R&B bad boy Chris Brown sent fans into a frenzy earlier this week when he announced he was hard at work on a new album entitled ‘X‘.
Featuring an all-star team of producers (including Danja, Pharrell, Diplo, and more), fans were eager to know who else the Grammy winner was keen to collab with – namely girlfriend Rihanna.
Said to be narrowing song choices down from 50 to 14, find out what Chris says about if ‘Nobody’s Business’ co-star Rihanna would be lending her chart-topping neigh to the mix and more:
Via Rolling Stone:
“Making X, I found out who I am,” Brown says. “This album has a lot of substance, from the subject matter and the situations to how it deals with love. It’s really derived from personal experiences. Then again, I always like mixing reality with art.”
“I tried to stay away from the Euro beats, and not go totally pop,” Brown notes. “Instead, I wanted to take the Quincy Jones approach. The record pays homage to the Stevie Wonders, the Michael Jacksons, the Sam Cookes: I wanted to put that classic essence of R&B and soul with the new age of music now. There’s a lot of live instruments, and a lot less Auto-Tune. I really wanted to demonstrate my vocal ability, creating the vibe of me singing along with a band.”
“There are no drums or anything,” he says. “It’s basically about being stuck in your ways – being scared to do something because you’ve psyched yourself out.” Likewise, Brown notes how the evocative guitar spirals and passionate vocals driving “Autumn Leaves” turned it into “a real emo record. Onstage I’d perform this with just me and a mic, silhouetted with a guitar player beside me.”
“I wanted to – not rattle the hip-hop world, but have people appreciate [that choice] like, ‘I didn’t expect that, but dang, that’s dope,'” Brown says. “I picked Kendrick because his subject matter as a lyricist is beyond everybody else’s. There’s a substance to what he says. It’s also fun to experience the ambitions and aspirations of a younger artist who’s just learning how the game works.”
“I wrote a song for her called ‘Put It Up’ that we [Rihanna and I] did together,” Brown says. “It’s still in the pot of songs we have to pick from. It may or may not make it, but you know, because she’s already on it, it’s a strong possibility.”
“Me and Diplo always have fun doing – I wouldn’t say weird records, but just other records,” Brown says. “He brought this in, and I was like, ‘Well, this is kind of a new sound.’ It takes you to a different world, evoking a sense of the genres that coexist with each other – but all on the same song.”
“‘X’ defines everything I’ve been through in my life,” Brown says. “It’s the Roman numeral for 10. 5/5/89 is my birthday: 5 plus 5 is 10, and this is my tenth years since I got into music. ‘X’ is the 24th letter in the alphabet, and I’ll have turned 24 when this album comes out. ‘X’ is also a metaphor, as in ‘ex-girlfriend’: it implies you’re progressing and moving on in life, not holding on to the past and your old ways.”
“It also represents me focused on overcoming adversity,” he says. “When you see an ‘X’ on a vial, it’s like it’s forbidden, a poison. But for me, it’s also like a release, where I’m able to identify with both the reject and the good guy.”
“Whether it’s personal or life experiences – my girl, my exes, love in general, or just reality – I’m putting all that into this album,” he continues. “That’s the basis of what X is, and who Chris Brown is. The stuff I wanted to talk about, I found clever ways to add myself into the metaphors.”
“I’m just all about positivity and moving forward, being able to X out the negativity and stay on a focused path. Now, instead of me being the temperamental guy that everyone thinks I am, I’m more about crafting that into my music, so when my fans hear it, they can feel it.”
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Can’t wait to hear it Chris. Always puts out pretty good albums. I like that he’s trying to step up his game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o63Xn2pY7_0
So I’m browsing around iTunes in Africa and this is what I found out.
