globally. With "Under the Influence", Brown became the first R&B singer in history to chart over fifty top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[203] On October 14, 2022, Brown appeared as a special guest at Usher's Las Vegas Residency to perform few songs. At the end of his performance Usher told Brown: "You're a legend. We love you and we gon' continue to keep lifting you up".[204] On November 16, 2022, Brown released two Christmas themed songs titled "No Time Like Christmas" and "It's Giving Christmas".[205] On November 18, 2022, Brown took to his Instagram page to announce that the American Music Awards had canceled his scheduled tribute performance to Michael Jackson in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 1982 album Thriller. Brown also shared rehearsal footage of the cancelled tribute and stated the performance was cancelled for unknown reasons.[206] The cancelled tribute prompted backlash against the AMAs from fans and industry peers alike. Jermaine Dupri stated the decision to pull the tribute signals something grave for celebration of Black music stating that "If the American Music Awards canceled the Chris Brown performance, then that means they canceled the 40th anniversary of Thriller. Which means they canceled the Michael Jackson tribute. Black Music, we in trouble."[207] Similarly John Branca, the co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate stated that the AMAs should be ashamed of themselves and that the cancellation is an attack on Black Music.[208] Following the global success of "Under the Influence", the title of the song gave its name to the European tour that Brown subsequently embarked in 2023, the "Under the Influence Tour", which registered sold out during all the 24 arena dates scheduled, with 7 additional dates being later added, also registering sold out.[209] The tour included six nights at London's O2 Arena, three nights at Accor Arena in Paris, three nights at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam and more. Prior to the start of the "Under The Influence tour", the original opening act Skillibeng withdrew from the tour and was replaced by South African singer Tyla.[210][211] The tour marked Brown's first tour in Europe since the 2016 European leg of his One Hell of a Nite Tour. The tour also marked Brown's first concerts in the United Kingdom following the revoking of his ban from entering the country implemented in 2010.[212][213]
In January 2023, Brown surpassed Elvis Presley for the most RIAA Gold certified singles -among all male vocalists in history, after previously passing Presley for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among all male vocalists.[214] In March 2023, Brown became the fifth artist in Billboard's history to reach 10 No. 1s on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with his hit record Under the Influence.[215] Additionally, Brown earned his 18th No. 1 on the Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with Under the Influence. Making him the artist with the third most No. 1s on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart behind Drake and Lil Wayne in first and second, respectively.[216] In April 2023, Brown co-headlined Rolling Loud Thailand in its inaugural year, alongside Travis Scott and Cardi B.[17] On August 4, 2023, the single "How We Roll" in collaboration with Ciara was released.[217][218] On August 27, 2023, Brown headlined a one off concert from Jamaica National Stadium, titled Chris Brown and Friends Live In Jamaica, as apart his 'Under the Influence Tour'.[219][220]
In June 2023, Brown released "Summer Too Hot", the lead single of his eleventh album. The song was nominated at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance.[221] Brown announced that his next album would be titled 11:11, revealing the album's concept being connected to the homonym numerological belief. Moreover, he shared that the album will contain 11 songs, a much shorter tracklist than his previous albums Heartbreak on a Full Moon, Indigo, and Breezy. On October 20, 2023, Brown released the Afrobeats song "Sensational" featuring Nigerian artists Lojay and Davido, as 11:11's second single.[222] Sensational eventually peaked at #1 on both Urban and Rhythmic radio, as well as on Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart.[223][224][225] The single also helped Lojay and Davido earn their first Billboard Hot 100 entry.[226] On September 8, 2023, Brown alongside Mariah the Scientist appeared as featured artists on Tee Grizzley single IDGAF.[227] IDGAF eventually peaked at #1 on Urban radio and helped Mariah the Scientist earn her first Billboard Hot 100 entry.[228] On October 21, 2023, Brown clarified that the album would actually contain 22 songs as opposed to the 11 he had stated previously.[222] On November 6, 2023, Brown confirmed that there would be 7 featured artists on the album, including Lojay, Davido, Future, Fridayy, Byron Messia and 2 other artists who were listed as hidden features prior to its release.[229][230] On November 7, 2023, Brown released the single "Nightmares" featuring Byron Messia.[231] On November 9, he announced that 11:11 would be released on November 10, a day earlier than what previously announced.[232] A few hours before the release of 11:11, its last track was changed from the previously announced "Double Negative", which features Justin Bieber, to a track called "Views". Brown explained the last minute change on his Instagram account on the album's release day with the following statement "Double negative unfortunately did not make the deadline in time with the lawyers, so we couldn't put it on the album. Justin my little brother for life, so we will make that moment happen soon. Sorry to the fans that really wanted it to be on the album".[233]
