R&B singer Chris Brown is somewhat of an enigma when it comes to music. Now and then, he will release a song that harks back to the promise he showed when his career first started.
More often than not, though, he chooses to do what’s popular instead of tapping into his full talent. As Brown prepares to headline the “One Of Them Ones Tour” and release his tenth album, Breezy, I wanted to spotlight one of the singles from that album, “Warm Embrace.”
Linking up with producer Don City, Chris samples one of the all-time great slow jams, Guy’s “Let’s Chill.” One of the most surprising things about the song is that Chris avoids auto-tune and reverts to his tenor. When Brown sings the lyrics, “I can see your mind is overworked, boo/Tension in your body when I touch you/Girl, you deserve it I’m gon’ make every second of this worth it/Love how you do everything you do with a purpose, babe,” they come across more convincing.
While I like the track, I won’t pretend it’s anything groundbreaking or falling into the song of the year category. Only Chris knows what direction he’s taking with Breezy arriving on June 24th. Per a tweet the singer sent out on June 7th, his tenth album will have twenty-four songs.
Final Grade: B
“Warm Embrace” is available on all streaming platforms.
For their second single, the group presented a ballad entitled “Feels Like The First Time.” Once again, Greene handles the lyrics, while Neville Hodge is responsible for production duties. Greene begins the song with robust energy, proclaiming his love for the lady. Greene’s group members provide stellar work on the background vocals, and the songs eschew nineties R&B without going into crass vulgarity.
The ballad was composed by Michael Masser and lyricist Gerry Goffin, and it was first recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1981. Eight years later, Natalie Cole covered the song, shortening the title. It became the fourth single from her twelfth album, “Good to Be Back.”
Braxton’s vocal talent is perfect on the standards “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “The Christmas Song.” However, like any good R&B Christmas album, it is the soulful yuletide bops where Braxton truly shines. The album’s first single, “Snowflakes of Love,” is instrumental of Earl Klugh’s “Now We’re One”. Braxton’s lush vocals encapsulate the warmth and joy of romantic love amidst a wintery backdrop.