***iTunes Albums***
Kenya
#18 LOUD
#25 Unapologetic
#107 Talk That Talk
South Africa
#29 Unapologetic
Nigeria
#8 Unapologetic
#80 Talk That Talk
Egypt
#5 Unapologetic
**iTunes Singles**
Kenya
#3 Diamonds
#12 Stay
#83 We found love
South Africa
#3 Stay
#34 Diamonds
Nigeria
#9 Stay
#35 Pour it up
#45 Diamonds
#68 Nobody’s business
#78 Looovvveee song
Egypt
#1 Stay
#8 Diamonds
#72 Pour it up
Oh I thought those Africans were saying Beyonce is huge in Africa and Rihanna is not known, judging from those iTunes tally, this seems otherwise Because Beyonce is not on any of those charts (in the Top 100).
Samantha, Rihanna is slaying your fave in your own backyard (Port Harcourt), I cannot. Even the Africans prefer Rihanna to Beyonce, the struggle is real.
By the way, I chose Nigeria, SA, Kenya and Egypt because those are the biggest economies in terms of Real GDP in those regional areas (SA, in Southern Africa, Kenya in Eastern Africa, Nigeria in West Africa and Egypt in North Africa).
Gurl get outta here with that b*******
B**** Please! This Rihanna Vs Beyonce thing is getting old. Rihanna has a hot new album out of course she is going to do well. It’s her time to shine! Beyonce been on top plenty of times since 1998. Beyonce dominated 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 & 2009. Her and Destinys Child put together has sold well over 120 million records. She has a song to her name that SHE ACTUALLY WROTE & PRODUCED and didnt pay for the writters credicts (INDEPENDENT WOMAN) that spent 11 weeks at number 1. She has 17 grammy awards and countless of other awards. Also, her NEW net worth is up to 400 million dollars. She is also, praised as the best on stage performer alive… Soooo please Rihanna can have her shine too. DAMN! Everyone has thier moments! 2009-present is Rihanna’sEra… 1998-2009 was Beyonces era! 1990-1999 was Mariah Carey era!… 1980-1989 was Michael Jackson era! and so on…
when is the album coming out? AT LEAST WITH JT, WE HAD the dates back in JAN, You could the LP in preorder a month in advance. YOU know beyonce aint dropping.
Both you and Steph have too much time on your hands. Seek (better) Education a (better) job, seek Jesus or all three
@lovebird no lies detected sis!! 😀
Rihanna & Chris are soo cute together
Not really Rihanna doesn’t deserve Chris she deserves someone like Kevin Federline because shes a trashy b****
She deserves A COOL WHITE BOY LIKE JT THAT SELLS. Chris brown is not white, not cool and HE DOES NOT SELL LIKE JT.
Not surprising another tired Rihanna&Chris track….
Turn up the music Remix- WACK/GAY
Birthday Cake-A RATCHET GHETTO MESS
Nobodies Businesses- SUCH A MISS!!
H** hush! You don’t have room to talk unless your fav gets a hit. She releases the most generic dance songs and she can’t chart anywhere.
And who the f*** is Kat Deluna? Stay pressed d***
Lol f*** you, you just a hater.
I hope I can at least go Gold with this..
Dont count on it
Says the f****** Ciara Stan. At least all of Chris’ albums and singles CHART! Stay mad p****!
Tired of Chris n Rihanna
You should be tired of your fave FLOPPING sis
LMAO! You aint neva lied!
Welp, we shall see on April 1st.
I cant wait to hear some new breezy music! Its all about the music yall
Diplo, Pharrell, Danja? U mean the people Usher just worked with on his last album? Playin catch up are we Chris? Leave it to the real vocalists
P.S I’m TOTALLY NOT here for another tired ass RiRi collab!!
We are ready for the slayage!!!
I am getting Rated R vibes from this X album
This is a snippet from Artpop.
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/3332/px7ljyjggniqxbmigaukze.mp4
Do you Like it?
