Originally scheduled for release six months after the release of Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E. on March 22, 2011, Fortune was pushed back several times before it was finally given a release date in July 2012. The album's aesthetics feature a heavy usage of blue, suggesting a futuristic mood, that detaches itself from the graffiti imagery of Brown's precedent two albums. The music consists of R&B and pop, containing pronounced elements of electronic music, while the lyrical content concentrates on sex, promiscuity, hedonism, clubbing and romantic love. The album was generally panned by music critics for its lyrical content, and was tied for the third worst reviewed album of the year, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Despite the negative reception, it was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 55th Grammy Awards.
Fortune had international chart success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 135,000 copies in its first week and becoming Brown's second number one album in the US, as well as his fifth consecutive top ten album. The album also debuted at number one in the UK, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, while fellow top ten positions were attained on charts in Switzerland, Scotland, Japan, Ireland, France, Canada and Australia.
Preceding the release of Fortune was the lead single "Turn Up the Music", which reached number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the UK Singles Chart. "Sweet Love" and "Till I Die" were released as the second and third singles, respectively. "Don't Wake Me Up" was released as the fourth single and reached the top ten in several countries. "Don't Judge Me" was released as the fifth and final single. To promote the album, Brown made several award show and televised appearances across America.
Background and recording
Originally, Brown wanted his fourth studio album F.A.M.E. to be a double-disc, consisting of 25-30 tracks, but Jive Records refused to release the album in such format, and the project was cut down to 13 tracks. Brown then decided to follow the release of F.A.M.E. with a sequel project called Fortune, conceived as a new album containing new material and also tracks recorded during the sessions for F.A.M.E., releasing it six months after the previous album.[1] The artist later decided to take more time working on Fortune, developing it as a project of its own.
Work for Fortune began in mid-2011, with Kevin McCall revealing that he had been collaborating "heavily" with Brown for an upcoming album.[2] Later in September 2011, producer David Banner explained that the idea of the album was to create mostly material that reflected a more club-oriented style that would "change the way people look at R&B".[3] On January 7, 2012, Brown tweeted that there were only two weeks left of recording sessions for the album: "Last two weeks of me finishing Fortune! I'm excited for all the fans to hear my real music".[4] The tweet was soon followed up by another from Brown, with him tweeting: "Dub step records on my album sounding crazy!!!!".[4] However, the tweet was later removed, suggesting that Brown gave away too much details about Fortune, and its working continued for some months.[4] Brown later told MTV in June 2012 that with the album he wanted to "give different textures, expressing mostly fun and sex appeal, but also giving pieces of maturity at the same time". He also said that musically he wanted to create "a videogame-inspired, futuristic and electronic atmosphere", showcasing his R&B roots, along with hip-hop and pop flavors.[5]
In addition to recording, it was revealed in January 2012 that Brown was in the studio working on the album with Asher Roth, Nas, Wiz Khalifa, will.i.am, and Kid Sister.[6][7] In an interview with MTV News, producer Harvey Mason, Jr., half of production duo the Underdogs, who co-produced "Turn Up the Music", spoke more about the album, saying "The Fortune record is F.A.M.E to the next level. He's really being innovative with some of the music, taking pieces of other genres and integrating them into pop and R&B, which I think is really cool. Vocally, he sounds amazing; he's really, really coming into his own as a singer, as you'll hear in the song "Free Run" we did together".[8] Producer Damon Thomas, the other half of the duo, added "The only way I can describe Chris and what he's doin' with this record that he's making is that he's this generation's Michael [Jackson]".[8] On February 29, 2012, Brown tweeted "I hope this album will inspire all my fans to live life to the fullest".[9] During a radio interview with Atlanta's Hot 107.9 in March 2012, rapper 2 Chainz revealed that he will be appearing as a guest vocalist on Fortune,[10] however the track he was featured on did not make the final track listing.[11] In May 2012, producer William Orbit stated that the track "Don't Wake Me Up" that he produced for Madonna's album MDNA (2012) was given to Brown for Fortune, despite Madonna wanting it, because of timing issues.[12]
Music and lyrics
Primarily, Fortune is an R&B and pop album.[13][14][15][16][17] The album also includes elements of club music, such as EDM and dubstep.[13][18] Following the dance-pop opener "Turn Up the Music", Fortune opens up with synth-rap infused songs like "Bassline", "Till I Die" and "Mirage". The album continues alternating R&B songs like "2012", "Sweet Love" and "Strip", with pop tracks like "Stuck on Stupid", "4 Years Old" and "Party Hard".[18] The electronic features of the album are showcased by the autotune vocal editing of different tracks, but mostly appear throughout its production, being exemplified by the predominant house elements of "Turn Up the Music", the mixture of electro synthesizers with R&B music on "Wait for You" and "Sweet Love", the electropop production of "Remember My Name", the heavy EDM aspects of "Don't Wake Me Up" and the dancehall-infused "Trumpet Lights", and the dubstep instrumentation of "Key 2 Your Heart" and "Bassline".[16]
