Chris Brown's 2005 eponymous debut was a runaway hit, thanks to the single "Run It," which shot to
the top of the Billboard singles chart straight out of the gate. Brown's sophomore effort, EXCLUSIVE,
mines a similar vein of hip-hop-tinged R&B with a strong pop sensibility, as the infectious lead-off
single, "Wall to Wall," proves.
Assembling a first-rank crew of producers, including Scott Storch, Sean Garrett, Brian the Underdogs,
and will.i.am., Brown keeps a cutting edge, commercial appeal in mind by delivering a disc that
sounds tailor-made for young contemporary audiences. Brown's balance between club-ready dance tunes
and smooth love balladry is finely honed here, and while the longevity of the singer's career is
still uncertain (Brown was shy of 20 years old when the record was released), EXCLUSIVE proves his
debut was no fluke. |
