4 Tracks You Need To Know From Chris Brown’s New Album, “Graffiti”

December 2, 2009 By TJ 27 Comments

Chris Brown - Graffiti

It was inevitable: Chris Brown‘s third album Graffiti has leaked. Not the good, stream on MTV “leak” but the illegal, threat-to-sales kind of leak. Le sigh.

The good news is this gives listeners — from fans to critics — an opportunity to check out the album before it’s released and, hopefully, a chance to be so compelled by the music, they’ll run to the stores to purchase.

Before we give a more in-depth review of the album next week, we wanted to highlight a few songs that can NOT be ignored. Here are four songs from Graffiti you need to know (Listen links are courtesy of users on YouTube. Down? Too bad. Buy the album on December 8!):

1. Crawl – Listen

We said it when the song first premiered and we’ll say it again: this gorgeous ballad is a pop masterpiece. Why it isn’t performing like it should at radio and on the charts, we’ll never know. Actually, we do know. People are having a hard time separating his mistakes with his music. Such a shame. If this was a year ago, this song would probably be a “With You” sized hit.

2. I.Y.A. (In Your Arms) – Listen

If you’re dying for CB to touch on the magic he created with his smash “Forever,” “I.Y.A.” is for you. It’s a love song lost at a disco. Pulsating beats, synths, and autotune voice tricks contribute to the mixed-matched magic of the track. This one can easily join “Forever” and turn into a nontraditional wedding day phenomenon.

3. I’ll Go – Listen

Like “Crawl,” “I’ll Go” is another perfect piece of pop balladry. With lyrics like “If you don’t come back/Girl, this love was worth it/That’s the one thing I know/If you don’t make it back/Girl, remember that/That I said I’ll go for you” it’s hard not to feel his vulnerability. The beautiful symphony of piano, electric guitar, and drums heighten the emotion impeccably. The only fault that can be found with the song is its length — it’s just over 3 minutes long. That could also be seen as a plus. There’s no bridge. No run-filled final chorus. No need to pack the song with extras when everything can be said in one gorgeous little package.

4. Famous Girl – Listen

Accusations? Admissions? Or maybe just a clever way to make the blogs talk. Either way, “Famous Girl” can not be ignored. Breezy incorporates song titles, lyrics, and the names of different artists into a scathing finger-point aimed at a girl who broke his heart. Is it Rihanna? Plenty of other blogs will say yes. We’ll just stick to being amazed that if by some slight chance he isn’t taking shots at his pop star ex, he totally got everyone focusing on his music long enough to listen to every single word. Good job, Chris!