11:11 was released on November 10, 2023. The album marks Brown's third double album, with its two sides containing 11 tracks each.[234] The album's musical style mixes R&B, pop music, Afrobeats and dancehall.[235] Reviewing 11:11, Kayla Sandiford of Renowned for Sound stated that on the record "Brown does well to demonstrate his dynamic vocal quality".[235] In the United States, 11:11 debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, making it his 12th consecutive top-ten album in the country.[236][237]11:11 marks the lowest debut for a Chris Brown's solo studio album on the US Billboard 200, surpassing Graffiti (2009) which debuted at number seven on the chart.[238]
Towards the end of 2023, Brown headlined different concerts located in the Middle East.[239][240] The singer addressed the ongoing war in Gaza at the end of a Dubai, UAE concert, saying there's ‘a lot of evil and a lot of genocide going on in the world right now’, urging his audience, particularly the younger generation, to embrace love and positivity and expressed his appreciation for the support of his fans using words in Arabic. ‘InshaAllah, mashaAllah, I love you,’ he said.[241] In December 2023, Vevo reported that Brown was the 6th most watched artist in the US and 10th most watched artist globally for the 2023 calendar year, amassing 413.7 million views in the US and 1.4 billion views globally.[242][243] In January 2024, with Tee Grizzley's single "IDGAF" featuring Chris Brown and Mariah the Scientist, he became the first artist in the 21st century to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for twenty consecutive years .[244] On March 5, 2024, Brown announced "The 11:11 Tour", a North American arena tour featuring singers Ayra Starr, Muni Long and Maeta as supporting acts.[245][246][247]
On April 11, 2024, the singer released 11:11 (Deluxe), the expanded edition of his eleventh album, containing 13 additional tracks and features from Lil Wayne, Bryson Tiller, Davido, Joyner Lucas, Tee Grizzley and Mario.[248][249][250][251] Among the tracks contained, the song "Freak" features a verse where the singer directly disses American rapper Quavo.[252] The rapper responded the following day with "Tender", a diss track aimed at Brown, leading the latter to release "Weakest Link" the following week.[253]HipHopDX praised Brown's rapping on "Weakest Link", adding that the singer "has taken his disdain for Quavo to a whole different level with the release of ["Weakest Link"], on which he takes some deeply personal shots at his adversary".[254] Jaelani Turner-Williams of Complex called the diss song “shocking”, describing how the singer “fired more lethal shots at Quavo on his new track, concerning fans about the possibility of their beef getting physical.”[255] From May 17 to June 5, Brown released four consecutive music videos in the span of four weeks for the following songs off the 11:11 (Deluxe): "Go Girlfriend", "Press Me", "Feel Something" and "Hmmm" featuring Davido.[256][257][258][259]
Artistry
Influences
Michael Jackson in 1988. He is cited as the main inspiration for Brown to make music.
Brown has cited a number of artists as his inspiration, predominantly Michael Jackson. Brown emphasizes "Michael Jackson is the reason why I do music and why I am an entertainer."[260] In "She Ain't You", "Fine China" and "Back to Love", he exemplifies Jackson's influence both musically and visually.[261][262]Ebony magazine's Britini Danielle asserted that "Fine China" was "reminiscent of Michael Jackson's Off the Wall".[263] Choreographically, MTV noticed that it "takes distinct visual cues from classic clips like 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Beat It'",[264] while Billboard complimented his appearance by calling it "a modern way to channel the King of Pop".[265]Usher is also another influence who comes across as a more contemporary figure for Brown. He tells Vibe magazine "He was the one who the youngsters looked up to. I know that we, in the dancing and singing world, looked up to him",[266] and maintains "If it wasn't for Usher, then Chris Brown couldn't exist".[267] Other influences include Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Ginuwine, Phil Collins, Bobby Brown and R. Kelly.[268] He has cited Naughty by Nature, Tupac, Lil' Wayne and Rakim as his hip hop influences.[269]
Musical style
