R&B's newest bad boy may be a mere twenty years of age, but he's already releasing his third studio album, one that's being marketed as a comeback after his fall out of public favour earlier in the year. On Graffiti, Chris Brown only has two modes, repentant lovesick mode and slick, sexy playa mode. Sadly the two contradict each other at every turn and the songs just aren't strong enough to counteract that.
For a man who's spent the last number of months clawing desperately to regain some semblance of a decent reputation, Chris Brown doesn't do much to endear himself to his listener. It'd be nice if it were possible to evaluate Graffiti without reference to Brown's recent misdemeanour, but it's almost as if he thrives on it. Brown shamelessly refers directly to his popstar ex, claiming "I was wrong for writing 'Disturbia'", and offering countless pleas for forgiveness.
And while tender R&B ballads may present Brown as remorseful and forlorn, funky synth pop numbers and up-tempo dance tracks put him "swimming in women" or taking his time amidst graphic sex noises. Still, ignoring some of this inherent chauvinism may expose some of Graffiti's best tracks. With the help of guest vocalists and producers, Brown succeeds in creating some infectious dancefloor tunes. In contrast, a foray into rock and roll is thoroughly unsuccessful. The piano intro of 'I'll Go' is reminiscent of Randy Newman while its basic chorus structure is like something Oasis might have come up with.
Lil Wayne provides his usual sleaze on 'I Can Transform Ya', contributing crude lines like "I transform smaller and she puts me in her pants" on the pulsating, bass heavy track which plays on sound effects and references from the Transformers movies. Pop culture references are rife on Graffiti, and Brown seems to have some particular issue with Beyoncé as he drawls "Don't like it that much to put a ring on it" on 'Sing Like Me' and "Sorry B, I don't wear no halo" on 'Famous Girl'.
On the whole, Brown simply struggles to make himself likable, or even respectable. He goes back and forth from being clichéd, whiny and self-pitying to being derogatory and mildly offensive without a sense of actual sincerity among any of it. But if that doesn't bother you, you'll find some pretty good excuses for booty shakin'.