"I Can Transform Ya" stirs up an android racket with synthesizers and guitars. Yet several tracks strike a more aggressive stance, a teen artist growing into manhood, and no doubt will sound fantastic on a dance floor with a booming speaker system. He poses on the cover like a futuristic rocker with a can of spray paint in one robotic hand and a guitar in the other, though the music isn't nearly as radical as that image implies. Brown has referenced Michael Jackson and Prince as influences on his new work, but his sound also borrows from the cross-genre experiments of Kanye West, Saul Williams and Lil Wayne. He had a hand in writing 12 of the 13 tracks on "Graffiti," and hunted for beats that value atmosphere as much as propulsion.
Once a coltish boy-next-door who made mildly suggestive R&B for teens and young adults, Brown is trying to refashion his image as a cutting-edge artist ? or as cutting edge as a guy who already has sold millions of albums can get. He would've been better off staying silent, or avoiding the topic altogether on an album that includes several top-notch pieces of innocuous dance music. He and his handlers should have known that every move he makes will be judged against his real-life actions, and anything he says ? short of a contrite apology ? will be viewed with extreme skepticism. The inconsistent and sometimes contradictory tone of Brown's album suggests he jumped back too soon after committing a serious crime and bearing the brunt of a public-relations nightmare. Like Rihanna, Brown aims to expand his music beyond hip-hop-flavored R&B by embracing Euro-disco, Goth-rock and new wave.Īnd like Rihanna, he addresses their relationship.īut whereas his ex-girlfriend used her album to express her hurt and anger, an outpouring of emotional truth rather than a he-said, she-said publicÂrelations manifesto, Brown turns "Graffiti" into a curious mix of self-pity and accusation when he isn't simply partying as if he's already moved on. 8, only months after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation, one year of counseling and six months of community service. The 20-year-old singer's third album, "Graffiti," arrives Dec. Two weeks ago, Rihanna delivered a brilliant album, "Rated R," that doubled as a thinly veiled, emotionally turbulent reflection on her ill-fated romance with Chris Brown. CHRIS BROWN "Graffiti" (Jive) 1 star (out of 4)