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Reviews
The much anticipated new release from
Chris Brown was always going to be surrounded by controversy. After his well publicised assault on former girlfriend
Rihanna, Chris’s fan base has become divided over whether he can ever be forgiven and whether his career can ever recover. It is almost impossible to hear a Chris Brown track now without the accompanying association with domestic violence; the release of a new album from the R&B star for many is still an unpalatable prospect. However, it really has to be said that musically
Graffiti is a strong offering from Brown. You can not deny his talent both as a vocalist and songwriter - Chris Brown has a gift for writing interesting melody lines, hooks and possesses a stylistic vocal quality that is uniquely him.
Rihanna became an aggressively focused triple threat this year. Leading lanes in both music and fashion, she also took a step in to the realm of film. And there’s no doubt that the mischievous Barbadian has definitely upped her celebrity stock with the help of a camera or two over the last 12 months. Aside from the Paris Hilton-esque ‘It Girl’ persona she’s been pushing, she’s also been flying the flag for the pop world like no other. Returning with her seventh album, much to the anticipation of her fans, there’s evidence this time around of growth and maturity within Rhi Rhi’s game.
There are rappers, there are artists and then there are superstars. If the progression from the former to the latter takes numerous years, then 25 year old Aubrey 'Drake' Graham is arguably on course to shattering the record for the quickest rise to the highest musical echelon. With his previous 'mixtape buzz' quickly passed by the meteoric heights of the buildup to his debut album, Thank Me Later culminated in the birth of arguably a new breed of rapper - that whose vulnerability, narcissism and questionable obsessions was on display for all to admire or even deride. Drake's ascendance to a headline act has been aided not only by his allegiance to the Young Money camp but also for pushing the envelope with his hybrid rapper-meets-R&B singer style, which has enamoured the female following and encouraged sensitivity amongst the male population of listeners (to some degree).
But what good is the popularity and the plaudits without the end product? The past and present legends all produced enthralling, timeless bodies of work over a space of time. If the Canadian is to emulate or even better his idols (and in more recent times, his rivals) Take Care is the ideal platform to lay down the marker as the best that his generation has to offer.