Lyrically, Fortune includes several songs about sexual encounters, most notably "2012", "Tell Somebody", "Biggest Fan" and "Sweet Love".[16][19] The character that Brown portrays for the majority of the album is a narcissistic one, that brags about his own favorite qualities of himself, as well as his lifestyle, emphasizing how these things ensure him the attraction of women.[16][19] Romantic adventures are spoke by Brown throughout the album on tracks like "Free Run" and "Stuck on Stupid", where he sets aside his braggadocio, to open up about his love for another.[20] Other episodes of vulnerability on the album are "4 Years Old", where he reflects on how his richness and fame can't compare to the thought of love, and "Don't Wake Me Up", that finds Brown clinging on to a past love, which he can now only experience while he's asleep.[21] As well as explicit sex, vanity and genuine love, the lyrical content of Fortune also focuses on clubbing,[18] main theme of songs like "Turn Up the Music", "Trumpet Lights" and "Till I Die".[18]
Artwork
The album's official cover (standard version) was revealed on February 29, 2012.[22] The cover art was shot in January of the same year by the photography team Steven Gomillion and Dennis Leupold.[23] On the album cover, a light shines down on Brown, who poses against a blue backdrop, dressed in a blue "sleek, slim-fitting suit with a skinny tie and thick black framed glasses",[24] while the word "Fortune" appears behind him in different languages.[24] Brown and his art director Courtney Walter came up with the idea of using hieroglyphics for the album's title.[23] In an interview by telephone with Erik Parker of CBS Local, Gomillion said Brown "knew before the last album came out what this one would look like. He thinks so far ahead".[23] Regarding the use of the color blue, Gomillion said "The funny thing about that blue is it basically just happened. It matched the suit and it gives a kind of futuristic vibe. You'll see blue throughout the [album] packaging".[23] Sarah Brotherton of MTV News wrote that the cover shows "a more mature, sleek side" to Brown.[25] Becky Bain of Idolator noted that Brown "seems to have finally dropped his beloved graffiti imagery and is going for a futuristic vibe".[26] A reviewer for Rap-Up described it as a "slick cover".[22] Alex Loinaz of E! Online compared Brown's look to that of actors Keanu Reeves in The Matrix films, and Colin Firth in A Single Man (2009).[27]
Release
In January 2011, Brown told fans on Twitter that he was planning on releasing his then studio album, F.A.M.E. (2011), as a double disc because he recorded too many songs for one disc and therefore planned on releasing a second disc titled, Fortune.[1] However, during a listening party for F.A.M.E. on March 14, 2011, Brown announced that he would be releasing the Fortune disc in six months.[28] He later decided to prolong its working, consequently postponing its release. In May 2011, the songs "Fools With You" and "Treading Waters" leaked on the internet, with Brown revealing his intention to put those tracks on the album, by tweeting: "Another song from Fortune was leaked! I'm not leaking the records! Hope y'all like it!".[4] In July, another track that was supposed to be on the record, titled "Open Road (I Love Her)", was leaked, with the singer later tweeting: "If the whole song doesn’t leak then it’s going on Fortune! I have so many songs that I’ve recorded in my opinion that are sick. I just really hope people appreciate the diversity on Fortune".[4] On August 23, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Fortune is now being released on the RCA Records brand.[29] During an interview with Rap-Up magazine in September 2011, Kevin McCall revealed that the album was being pushed back for an early 2012 release.[2] Then two months later, Jive Records France announced via Twitter that the album would be released in March 2012. On October 27, 2011, Brown announced via his official Twitter account that "Strip" and "Biggest Fan" would serve as the two lead singles from Fortune. However, "Biggest Fan" was not released as a single, and "One Of Those Nights" featuring will.i.am, was planned to be released as the following single on January 31, 2012, but ended up never being released.[30] Following the online premiere of "Turn Up the Music" on January 26, 2012, several websites, including MTV News and Billboard magazine, reported that this would be the lead single from the album, while "Strip" served as a buzz single. In February 2012, the initial tracklist of the album was announced.[31][32] On March 1, 2012, RCA Records confirmed that Fortune would be released in the US on May 8, 2012, as both standard and deluxe editions.[9] A delay was announced in April.[33] The official track listing for both the standard and deluxe editions of Fortune was revealed on May 29, 2012.[11] The album was set to feature fourteen tracks on the standard edition, with an additional five tracks on the deluxe edition.[11] On July 3, 2012, Fortune was released through RCA Records.[34]
Promotion
Brown performed a number of songs from the album live for the festival Supafest in 2012.
