Who needs haters when you’re your own worst enemy? Chris Brown has been a skilled self-saboteur since his infamous 2009 assault of Rihanna — 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. His sixth studio album, X, is a great example. The LP was originally slated for release in late 2013, on the heels of the single “Fine China,” an instantly catchy tribute to Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson. But before you could call it a comeback, Brown was charged with assault in Washington, D.C., a parole violation that led to stints in rehab and 108 days in a Los Angeles jail. Even while he was behind bars, however, another single, “Loyal,” crept into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
After his June release, Brown is returning to the spotlight, having conducted his first post-jail interview for Billboard‘s Sept. 13 issue and finally unleashing X. The album is solid, with several potential hits. But it’s also overpacked, with 17 tracks and nine all-star features, including Rick Ross and Lil Wayne. Credit the album’s overlong gestation, or a 25-year-old fresh out of jail and too eager to impress cynics — either way, the LP would benefit from fat-trimming, especially on its lustful first half. “Songs on 12 Play,” featuring Trey Songz, and “Drown in It” are raunchy but charmless. The former pays homage to R. Kelly’s brazen 1993 debut, 12 Play; the latter features Kelly. It’s an odd pairing of pariahs: Kelly’s history with women is far worse than Brown’s.
But once the gratuitous filler is skipped, gems appear, especially on the closing half, where Brown is lucid about his tabloid love life. He swerves into an ex’s iMessages on “Drunk Texting,” duetting with a beautifully understated Jhene Aiko: “Tonight, I’m blowing up your line/I’ve got you on my mind/The truth is hard to fight,” they sing. The exceptional “Do Better” features the raspy timbre of Brandy, who plays a scorned lover, and Brown explaining, “I learn more and more each day that I don’t know me/It’s like I can’t get out of my own way.”
It’s a love song, but the lyric could hint at Brown’s post-jail perspective. Otherwise, there are few clues as to whether his time away altered his music or mind-set — an unfortunate missed opportunity. On “Autumn Leaves,” Kendrick Lamar seems to rap on Brown’s behalf, mood swinging from thoughtful to vicious. “And they won’t let me live/Even when it’s remorse that I give.” As for Brown himself, his most honest line is at the top of the album, on the title track: “I can make you a believer if I turn the nonsense down,” he moans before the schizophrenic Diplo track takes over. Maybe there’s hope for Brown yet — or maybe he’s betting this new batch of potential chart-toppers will begin to change the subject.