In June 2015, once the
Tyga
collaboration
Fan of a Fan: The Album
had run its course,
Chris Brown
released the first single from his seventh proper album. Woozy ballad "Liquor," with its hook of "All I wanna do is drink and fuck, drink, drink, and fuck," was not atypical for him. The title and cover of its parent album, however, once publicized, seemed to signal a potential shift farther away from the carousing and belligerence that has dominated his work since
Exclusive
. Named after his daughter, and featuring an endearing portrait that features her on the front,
Royalty
nonetheless is designed more to please
Brown
's devout fans than illustrate growth. It begins with a song titled "Back to Sleep," a lullaby of sorts, but it's definitely not for his daughter, and the majority of what follows is a qualitative step back from previous solo album
X
.
doubles down on his swashbuckling persona, boasting "I'm a champagne-pourin' n*gga, I like big asses and tits" and "You know I don't love 'em, and you know I don't cuff 'em," and imploring "Can I stick it in a little bit/Don't be shy, just a little bit." Second single "Zero," a disco-funk throwback replete with talkbox, is as spiteful as anything else in the
catalog, where the singer scoffs, "You think I'm thinkin' 'bout your ass?" There's some irony in writing, recording, and releasing a song bragging about not thinking of an ex. With rare exception,
keeps it explicit, focused on flaunting. Some of the slow jams, like the
Keith Sweat
-referencing "Who's Gonna (Nobody)" and
Jodeci
-referencing "Proof," are built on slinking productions that rate with the best of mid-2010s pop-R&B.
has been behind so much X-rated material that, when he keeps it clean, as he does throughout "Make Love," the effect is jarring. Did someone doctor the recording without
's knowledge? Indeed, a more representative title for the album would have been that of the 13th track, "No Filter." That phrase reflects his personality and perhaps his quality control. [A Deluxe Edition added four bonus tracks.] ~ Andy Kellman