On November 18, 2011, "Strip", featuring Kevin McCall, was released as a buzz single for the album.[35][36] The song achieved moderate success, reaching number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[37] and number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[38] In January 2012, Brown released the first promotional photo for Fortune, which showed him posing against a white backdrop, dressed in a full-length fur coat, black hoodie and jeans.[39] At the 54th Grammy Awards, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on February 12, 2012, Brown performed a medley of "Turn Up the Music" and "Beautiful People".[40] The performance featured Brown dressed in a white and gray varsity jacket, white pants and sparkling sneakers, performing heavily choreographed routines with several dancers, atop a collection of blocks.[40] On February 26, 2012, he performed a truncated version of "Turn Up the Music" during the halftime show of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida.[41]
At the 2012 BET Awards on July 1, 2012, he performed a medley of "Turn Up the Music" and "Don't Wake Me Up", and appeared shirtless for the performance with half his body spray painted in grey.[51] Brown performed acrobatic moves with six backup dancers "under triangle-shaped beams" as green and red flashing lights appeared throughout the stage.[51]
Brown embarked on his Carpe Diem Tour in November 2012 to further promote Fortune. The tour included 13 shows in Europe, five shows in Africa, and one show in Asia; this amounted to a total of 19 shows worldwide.[52][53][54] Brown began the tour on November 14, 2012, with a show in Denmark, and ended it on December 27, 2012.[55]
Advertising
On June 19, the R&B singer premiered his commercial for the project. The ad features a young Asian kid who walks into an abandoned warehouse and is confronted by shadowy figures. The mysterious shadows are after the glowing cube that's glowing inside his backpack. The kid doesn't want them to have it so he defends himself against his attackers with a couple of acrobatic break-dancing moves. He then runs into a secret room where the glowing cube flies into the wall and unlocks a secret code, which reveals Chris Brown, himself. The singer appears out of the wall and then absolves into the FortuneCD, which the amazed kid holds in hands.[56]
Singles
"Turn Up the Music" was released to contemporary hit radio in the US on February 7, 2012, as the album's lead single.[57][58]Music critics gave "Turn Up the Music" positive reviews; they praised its production and compared the song to Brown's previous singles "Forever" (2008) and "Yeah 3x" (2010).[59][60] "Turn Up the Music" peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,[61] becoming Brown's eleventh top ten single on the chart.[62] It also reached the top ten in Australia and New Zealand,[63] and peaked at number one in the UK, becoming Brown's first UK number one single.[64]
"Sweet Love" was sent to US urban contemporary radio on April 10, 2012, as the second single from the album.[65][66][67] The song reached number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,[37] and number 25 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[38]
"Till I Die", featuring rappers Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa, was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio on May 1, 2012, as the third single from Fortune.[68] "Till I Die" received positive reviews from music critics, most of whom praised the production.[69][70] It peaked at number 17 on the US Rap Songs chart,[71] and at number 14 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[38]
"Don't Wake Me Up" was sent to US contemporary hit radio on June 12, 2012, as the album's fourth single.[72] "Don't Wake Me Up" received positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised its production.[73][74] It reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and the UK.[75][76][77][78] In the US, "Don't Wake Me Up" peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Brown's twelfth top ten single on the chart, and his second top ten single from Fortune, following "Turn Up the Music".[37]
"Don't Judge Me" was sent to US urban contemporary radio on August 14, 2012, as the album's fifth single.[65] The song peaked at number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[38] and at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[37]
Fortune was met with generally negative reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 38, based on 14 reviews.[80]
AllMusic's Andy Kellman criticized the album's lyrical content as "shameless" and found "few dimensions" in its music, calling it "an album of unapologetic swashbuckling" that is "saved... from being a disaster" by some of its production.[20] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly found the songwriting perfunctory and commented that the album "furthers the uncomfortable and frustrating disconnect between Brown's hotheaded personal life and his oddly edgeless musical persona".[18] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times criticized Brown's "brazenness" and stated, "Listening to Mr. Brown at the deepest level balances aesthetic pleasures, when they happen, with superegolike self-protection against aligning oneself too closely with someone who's done such heinous things".[87]
