With the meager success of his last endeavor, Graffiti, and the drama that underscored his career in 2009, Chris Brown headed back into the studio to record his fourth album, F.A.M.E.

An album of many styles, it is unmistakably Chris Brown. The album is up there with his debut, and should give Brown the comeback he wants and needs. Opening with “Deuces,” a track featured on the mixtape, Fan of a Fan, rapper Tyga joins Chris as each one gives a final goodbye to a love. On “Look At Me Now,” blazing radio now, Brown raps and while impressive, feels at times forced. It is as if Brown is trying to blur the lanes of music genres. This merging of genres can becomes overdone and oversold.

There are noteworthy songs hidden within F.A.M.E., however. The swoon of “All Back” feels as if it was written with Brown in mind as he begs for proverbial forgiveness meshed with a continued vainness that comes with making it big in the industry. “Yeah 3X” mimics his biggest hit to date “Forever,” and is quite good after several listens. The latter half of F.A.M.E. (tracks after “Oh My Love”) gives F.A.M.E. a filler experience as if Brown was attempting to put as many tracks on the album as possible. They do fit the theme of the album, however, if only for a moment.

F.A.M.E. is a respectable effort from the R&B singer and definitely begins to script Brown’s comeback. People after all love a Phoenix that rises from the ashes.

Picks: “All Back,” “Yeah 3X,” “No Bullshit”

With the meager success of his last endeavor, Graffiti, and the drama that underscored his career in 2009, Chris Brown headed back into the studio to record his fourth album, F.A.M.E.

An album of many styles, it is unmistakably Chris Brown. The album is up there with his debut, and should give Brown the comeback he wants and needs. Opening with “Deuces,” a track featured on the mixtape, Fan of a Fan, rapper Tyga joins Chris as each one gives a final goodbye to a love. On “Look At Me Now,” blazing radio now, Brown raps and while impressive, feels at times forced. It is as if Brown is trying to blur the lanes of music genres. This merging of genres can becomes overdone and oversold.

There are noteworthy songs hidden within F.A.M.E., however. The swoon of “All Back” feels as if it was written with Brown in mind as he begs for proverbial forgiveness meshed with a continued vainness that comes with making it big in the industry. “Yeah 3X” mimics his biggest hit to date, “Forever,” and is quite good after several listens. The latter half of F.A.M.E. (tracks after “Oh My Love”) gives F.A.M.E. a filler experience as if Brown was attempting to put as many tracks on the album as possible. They do fit the theme of the album, however, if only for a moment.

F.A.M.E. is a respectable effort from the R&B singer and definitely begins to script Brown’s comeback. People after all love a Phoenix that rises from the ashes.

Picks: “All Back,” “Yeah 3X,” “No Bullshit”

F.A.M.E. receives a PAR

Rating:

P…Horrible

PA…Tolerable

PAR…Good

PARL…Kinda Great

PARLÉ…Classic

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