A year ago, Chris Brown was on top of the music world, filling arenas and enjoying pop radio ubiquity with the hits “Forever,” “With You” and the Jordin Sparks duet “No Air.” But this year finds the young singer in a starkly different place, and we all know why.
Brown pleaded guilty in June to felony assault and was sentenced to probation and community service after a violent incident in February which left then-girlfriend Rihanna bruised and battered.
Both singers are attempting to move forward after months of public apologies and tell-all interviews. Brown announced a scaled-down, “Fan Appreciation Tour,” which launched last weekend and stopped Sunday night at Dallas’ Palladium Ballroom. Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to two charities, Best Buddies International and The Jenesse Center.
The key questions preceding the tour: Had Brown’s fans forgiven him, and would they show up? The answer to both on Sunday night was yes; the Palladium show, while not packed to the gills, brought out a healthy, enthusiastic crowd of all ages. Brown, four backup dancers, a drummer and a DJ gave the cheering, dancing mass a high-energy set that included snippets of all of the singer’s hits.
After teenage rap act the New Boyz opened with a few tunes including their rising hit “You’re a Jerk,” Brown kicked off his show with the breakneck dance track “I Can Transform Ya,” from his forthcoming album Graffiti. His set lasted just over an hour, highlighting early material (“Run It”), the aforementioned smashes from last year and a couple more new tunes from Graffiti.
The constant screams reached their most piercing when Brown removed his shirt during the song “Take You Down,” but the best musical moment came from his heartrending vocal on the new lovelorn ballad “Crawl.”
The guy sings exceptionally well and dances even better. Watching such a talented performer in an intimate setting is a thrill for any student of pop. And Brown’s gamble that his fans would show up for him – albeit on a smaller scale than past outings – appeared to pay off. But he’ll have to do a lot more work to reach the heights he once hit. When his mini-tour is over, that community service might be a good place to start.