Brown's musical style typically blends the traditional sound of R&B with different influences from other genres, most importantly pop and hip hop.[135] His pure side of R&B is densely shown throughout his discography, being exemplified by songs like "No BS", "Don't Judge Me", "Back to Sleep" and "WE (Warm Embrace)". Music critics have commended Brown's musical contribution, recognizing his versatility,[270][271] and considering him an evolver of R&B music.[272] Lyana Robertson of Vibe, talking about his introduction to the genre, said: "As traditional R&B flourished around him, the young singer began an evolution of the genre". She saw his debut single "Run It!" as a "prelude to what Brown would continue to do for the next decade: relentlessly disrupt the constructs of rhythm and blues." By his second album Exclusive, she says he was "tapping more electric up-tempos, swimming deep in hip-hop waters and annihilating the pop arena". Describing the Grammy Award winning F.A.M.E. as "his most diverse offering to date", containing songs that mixed many genres including R&B, pop, hip hop, dancehall, rock and Europop, she remarked "There was no level of musical flexibility comparable. There still isn't."[272]F.A.M.E. is considered to be the album that defined Brown's musical style and persona.[273]Fortune was noted for featuring a more electronic musical direction, containing genres such as house music and EDM.[274] According to AllMusic, different tracks of the X album are "soul-driven", while on others "Brown combines memorable hooks with some stellar production work on rubbery disco-funk".[275] Disco and funk are also showcased on singles like "Zero" and "Fine China".[276]Royalty and Heartbreak on a Full Moon further explored alternative R&B and trap, with the latter also containing dancehall records.[277]
Throughout his career Brown has always had a strong influence from hip hop in his music,[278][279] and following his 2010 mixtapes, he approached the genre differently, starting to rap frequently on mixtapes and features, adding to his albums fully hip-hop songs like "Look at Me Now", "Till I Die" and "Pills & Automobiles", or by doing performances that switch from his R&B singing to his rapping, like he did in several tracks from his album Heartbreak on a Full Moon. His dance-pop side in the single "Forever" off his second album Exclusive opened the door for other Europop songs like "Yeah 3x", "Beautiful People", "Turn Up the Music" and "Don't Wake Me Up", but started to be less present in his music from his album X.[15] On the albums Indigo and 11:11 Brown incorporated Afrobeats in his music.[179][235]
Themes
Brown's lyrical production is typically considered to be "emotional" or "hedonistic".[12][13][14] His songs mainly cover themes of sex, desire, regret, romantic love, heartbreak, recklessness and internal conflict, also having some introspections over the dark side of fame.[15][280] Along with his vocal and dancing abilities, his songwriting is considered to be one of the things that distincts him for the better compared to other R&B singers of his time.[281] American media executive and radio personality Ebro Darden stated that Brown is the "most all-around talented person in R&B. Trey Songz is talented, but he can't dance like Chris Brown. Usher is probably the only one that could come close to him, but he doesn't have the songwriting abilities that Chris Brown has".[282]
Brown said in 2013, during an interview for Rolling Stone, that his songs are always "derived from personal experiences. Then again, I always like mixing reality with art."[283]Billboard reviewing Royalty found its content to be "an art imitating life thing".[284]Vulture's writer Craig Jenkins, while reviewing Heartbreak on a Full Moon, noted in its "breakup tracks" a usage of "shattered, jilted reflection", while the sexual records' lyrics were described for being explicit.[285]
Voice
Brown possesses a light lyrictenor voice, which spans three and a half octaves, rising from the bass F♯ (F2) to its peak at the soprano C♯.(C♯6)[286][better source needed] His vocal ability was first recognized by his mother at a young age, as Brown tells People magazine "I was 11 and watching Usher perform 'My Way', and I started trying to mimic it. My mom was like, 'You can sing?' And I was like, 'Well, yeah, Mama.'" subsequently leading to the start of his career.[18] "Take You Down" most notably earned him a Grammy award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2009.[287]
Often described as a dynamic vocalist,[4][235] Brown's vocal performances are characterized by harmonization, vocal runs and melisma.[288]Stereogum stated that "Brown’s voice is an undeniably powerful instrument, one of those endlessly elastic soulful tenors, and he knows exactly how to flex it without flaunting it".[289] While his voice on his first two albums, Chris Brown and Exclusive, was considered to be "youthful", due to his age,[290] with subsequent projects like Graffiti and F.A.M.E. it was noted for maturing to a more distinctive voice, with Brown "coming into his own as a singer".[291] On F.A.M.E. critics noted huge flexibility in his voice, with Steve Jones of USA Today praising the singer's ability to "give top notch vocal performances in R&B, Europop, rap, rock and acoustic records".[273]X and Indigo were noted for displaying his timbre, exemplifying his singing performances.[292][293]
