The cover design of Chris Brown's new album Fortune is astonishing. Featuring holographic diamonds and curious symbols, it's gimmicky yet eye-catching. In fact, there's a hieroglyphic theme throughout the cover art and booklet. Clearly Brown spent a lot of time on the packaging - but the music delivers too.
Brown raps on several of the tracks, but it's his singing that most people are interested in, and with Fortune he puts it on full display, showing off a more emotional side to his personality.
The album kicks off with Turn Up the Music, an energetic track that's meant to get everyone moving to the electronic beats. The song sets the tone for the rest of the album, since there's an emphasis on dance-pop beats.
As the title suggests, Don't Judge Me is a reference to all the negativity that's surrounded Brown's life in recent years. The slower R&B track sounds very much like a plea, something we're not used to hearing from Brown. The low bass coupled with his velvety voice brings out the sexiness of the track.
The slower, less dancey tracks are the best. But overall, Breezy shows that F.A.M.E. was no fluke, the Grammy nod was well deserved, and music is a saving grace.