Hermione Hoby of The Observer panned the album's songs as "ugly stuff".[83] Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX found Fortune to be "a good album of grandiose self-assured posturing", but he said that it's "kind of below to what Brown could bring to the table".[84][13] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club criticized Brown's "no apologies mantra" but ended up saying that "The truth is in the eye of the beholder, and with easily accessible albums like Fortune, there will continue to be a lot of eyes on Chris Brown".[19]
James Reed of The Boston Globe complimented "Don't Wake Me Up" as "a thumping club cut that's irresistible on an otherwise forgettable album".[88] Barry Walters of Spin commented that, apart from "Don't Wake Me Up", Fortune "makes it easy for Chris Brown's haters and harder on his many fans", writing that "there's more than the usual number of midtempo ballads that once again mix sex-fantasy titillation with his defensiveness".[86]Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot called the album "a pure-pop candy cane, meant to be enjoyed, consumed and forgotten", commenting that "its mixture of smut, vulnerability, menace and dancefloor celebration".[16] In a mixed review, Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times likened the album's trendy musical style to a product's shelf life and attributed it to "Brown's reflex of curbing his creative impulses at nearly every turn, with a few killer exceptions, and showing a conservatism unbecoming such a self-styled renegade".[82]
The album entered at number one on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 135,000 copies, giving Brown his second chart-topping album in the US.[94] However, the first-week sales of Fortune were less than those of Brown's previous studio album F.A.M.E., which sold 270,000 copies and was also a chart topper.[94] In its second week on the chart, Fortune experienced a 67% sales decrease, selling 45,000 copies, and the album descended three places to number four.[95] The following week, the album fell out of the top ten, falling a further nine places to number 13, selling 26,600 copies in its third week.[96] As of September 2012, Fortune has sold 303,600 copies in the US.[97] It ranked as the 77th best-selling album of 2012 in the country.[98] On March 25, 2016, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined album sales and album-equivalent units of over one million in the US.[99]
Fortune made its debut on the Irish Albums Chart at number four on July 5, 2012, marking Brown's third top-ten album in that country.[100][101] In the Netherlands, the album debuted on the Dutch Albums Chart at number one on July 7, 2012, giving Brown his first chart-topping album in the country.[102]Fortune debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart for the issue date of July 14, 2012, selling 29,980 copies in its first week, and giving Brown his first UK number-one album.[103][104] This stood as the first time that an R&B album reached number one in both the UK and US since Beyoncé's fourth solo studio album 4 did so in 2011.[105][21] The album was ultimately certified gold by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on January 17, 2014, for combined album sales and album-equivalent units of over 100,000 in the UK.[106]Fortune debuted at number 9 on the Japanese Albums Chart, selling 9,922 copies for the week ending July 16, 2012.[107][15] The album also debuted at number six on the Canadian Albums Chart and number 10 on the Swiss Albums Chart respectively.[108][102] On the French Albums Chart, Fortune entered at number eight, selling 6,434 copies in its first week; this debut made it stand as Brown's first album to enter the top ten on the chart.[109][110] The album peaked at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart, giving Brown his highest-charting album in Australia and was ultimately certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2019 for exceeding 35,000 shipped copies.[111][112] In New Zealand, Fortune debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart, becoming Brown's first number-one album in the country.[113] On the Scottish Albums Chart, the album reached number two.[114]Fortune debuted at number 13 on both the Danish Albums Chart and German Albums Chart.[102][115]
American R&B singer-songwriter Chris Brown has released 11 studio albums, 1 collaborative album, 1 extended play, 9 mixtapes, 63 singles and 29 promotional singles.
"Ego" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé for the deluxe edition of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). The song was composed by Elvis Williams, Harold Lilly, and Beyoncé. "Ego" was officially remixed with additional vocals from hip hop artist, Kanye West. Initially planned to be released in January 2009 as the second urban single in the US along with the fourth US and third international single "Halo", the release of "Ego" was canceled and replaced by "Diva". "Ego" was later issued as the third urban single, and fifth overall single in the US on May 19, 2009, alongside the sixth US and fourth international single "Sweet Dreams".