According to Billboard, his singles "Liquor" and "Go Crazy" are representative of Brown's harmonizing.[294] "Lost & Found", "Time for Love", "No Guidance" and "Red", feature "energic" vocal performances, being noted for displaying a "wide emotional range" in his singing.[295] On "Another Round", "Don't Judge Me" and "It Won't Stop", he showcases "soft vocals" through a "soothing tone".[296] According to Slant Magazine, different tracks from his Heartbreak on a Full Moon album showcase the singer's falsetto, being "a reminder that Brown’s voice is capable of sublime beauty".[297] Jake Indiana of Highsnobiety said that his feature on Kanye West's song "Waves" is one of his best vocal performances, and that it "sounds like ascending to heaven with a choir of angels at your back".[298] On "Look at Me Now", "No Romeo No Juliet" and "Stranger Things" he displayed his ability of fast-rapping.[299][300]
Dancing
Brown dancing on stage during his Party Tour in 2017
Brown's dancing abilities and stage presence are widely praised,[301][302] receiving broad comparisons to those of Michael Jackson.[303][304][305] According to Brown, he taught himself how to dance by imitating Jackson's moves since childhood, then developing his own distinct style throughout his career.[40] Brown also mentioned MC Hammer as an inspiration to his dancing style.[44] Most of his music videos feature complex choreographies,[306] including the "futuristic" "Turn Up the Music",[307] the Jackson-inspired choreography of "Fine China", "Zero", where he displayed different dancing styles, including popping and his "signature spin move",[306] "Party", where he showcased his remarked footwork,[308] and "Heat", described by The Source as a "silky smooth choreography that shows Brown's unmatchable dancing talent".[309][306][310] Some of his most notable dancing live performances include his "Thriller" recreation at the 2006 World Music Awards, his medley at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, where he performed a choreography that included flying parts, and his 2015 freestyled dancing over Future's "March Madness" at the Vestival The Hague Malieveld, that included an acclaimed front-flip.[311][312][313]
Aside from his musical career, Brown was noted for markedly producing graffiti art.[314][315][316] His visual works have been described as "manga-inspired" and "abstract".[317] Brown said that he painted since his childhood, saying "my first approach with it was painting school walls" saying that he has always been captivated by the fact that drawing and painting "gives you the chance to express yourself in whatever way, showing to the world your own dimension".[318]
Chris Brown painting a shop shutter in Amsterdam (2016)
Brown has produced street art under the pseudonym Konfused, partnering with street artist Kai to produce works for the Miami Basel.[319][320][321] The singer painted the buildings of different radio stations such as Hot 97.[322][323] In 2015 he worked on some of the walls of The Grammy Museum, mixing his spray paint drawings with images of James Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson and himself.[324] Brown has made graffiti works for different cities worldwide, including Los Angeles, London and Amsterdam.[325][326]
His painting and dancing abilities were shown at the same time when Brown, partnering with Spotify's Rap Caviar, painted Heartbreak on a Full Moon's album cover, mostly from dancing around the canvas.[327] In 2020 he painted a mural in memory of Kobe Bryant, doing a portray that includes Kobe's face, a mamba, and a few pictures of Kobe dribbling and dunking a basketball.[328][329]
Acting
Brown has also pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his on-screen feature film debut as a supporting role in the dance drama Stomp the Yard and took a leading role in the Christmas comedy film This Christmas (2007). He portrayed Will Tutt in three episodes on the Fox television series The O.C. in 2007. He also guest starred as himself on the children's programs Sesame Street in 2007, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody in 2008, and in the Comedy Central series Tosh.O in 2011. He has continued to act inconsistently in films such as the heist thriller, Takers (2010), which he also executive produced, the romantic comedy Think Like a Man (2012), and the dance film Battle of the Year (2013). He produced and starred in a documentary on himself entitled Welcome to My Life (2017). Reviewing the documentary, Rachel Leah of Salon talked about what the singer said on domestic violence, stating: "Chris Brown's actions are inexcusable, but what he says about male violence is vital".[46] Brown returned to film playing a supporting role in the sports comedy film She Ball (2021).
