Chris Brown
X
(RCA)
Two stars
It has been a turbulent few years for Chris Brown, punctuated by stints in jail and rehab, after using Rihanna as his personal punchbag. It has held up his career – this sixth studio album was originally due for release during the summer last year.
Have the consequences of his misdemeanours humbled him? Nope. X's opening lines (on the Diplo-produced title track) show scant contrition, whining: "If you're only as good as the company you keep / Then I'ma blame you for what they say about me."
He’s at least had the sense to upgrade his meat-and-potatoes R&B, with a varied, zeitgeist-chasing team behind the boards.
Unfortunately, the production sophistication isn’t matched by his lyrical incursions, shown up by a stellar guest list (from Lil Wayne to Kendrick Lamar).
The hit single Loyal illustrates the problem: the minimal beats and chorus harmony will be jammed in your head long after you've been disgusted by the rampant casual misogyny. Whether singers who hit women should be struck from the artistic roll-call is another debate (spoiler: yes), but X's small sonic victories suggest that Brown isn't likely to drop off the radar anytime soon.
aworkman@thenational.ae
