Chris Brown Makes Electrifying Stage Return At Powerhouse Concert In New Jersey

Chris Brown - Getty Images

Chris Brown has a lot to prove. After a year that he admits has been one of his worst, he’s facing practically starting his career over. But it’s a challenge he intends to meet head-on.

He’s done well so far. His first single, “I Can Transform Ya” featuring Swizz Beatz and Lil Wayne, has already entered the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and the second, the gorgeous ballad “Crawl,” is receiving rave reviews.

The only hurdle left to clear is getting back on stage to perform. Last night at Power 105.1′s annual Powerhouse concert at the IZOD Center in New Jersey, Brown not only cleared the hurdle, but made a record leap towards his comeback.

From the minute he took the stage just after 10PM, you could sense there was some apprehension coming from the 20-year-old singer, but he wasn’t going to crumble under the pressure. There’s no doubt he knew critics from bloggers to newspaper journalist were watching, waiting for him to stumble.

Satisfaction they did not receive. Brown put on a show full of energy, packed with hits, and had just a hint of vengeance towards those praying for his downfall.

He looked every bit the young Michael Jackson, donning a red and black sequins jacket to perform in, starting with “Transform Ya,” backed by several helmeted dancers. Swizz Beatz joined him on stage to add a little extra boost as this was his first time performing the new track.

More comparisons with the late King of Pop seemed inevitable, even completely warranted, as Brown breezed through fan favorites like “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” “Gimme That,” “Take You Down,” and “Kiss Kiss,” in fine voice, all to deafening screams by the mostly-female audience.

Brown seemed overwhelmed by the show of support from the crowd at times. He took time out to sincerely thank his fans for sticking by him despite his past. “For all of y’all, I’ma be a better man,” he said, as the crowd screamed, many yelling “We love you, Breezy” in response. He vowed to entertain “Forever,” then went into his smash hit of the same name. Though the performance was flanked with technical difficulties — the autotune on his mic was turned off and thus it did not have any sound — he tried to make it work for as long as possible, performing the choreography without missing a beat. He stopped midway through when the sound issues were resolved. “Y’all wanna do that again?” he said with a charming smile. Well, obviously! He picked the song up from the top and the complete performance could be described as nothing but perfection.

After one more thank you session, he danced off stage — and back into the hearts of those who understand that immense talent such as Brown’s triumphs over personal turmoil any day.