He also made a guest starring appearance as a rapper in the ABCsitcomBlack-ish in the Season 3 episode entitled, "Richard Youngster". The episode received controversy and criticism for its casting of Brown with Caroline Framke of Vox writing, "Casting Brown as the linchpin of an episode all about double standards and oblivious men doing wrong by black women is astonishingly tone-deaf — and a major misstep from a show that usually makes a point of knowing better."[330] The show's creator Kenya Barris defended Brown's casting saying, "We wanted someone to play a troubled music star, which he was... It had been 10 years since the Rihanna incident, which happened when he was a kid, basically, 19 years old, I saw him out, and he was very contrite and wanted to do something. I felt like, let’s do that."[331]
In terms of music sales and accolades, Brown is one of the most commercially successful and award-winning artists in R&B music, often being referred to by contemporaries as the "King of R&B".[8][9][10] As of 2023, Brown has sold over 217 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.[332] He is also one of the highest-grossing African American touring artists of all time.[33] Brown is also one of the best selling digital artists of all time.[36][333] As of 2024, Brown has certified 94.5 million digital singles in the United States, ranked at number 15.[36][333] Brown has sold over 40 million albums worldwide since his debut, including 18 million in the US.[334][335]
In May 2019, Brown surpassed James Brown, for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among R&B singers.[336] In May 2020, Brown became the first R&B artist in history to achieve 100 entries on the Billboard Hot 100.[337] Subsequently in July 2022, Brown surpassed Elvis Presley, for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among male singers.[338] Also in July 2022, Brown overtook singer The Weeknd for the most charted songs on Billboard’s nearly 10-year-old Hot R&B Songs chart.[339] Brown also has the third most top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs among all artists.[340][341][342][343] In September 2022, Brown became the first R&B singer in history to chart over 50 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.[344] He achieved the record by earning his 51st top 40 hit with his single "Under the Influence".[344] As of 2023, Brown is in a 3-way tie with Rihanna, Eminem and Future for 9th most top 40 hits on the Hot 100 with 52.[345] Moreover, Brown holds the record for the most consecutive charting weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 among all male R&B artists with a streak of 161 weeks.[346][347] This streak ranks ninth overall among artists across all genres.[346][347] In January 2023, Brown broke Elvis Presley's record for the most Gold certified singles by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) among all male vocalists.[34][35] He did so after scoring his 56th Gold certified single with "Call Me Everyday".[34][35] In February 2023, Brown became the first male vocalist in RIAA history to score 20 Multi-Platinum singles in the United States.[36] At the time of the record, only 8 acts in history had scored 20 or more Multi-Platinum singles in the U.S. throughout their careers, with Brown being the only male vocalist and male R&B artist in the group.[36] To provide an overall picture of Brown's chart success, Billboard ranked him third overall in the top R&B/Hip-Hop artists of the 2010s decade.[37] He was only surpassed on the list by Drake and Rihanna in first and second, respectively, and held the highest rank among male R&B artists.[37] In January 2024, Brown became the first artist in the 21st century to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least 20 distinct and consecutive calendar years.[244]
In terms of radio success and achievements, Brown is tied with Beyoncé for the 4th most #1's on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart.[348] Moreover, Brown has 53 top 10 entries on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Airplay, which is the most among all R&B artists and the 2nd most among all artists, behind Drake[342][340][349] Brown also holds the record for the two longest running #1 hits on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Airplay since the chart was first established in 1992. In January 2020, Brown initially set the record for longest running #1 on this chart with his 2019 single "No Guidance", which remained #1 for 27 weeks.[350][351] The following year, Brown broke his own record for the longest running #1, with his 2020 single "Go Crazy", which remained #1 for 28 weeks.[352][351] Moreover, Brown has the 3rd most #1's on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with 18, which is the most among all R&B artists and 3rd most among all artists behind Drake and Lil Wayne in 1st and 2nd, respectively.[353] On the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay chart, Brown is in a 4-way tie with Usher, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars for 3rd most #1 singles on the chart with 13.[354] Brown has a total of 117 entries on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, which is the most among all R&B artists and the 2nd most among all artists, behind Drake.[342][340][355]
From 2007 to 2009, Brown dated singer Rihanna until their highly publicized domestic violence case.[365] In 2010, Brown briefly dated professional model Jasmine Sanders.[366][367] In 2011, Brown briefly dated media personality Draya Michele.[368] Later during the same year, Brown began dating Karrueche Tran.[369] In February 2012, Rihanna and Brown released remixes to their singles "Turn Up the Music" and "Birthday Cake", leading observers to speculate about their relationship.[370] In January 2013, Rihanna confirmed that she and Brown had resumed their romantic relationship, stating, "It's different now. We don't have those types of arguments anymore. We talk about shit. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don't want to lose that."[371][372] Speaking of Brown, Rihanna also said, "He's not the monster everybody thinks. He's a good person. He has a fantastic heart. He's giving and loving. And he's fun to be around. That's what I love about him – he always makes me laugh. All I want to do is laugh, really – and I do that with him".[373] Rihanna and Brown collaborated again on a duet song off Rihanna's Unapologetic album titled "Nobody's Business".[374] The song was noted by critics as a public response by the couple towards the public perception of their intimacy.[375] In a May 2013 interview, Brown stated that he and Rihanna had broken up again.[376] He subsequently reunited with Tran but they split up shortly aftwards.[377][378] Brown is the father of three children, each with a different woman, including one son and two daughters.[379][380][381]
Religion