The discography of American R&B singer Keri Hilson consists of two studio albums, 29 singles, and 31 music videos. Hilson began her career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team The Clutch. Together, they co-wrote songs for artists including Mary J. Blige, Omarion, The Pussycat Dolls and Britney Spears. Hilson's solo discography began when she was featured on "Hey Now ", a 2004 single by American rapper Xzibit, which reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom. In 2006, Hilson signed to Mosley Music Group, a record label created by American record producer and rapper Timbaland.
"Yeah 3x" ; sometimes stylized as "Yeah 3X") is a song by American singer Chris Brown, released as the lead single from his fourth studio album F.A.M.E. on October 25, 2010. It was written alongside Kevin McCall, Sevyn Streeter, and producer DJ Frank E, with Calvin Harris receiving an additional writing credit following his accusation of plagiarism. Brown recorded the song for his pop audience as he had been doing a lot of mixtapes and urban records. "Yeah 3x" is an uptempo dance-pop, Europop, and electro house song; it uses a video game-type beat and features a thick bassline and big synth chords.
"Pretty Girl Rock" is a song by American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, taken from her second studio album, No Boys Allowed (2010). It was released as the lead single internationally and was the second single from that album released in the United States. The song was written by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony, who also handled its production. It includes a sample of "Just the Two of Us", which was written by Bill Withers, William Salter and Ralph MacDonald. "Pretty Girl Rock" is a mid-tempo R&B song that features a slinky piano and bouncy R&B beats. Lyrically, the song is a cheeky ode to self-empowerment.
"Look at Me Now" is a song by American singer Chris Brown featuring American rappers Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes released as the second single from Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E. on February 1, 2011. The artists co-wrote the song with its producers Afrojack, Diplo, and Free School, with additional writing from Ryan Buendia. Musically, "Look at Me Now" is a "dirty south–inspired" hip hop song that features "thumping bass, spacy synth and horn jam sounds."
"She Ain't You" is a song by American singer Chris Brown. The mid-tempo R&B record was written by Brown, Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Kevin McCall and Jason Boyd, and was produced by Free School. It was sent to urban contemporary radio in the United States on March 28, 2011, as the fourth US single from Brown's fourth studio album, F.A.M.E. (2011). Musically, "She Ain't You" samples the remixed version of SWV's "Right Here" (1993), as well as Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" (1983). The song's lyrics are about Brown missing his ex-girlfriend while he is in a new relationship. "She Ain't You" received positive reviews from music critics, that praised Brown's lyrical and vocal performance, as well as its production.
"Beautiful People" is a song by American singer Chris Brown featuring Italian DJ Benny Benassi, released as the third single from Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E. on March 11, 2011 by Jive Records. It was written by Brown, with Benny Benassi and Alle Benassi handling its production. Musically, "Beautiful People" is an uptempo song which draws from the genres of progressive house and Europop, containing influences of dancehall and R&B. The song's lyrics revolve around Brown encouraging people to be positive discovering their inside beauty.
"Strip" is a song by American singer Chris Brown, featuring American singer and producer Kevin McCall, released as a single from his mixtape Boy In Detention and as a buzz single from Brown's fifth studio album Fortune on November 18, 2011. It was written by Brown, Sevyn Streeter, Christopher Whitacre, J. Lonny Bereal, Justin Henderson and McCall, while production was handled by Tha Bizness. "Strip" peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Kiss the Ring is the sixth studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on August 21, 2012, by Cash Money Records, We the Best Music Group and Universal Republic Records. The album was supported by the singles "Take It to the Head" and "I Wish You Would", both of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at numbers 58 and 78, respectively. The album features guest appearances from Meek Mill, Ace Hood, Plies, Lil Wayne, T.I., Future, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, T-Pain, Scarface, Nas, DJ Premier, French Montana, Jadakiss, Birdman, 2 Chainz, Wale, Tyga, Kirko Bangz, Mavado and Mack Maine.
"Turn Up the Music" is a song by American singer Chris Brown. It was written by Alexander "Fuego" Palmer, Brown, Damon Thomas, Harvey Mason Jr., Michael "Mike J" Jimenez, Terence Coles and Agent X, while production was handled by Fuego and The Underdogs. "Turn Up the Music" was sent to contemporary hit radio playlists in the United States on February 7, 2012, as the lead single from Brown's fifth studio album Fortune (2012). It was released for digital download on February 10, 2012 by RCA Records. "Turn Up the Music" is an uptempo song which draws from the genres of electronic dance and house. Instrumentation consists of pulsating beats, synthesizers, a "throbbing bass" and percussion. According to Mason Jr., the song's inspiration came from visualizing Brown as an artist, "how he dances and how he performs, and giving him something to match that energy."
