Second Listen Sunday : Chris Brown, Fortune

As fans eagerly await the start of the R&B tour featuring co-headliners Usher and Chris Brown, I decided to revisit the latter’s fifth album, “Fortune,” which hit record stores on July 3, 2012.  To the surprise of many, Brown quickly bounced back from the 2009 incident with his fourth album, “F.A.M.E,” which went triple platinum and featured a highly successful tour of the same name.  Given the success of the tour, Brown could have easily continued promoting that album for two years, but he chose to release the follow-up just 15 months later.

Following the catchy promotional single “Strip,” featuring Kevin McCall, Brown kicked off the album’s promotion with “Turn Up The Music,” which was written and produced by Fuego and The Underdogs.  An up-tempo dance number, the song has a similar vibe to Brown’s previous hits “Forever” and “Yeah 3X.” It seems the song was intended to showcase Brown’s dancing ability, as his vocals aren’t particularly strong; however, the infectious beat makes you want to hit the dance floor.  Fourteen years later, I still hear the song on workout playlists when I’m at the gym.

The next single was the slow jam “Sweet Love.” Brown co-wrote the song with Polow da Don and Jason “JP” Perry, both of whom produced it.  While the song flirts with electronic music, it maintains its R&B flavor and avoids auto-tune.  Brown truly excelled with this track.

Up next was “Till I Die,” featuring hip-hop artists Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa.  In this song, Brown shifted directions to create something for the clubs.  I was approaching thirty-one at the time, so the lyrics about bedding women, smoking weed, and partying didn’t resonate with me as much, given that I was already living a fulfilling life as a married man raising my son.  Nevertheless, I understand why the song became a hit.

“Don’t Wake Me” continued in the EDM lane with lyrics describing a lost loved one who exists only in a dream.  I didn’t particularly care for this track either, but I understood the direction he was trying to craft after seeing the video.  The album’s final single, “Don’t Judge Me,” is arguably the strongest of the singles.  Produced by The Messengers and written by Brown, Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, and Mark “Pelli” Pellizzer, it’s a mid-tempo ballad that has Brown crooning to a lover to let go of the past.  It’s the lane I wished Brown had stayed in.

Unfortunately, outside of the slow jam “2012,” nothing else really stands out on “Fortune.” While the production features heavy hitters like Danja and guest appearances from Nas, it’s not enough to save the tiresome themes of promiscuity and clubbing.

At this point in his career, Brown had already found success with mixtapes, so one can’t help but wonder why he included the weaker songs on his album instead of focusing on a solid ten tracks.  Nevertheless, Brown is immensely talented, and I look forward to the tour.

Final Grade: C

“Fortune” is available on all streaming platforms.