When discussing his upbringing, Brown stated: "We were used to two pairs of shoes for a school year. We used to go to church every day. I was one of those kids that had more church clothes than school clothes."[382] He has also discussed his second work of grace, saying that "he experienced the Holy Ghost while performing 'His Eye Is on the Sparrow' in church".[382] After being released from jail on June 2, 2014, Brown wrote that he was "Humbled and Blessed" and tweeted the words "Thank you GOD."[383]
In 2015, he said during an interview for Vibe, that God is the only thing that he is afraid of. Speaking about prayers he said "I pray everyday, I think we pray unconsciously too. Personally I don't pray for success. I pray for knowledge for understanding and peace of mind. I really try to pray for that because it's a big world, and you can get wrapped up in it trying to please every city. So I just try to get a peace of mind and me understanding that being at peace with my flaws and my talents. I'm cool with that. That's why I think once He shows me certain things, or even the choices that I make, and decisions that I make that are healthy for me. He shows me the right path. When I bless other people, He always blesses me. It's not even about a self-serving journey; it's about just learning. I want to learn people's experiences. I want to give them experiences too."[384]
Mental health
Despite his commercial success and stardom, Brown has long struggled with mental health issues and addiction.[385] In his Welcome to My Life documentary, Brown revealed that he had contemplated suicide following the Rihanna incident.[386] The singer unveiled, during a 2013 interview with The Guardian, that he lost his virginity at the age of 8 to a girl who was 14 or 15 at the time, justifying the episode with the countryside context in which he grew up.[387] In 2013, Brown was sentenced to 90 days in rehab by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to fulfill the terms of his probation for the Rihanna incident.[388] While at the rehab facility, Brown was formally diagnosed with bipolar II disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.[389] The rehab facility stated that Brown will require close supervision by a physician "to ensure his bipolar mental health condition remains stable. It is not uncommon for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II to use substances to self-medicate their biochemical mood swings and trauma triggers".[390] The clinical team at the rehab facility also attributed Brown's aggression to his untreated mental health disorder, severe sleep deprivation, inappropriate self-medicating and untreated PTSD.[390][391]
In a 2014 interview with radio personality Ebro Darden, Brown revealed that prior to his 2013 incarceration, he used “the syrup, the Xanax,” and added that while marijuana offset his hyperactive tendencies, "once I started doing the lean, the other stuff … I'd be sitting in the [recording] booth sleeping."[385] In 2017, Billboard wrote an investigative article about Brown's mental health issues and addiction.[385] According to what ex-members of his team told Billboard, around April 2015 he had broken a 15-month stretch of sobriety, going out on Xanax and lean, spiraling into a more frequent drug use in the first months of 2016.[385] Former members of Brown's team also told Billboard that he was using cocaine, Xanax, marijuana, molly and lean.[385] Additionally, his former security guards revealed that certain nights they had to check Brown's pulse through the night while he slept to ensure he had not overdosed.[385]
Legal issues
Domestic violence case with Rihanna
Rihanna in November 2009, nine months after Brown assaulted her
At around 12:30 a.m. (PST) on February 8, 2009, Brown and his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, had an argument that escalated into physical violence, with Brown causing Rihanna visible severe facial injuries which required hospitalization. Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire station at 6:30 p.m. (PST) and was booked under suspicion of making criminal threats.[365] On June 22, 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years of probation, and domestic violence counseling.[20][392] On August 25, Brown received five years of probation. He was ordered to attend one year of domestic violence counseling and undergo six months of community service; the judge retained a five-year restraining order on Brown, which required him to remain 50 yards (45.72 meters) away from Rihanna, reduced to 10 yards at public events.[393][394]
In February 2011, at request of Brown's and Rihanna's lawyers, Mark Geragos and Donald Eltra, Judge Patricia Schnegg modified the restraining order to a "level one order", allowing both singers to appear at awards shows together in the future.[395][396][397] While conducting his community service in Virginia, Brown was tested positive for cannabis and appeared in court on September 25, 2012, at which his hearing date was changed to November to determine whether he had violated the terms of his court order. On March 20, 2015, Brown's probation ended, formally closing the felony case emanating from the Rihanna assault that happened over six years prior.[398]
Other legal issues
On June 14, 2012, Drake and his entourage were involved in a scuffle with Brown at a nightclub called WIP in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. About eight people were injured during the brawl,[399] including San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker, who had surgery to remove a piece of glass from his eye.[400] Drake was not arrested. Brown's attorney alleged Drake was the instigator.[401] Brown himself tweeted about the incident and publicly criticized Drake weeks later.[399][402][403]
In January 2013, Brown was in an altercation with Frank Ocean over a parking space outside a recording studio in West Hollywood. Police officers in Los Angeles said Brown was under investigation, describing the incident as "battery" due to Brown allegedly punching Ocean.[404] Ocean said he would not press charges.[405] According to Jamaican singer Sean Kingston, who was present during the altercation, Ocean and his cousin instigated the fight and were at fault.[406][407]
In July 2013, Brown's probation was revoked after he was involved in an alleged hit and run in Los Angeles. He was released from court and scheduled to reappear in August 2013 to learn whether he would serve time in prison.[408] The charges would later be dropped, but Brown would have 1,000 additional hours of community service added to his probation terms.[409] In October 2013, Brown was arrested for felony assault in Washington, D.C., after refusing to take a picture with a man, and throwing a punch that broke the man's nose.[410] The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.[409] Brown spent 36 hours in a Washington jail and was taken to court in shackles. He was released and ordered to report to his California probation officer within 48 hours.