"Till I Die" is a song by American singer Chris Brown featuring American rappers Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa. It was written by the artists alongside Marcella Araica and producer Danja. "Till I Die" was released digitally on April 13, 2012, as the third single from Brown's fifth studio album, Fortune (2012). It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on May 1, 2012. "Till I Die" is an uptempo hip hop song that displays elements of electro music and features military drumbeats, R&B synths and "arcade-game blips". The song contains lyrics about women, smoking weed, partying in the club and living the good life.
Chris Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actor who has appeared in many music videos. His videography consists of 93 music videos, eighteen guest appearances, four video albums, seven film appearances and four television appearances. Brown's first music video was for his debut single "Run It!", taken from his self-titled debut album. Directed by Erik White, the video "introduced the world" to Brown's dance moves. White and Brown directed the accompanying music video for the second single "Yo ", which made reference to Michael Jackson. Some of Brown's other videos have been noted for its similarities to Jackson's work, including his music videos for "Wall to Wall" (2007), "Yeah 3x" (2010), "She Ain't You" (2011) and "Turn Up the Music" (2012). In 2007, Brown made his acting debut in the film, Stomp the Yard, as Duron. That same year, he also appeared in This Christmas as Michael "Baby" Whitfield. Brown's music video for the single "Forever" (2008) was directed by Joseph Kahn and was "highly regarded as one of the best videos of 2008". It earned Brown three nominations at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Dancing in a Video, Best Choreography and Video of the Year.
"Don't Wake Me Up" is a song by American singer Chris Brown, taken from his fifth studio album, Fortune (2012). It was written by Brown, Alain Whyte, Alessandro Benassi, Brian Kennedy, Jean-Baptiste, Marco Benassi, Michael McHenry, Nick Marsh, Ryan Buendia. and William Orbit. The song was written in its entirety in one night to an instrumental created by Marsh. From there, he provided additional production along with Orbit, Whyte, and members of Free School. Further production was done by Benny and Alle Benassi in the song's final stages. It was released digitally on May 18, 2012 by RCA Records, as the fourth single from the album. "Don't Wake Me Up" is an EDM song that features heavy bass and a repetitive chorus. The lyrics of the song describe a lost loved one who exists only in a dream. The song receives generally positive reception from music critics.
John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, better known by his stage name Cash Out, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He signed with Epic Records to release his semi-eponymous 2011 debut single, "Cashin' Out". The song peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After parting ways with the label, his 2014 single "She Twerkin" narrowly entered the chart and led his debut studio album Let's Get It (2014), which in turn moderately entered the Billboard 200.
"Don't Judge Me" is a song by American singer Chris Brown on his fifth studio album, Fortune (2012). It was produced by the Messengers, and written by Brown, Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger and Mark "Pelli" Pellizzer. The song was sent to urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on August 14, 2012, as the fifth and final single from the album. "Don't Judge Me" is a midtempo ballad, with lyrics in which Brown asks his lover to forgive him for his past indiscretions and move on with the future. The lyrics reportedly referred to Brown's former relationships with American model and fashion designer Karrueche Tran and Barbadian singer Rihanna.
The discography of American rapper Meek Mill consists of five studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, three collaborative albums, eleven mixtapes, fifty-four singles, ten promotional singles and thirty music videos.
Nicholaus Joseph Williams, better known by his stage name Trinidad James, is a Trinidadian-American rapper, songwriter and music video director. In December 2012, he signed with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut single, "All Gold Everything" commercially that same month. The song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned a remix featuring fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I., Jeezy and 2 Chainz. He was dropped from the label in 2014 after failing to promptly record a debut album.
"Post to Be" is a song by American singer Omarion featuring fellow American singers Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko from the former's fourth studio album, Sex Playlist (2014). The artists co-wrote the song alongside Ty Dolla $ign and producer DJ Mustard. The track was released as the album's second single on November 11, 2014. Musically the song is a hip hop club track that is built over a clap-heavy West Coast production. The song contains a "bouncy" production and samples Chaka Demus & Pliers' 1993 song "Murder She Wrote". The word "post" is a sensational spelling of the word "supposed."
"R.I.P." is a song by American rapper Young Jeezy, released as the second single from his twelfth mixtape It's Tha World (2012). It features vocals from fellow rapper 2 Chainz and was produced by record producer DJ Mustard.
↑ Fortune (CD booklet). Chris Brown (UK and Ireland Deluxeed.). RCA Records. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Fortune (CD booklet). Chris Brown (Japan Deluxeed.). RCA Records. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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