This is not UK vogue. This will not sell out. WHAT a shame at 41, to have to WAIT TILL YOUR 40′S TO get a 1ST UK VOGUE COVER, WHEN RIH had her 1st UK vogue cover at the age of 23 and her her 1st USA VOGUE COVER AT 23 TOO. #catchupheaux
Anyway, Rihanna has become the first black HUMAN to sell out Turkey stadium, MORE DATES COMING FOR TURKEY. 100% sold out Innou Stadium inTURKEY COMONG FOR THE BIGGEST BLACK TORU IN HISTORY. WE are looking at 150 mill MIN. SO proud! SHE young , black and from small tiny island – not big powerful USA, she did not have her daddy managing her career and LOOK WHAT SHE IS DOING AT 25? Some stadiums were sold out at 24. NO OTHER BLACK HAS HAD THAT!
Rih should of got with JT when did rehab. OOOH they were meant to together. CB career is over. NO one, except insecure dark skin girls buys his music. WE ALL LOVE JT, COS he is a cool ass white boy with swag and good lush looks. CB is just a n**** thug who belongs in jail. JT second week sales are gonna be 500k – gold. CB n**** thug will not even DO GOLD PERIOD. HA HA HA HEEEE HEEE
RIH JUST SOLD OUT A STADIUM IN TURKEY 100 % CONFIRMED – THE HIGHEST GROSSING BLACK TOUR WILL BE QUEEN RIH.
Hi Beyonce,
WW itunes chart, diamonds is number 8 after 6 months
UNA has sold 120k copies in canada
UNA HAS SOLD 44K IN BRAZIL
UNA has sold 58k in Australia
UNA has sold 60k in japan
UNA has sold 198 in Germany
UNA HAS SOLD 220K IN FRANCE
UNA HAS SOLD 860K IN USA
UNA HAS SOLD 300K IN UK
WHEN DID UNA COME OUT 4MONTHS AGO?
HI BEYONCE AND RITA WHORA?
THIS UNA ALBUM IS GONNA OUTSELL IMSF, BDAY AND EVEN DIL. GOOD WORK YOUNG GIRL.
I know I’m not gonna be impressed by it.
it’s like when that “trainwreck” said she was inspired by fela kuti and MJ’s “Off the wall” for her last Album and how she gonna make her own genre and it’s her lil jumbo of music or some basic s*** like that , BITCHHHHH , and it turned out to be another Big lie from an uneducated b****. 🙄
so chris , stop talking and let the music speak for itself , But if it wasn’t for euro beats , your career would be DEAD by now , YES , more than how it is Right now.
XD 😀
i will remember these comments when his album does well:)
I am so excited for his new work and direction and I miss him on the stage and TV. Black folks really doesn’t have too many mainstream Male artist that can put on a show like CB. Usher is getting too old. So who do we have.
WE have Justin Timberlake and Beeber – Bruno mars too. They may white / non black, but the DO BETTER RNB than these n*****.
JT will do 500K second week. YES! Aside from insecURE dark skin girls ….who else buys CB n**** thug music?
I am glad JT is back to RECLAMIM HIS CROWN AS THE KING OF RNB.
More and t*** black girls ( even the dark ones ) are buying Justin beiber’s music. Loads of blacks love Beeber more than n**** thug brown. JB is a fantasy that all t*** black girls have: a cute, cool swagged out white boy. N**** thug brown is a nightmare.
This was the same 10 years ago with JT. HA HA HA N**** Brown is loosing the last remaining fans to COOL ass white boys.
You really need help. Hopefully Iyanla can fix your life. I’ll be praying for you.
Why do these Rihanna fans stay talking about Beyonce?
Like seriously, all of their comments they reference Beyonce first when this post has nothing to do with her LMFAO, never realised how extreme it was.
excited to hear this new cd from Breezy! dat Fine China on April ! better be good and no i’m not on the JT bandwagon!
exactly, these h*** are like H** spreading their fakeness… alot of JT fans now?
CB TEAMBREEZY 4 LIFE!!!
Aint nobody got time for another duet between these two. Its rinsed out.
They always sound good together …. but they both need a little break (from the drugs)
Yas I hear another hit!