On October 30, 2013, Brown voluntarily entered rehab. After Brown completed his 90 days, the judge ordered him to remain a resident at the Malibu treatment facility until a hearing on April 23, 2014. The deal was if Brown left rehab, he would go to jail. On March 14, 2014, Brown was kicked out of the rehab facility and sent to Northern Neck Regional Jail[411] for violating internal rules. He was expected to be released on April 23, 2014,[412] but a judge denied his release request from custody either on bail or his own recognizance.[413] At his May 9, 2014, court date, Brown was ordered to serve 131 days in jail for his probation violation. He was sentenced to serve 365 days in custody; however, the judge gave him credit for 234 days he had already spent in rehab and jail, as well as credits for good behavior while behind bars.[414] Brown was released from jail on June 2, 2014.[415]
In June 2016, Chris Brown was sued for assault, false imprisonment and battery by Mike G, the singer's former manager, hired in 2012 to help him repair his public image. Mike G claimed that on May 10 of that year, Brown assaulted him, locked him in a room and punched him four times in the face and neck.[416] Subsequently, Brown accused Mike G on his social media accounts of stealing money while working for him, being fired for it, an accusation that the manager later denied.[417] In 2019, the lawsuit was settled out of court, with Brown and the manager informing courts that both parties have reconciled their differences and reached a confidential deal.[418]
In 2017, Brown's ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a 5-year restraining order against him by a judge in Santa Monica, after she shared text messages and voicemails in court where Brown threatened her and demanded she return diamond rings and other gifts given during their relationship.[419]
In 2022, Brown was served copyright infringement lawsuits on 3 of his singles: "Privacy"; "No Guidance"; and "Pills and Automobiles".[420][421][422] The lawsuit on the single "Privacy" was filed by UK-based music firm Greensleeves, who alleged that "Privacy" lifted a line from 1997 dancehall track "Tight Up Skirt", recorded by Red Rat. Red Rat himself wasn’t involved in the lawsuit, and publicly expressed that he was agreeable of Brown's usage of his lyric. Brown eventually reached a settlement with Greensleeves for copyright infringement.[423] The pair of songwriters who sued Brown and Drake for copyright infringement on "No Guidance" dropped the lawsuit in its entirety in September 2022.[424] Lastly, the musician who filed the copyright infringement on "Pills and Automobiles" dropped the lawsuit in June 2023.[425]
False accusations
In the early hours of August 30, 2016, a woman called the police and accused Brown of threatening her with a gun inside his house.[426] Police were called, but Brown denied them entry without a warrant.[427] When they returned with one, Brown refused them entry and began what news sources referred to as a "standoff" with the LAPD, including the robbery-homicide division and SWAT team. During this time, Brown was seen posting videos on Instagram, in which he rails against the police and the media coverage of the activity at his house. He denounced media reports that he was "barricaded" inside his house, complained about the helicopters flying overhead, and called the police "idiots" and "the worst gang in the world." He said that he was innocent and "What I do care about is you are defacing [sic] my name and my character and integrity".[427] Brown was arrested and later released from jail on $250,000 bail.[428] On September 1, 2016, Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, stated that there was no standoff and that, with regard to the LAPD search, "nothing was found to corroborate her statement."[429] Charges were later dropped after prosecutors declined to arraign Brown on the felony charges.[430] Brown later sued the accuser for defamation, prevailing in the lawsuit, after it was ruled that the defendant brought to court false and defamatory statements about Brown, through her incriminating text messages where she said that "Brown kicked [her] out of his house because [she] called his friend jewelry fake" and she was "going to set him up and call the cops and say that he tried to shoot [her]".[431] Brown later told Good Morning America: "My character’s been defaced. I’m glad that all my real supporters know me and know the truth and they’ll see the truth."[432]
In January 2022, a woman filed a civil suit accusing Brown of raping her on a yacht in Miami in December 2020. The woman attempted to sue Brown for $20 million.[433][434][435] Brown denied the allegations and later submitted text messages and voicemails to the Miami police department which indicated a consensual relationship with the accuser.[436] In the text messages the woman is seen courting Brown in lewd language and bare-naked selfies almost immediately after the alleged rape took place.[436] According to TMZ, Brown counter-sued the accuser for defamation and the accuser's lawyer withdrew from the case after she was made aware of the messages and voicemails Brown submitted to Miami police.[437] The lawsuit against Brown was dropped in August 2022.[438]
