Chris should count his blessings. He made all the way to a week before the official release before his album fell victim to an online leak (even though it became available for streaming on iTunes the next day). Last year his album F.A.M.E. hit the net nearly a month before it was on the market.
Much like F.A.M.E., however, this album is ordinary. It has really high highs and dull lows. The bright side is, Chris matches F.A.M.E. in production quality, but upstages himself with more masterful, colorful and catchy lyrics.
Though I do find Chris to be an above average singer (the boy can hold a note and actually shows off his voice acapella in "Cadillac"), I think he's very much a product of a good studio team. When the producer nails it, the song will be awesome. When the production is lackluster, there's not much Chris can do to save it. He relies too much on studio magic to make things work. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, as the biggest pop stars in the world, from Britney Spears to Rihanna, Ke$ha, Madonna and Katy Perry, all rely on top notch productions to cover for their thinner vocal chops. Letting your voice become enveloped in thunderous, wobbly beats is almost a sure-fire way to get a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 these days.
Fortune is sleek and amusing. It will be a great fix for his legion of fans, but will probably again lack the critical acclaim of his Exclusive LP. What I do love about this album is Chris natural taking to dance music. His take on dubstep is the best I've heard from a pop star so far. "Bassline" kicks Usher's dubstep attempts right in the family jewels. It wasn't just another pop star doing dubstep because it's the cool thing to do, it was actually a well thought out song that will probably end up the biggest hit single from the album.
Chris also excels with "Trumpet Lights," the highlight and ending of the standard version of the album. It's doubtful this song will make it to radio, but it will definitely be one track that should never leave your iPod. Ever. For lack of better phrasing, it goes the FUCK off! I don't know how to vogue, but I'm interested in learning just so I can do it to this song.
The only bad song on the album is "Sweet Love" which I still haven't managed to listen to for longer than 45 seconds without hitting the "next" button. The majority of the rest album is just kind of there. No stand more stand out tracks in a positive or negative way, though his fans seem to be fond of "Don't Wake Me Up." Songs like "4 Years Old" aren't as relatable as Chris Brown would probably hope. Other songs like "Biggest Fan" and "Stuck On Stupid" remind us too much of his past albums, showing a lack of growth.
I really want Chris to evolve in a way that's more than just him being overtly sexual or obscene in language. I want artistic growth. Until then, I'll rate this album a 6 out of 10.
You can pre-order Fortune on iTunes and Amazon!
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