Business ventures
In 2007, Brown founded the record label CBE ("Chris Brown Entertainment" or "Culture Beyond Evolution"), under Interscope Records.[439] Brown has since signed frequent collaborator Kevin McCall, singer Sabrina Antoinette, former RichGirl member Sevyn Streeter, singer-songwriter Joelle James, and rock group U.G.L.Y.[440] However, from 2014 the label started to sign exclusively Brown's works.[441]
In October 2009, Brown founded a lifestyle website called "Mechanical Dummy", with the purpose of curating and promoting current trends in the world of technology, music, culture, fashion, style and emerging brands. Brown served as the creative director of the site.[442][443][444]
Brown has stated in 2015 he owned fourteen Burger King restaurants, later revealing in 2022 that he sold the portfolio.[445]
In November 2012, Brown launched a nonprofit charity organization called the "Symphonic Love Foundation" to financially support arts programs for kids and to support a number of health and education programs and nonprofits, which provide education on domestic abuse, dating violence and HIV/AIDS and leadership programs to children with developmental disabilities.[446][447][448]
In May 2012, Brown partnered with famed artist Ron English to create a limited-edition toy and sculpture line, called "Dum English", which they debuted at the Toy Art Gallery in Los Angeles.[449][450]
In November 2013, Brown partnered with Sprayground, a New York backpack company, to launch a limited line of custom backpacks called the “Invasion Capsule Collection”.[451][452]
On November 11, 2021, the singer launched his own cereal, "Breezy's Cosmic Crunch", partnering with SoFlo Snacks for this limited edition of collectible breakfast cereal.[453][454][455]
In May 2022, Brown partnered with Los Angeles based clothing brand Renowned and an online media company BlackNFTArt, to launch a NFT collection titled "The Auracles" with accompanying physical streetwear pieces.[456][457] In July 2022, Brown released a NFT collection titled "The Breezyverse", consisting of 10,000 3D animnated NFTs with sound and visual effects implemented on the Ehtereum blockchain.[458] The Breezyverse NFT collection was released in conjunction with Brown's tenth studio album Breezy.[458]
In September 2023, Brown partnered with California based cannabis brand and dispensary Originals, to launch a recreational cannabis brand named “Bussin”.[459][460]
In October 2023, Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc, a California-based startup focused on the development of electric vehicles, announced a partnership with Brown where he would become an ambassador and "Co-Creation Officer" of the company.[461]
In March 2024, Brown launched a line of disposable vapes called the "CB 15K x Chris Brown Disposable Vape".[462]
Fashion
In 2012, Brown launched a streetwear clothing line called Black Pyramid, in collaboration with the founders of the Pink + Dolphin clothing line.[463] In 2016 the clothing label was set for larger release,[464] partnering with streetwear clothing lines such as Snipes for a worldwide distribution, also being distributed through its own Black Pyramid boutiques.[465]
On December 11, 2015, the Japanese fashion brand A Bathing Ape revealed that Brown would become the face of the brand's high end range, BAPE Black Label. Which was a follow-up to the brand's inaugural celebrity partnership fronted by fellow artist Travis Scott.[466]
In 2016, Brown partnered with German streetwear company Snipes, for a summer capsule collection designed in collaboration with the singer.[467] The same year Brown also served as a model for Philipp Plein's fall and winter campaign.[468] In 2016, during an interview with Vanity Fair Italia, he talked about his own definition of style: «It's not the name of a designer, it's not parading as a model, it's not the money you can spend on a jacket. Style is self-awareness, self-confidence. It's feeling comfortable in what you have on and who you are. It's the ability to be an individual, to be yourself, to be free in a free world».[469]
In May 2023, Brown partnered with German 3D printed footwear company Zellerfeld, designer Nos Ailes, and streetwear and culture company The Auracles, to launch his own line of 3D printed slides titled "NAMI".[470][471]
Brown has headlined multiple arena tours worldwide. Additionally, he has co-headlined two separate North American tours with singer Trey Songz and rapper Lil Baby. Brown is one of the highest grossing African American touring artists of all time.[33] In February 2023, Pollstar reported that Brown had grossed $166 million from 284 shows between 2006 and 2022.[472] He subsequently grossed another $34 million from his Under The Influence tour in 2023.[473][474]
^Coulda Been House (Comedy), Drew 'Druski' Desbordes, Navv Greene, Sean Berube, ASK Media Productions, February 28, 2024, retrieved April 26, 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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