Top 10 Chris Brown Songs
In 2005, a 16-year-old Chris Brown appeared on the scene, stealing the hearts of teenage girls everywhere. The southern boy from Virginia had the sweetest singing voice and the slickest dance moves -- his talents marked a seamless entry into superstardom. The comparisons to Usher were inevitable but Breezy seemed to travel down his own lane before anyone else could place him in one. The singer was America's latest pop prince once he debuted his self-titled album.
However, four years later in 2009, the indescribable happened. After that fateful night out with his then-girlfriend Rihanna and the assault charges that followed, Brown had fallen from grace -- many say, by his own doing. Regardless of his personal drama, the R&B crooner continues to push his way into new sounds and make ever-lasting hits. Here, TheDrop.fm revisits the top 10 Chris Brown songs since he entered the R&B landscape.
- 10
'Run It!'
'Chris Brown'When Scott Scorch and Sean Garrett collaborated on Chris Brown’s very first single, the two men had struck commercial gold. 'Run It!' was inescapable in 2005, and the 16-year-old crooner was on his way to solidifying his heartthrob status amongst the tweenie-boppers. With the addition of a verse from Dipset cutie Juelz Santana, the track became a certified hit in no time. Brown peacocks in the hook, “Is ya man on the floor? / If he ain't.../ Let me know/ Let me see if you can run it, run it / Girl indeed I can run it, run it...”
- 9
'Yo (Excuse Me Miss)'
'Chris Brown''Yo (Excuse Me Miss),' which followed the momentum of Brown’s radio debut, ended up being another crowd-pleaser. The flirty song was so popular that it quickly became Breezy’s second platinum single, due to the support of his ever-growing fan base, who easily imagined themselves to be the girl Chris was serenading. “Yo / I don't know your name but / Excuse me miss / I saw you from across the room / And I got to admit that you got my attention / You're making me want to say yo...”
- 8
'Gimme That (Remix)' Feat. Lil Wayne
'Chris Brown'When Breezy dropped 'Gimme That' it was as if he was already a seasoned veteran. The third single from his debut album was a bit harder than the first two. He joined forces with Sean Garrett and Scott Scorch for a second time, with Lil Wayne bookending the remix with two rapid-fire verses. The teenage cutie proved he could be just as adorable even when hollering at older women.
- 7
'Wall to Wall'
'Exclusive'By Breezy’s sophomore album, he’d gotten the hang of churning out hits. His lead single from the ‘Exclusive’ LP was just a continuation of his reign over the newest generation of R&B singers. The video added to the song’s appeal for older heads -- it was clearly inspired by Michael Jackson’s 'Thriller.' The choice was fitting since Brown had always made certain to give MJ his props for inspiring him as a kid.
- 6
'Kiss Kiss' Feat. T-Pain
'Exclusive''Kiss Kiss' was a definite club-banger and the over 18 crowd didn’t hesitate to bounce to the energetic track on a Friday night -- even though the artist himself wasn’t even of legal age when the song was released. The second single from ‘Exclusive’ featured production from T-Pain, who’d also made a memorable appearance on the song. At that time, Pain was the go-to-guy for catchy hooks and it was the perfect move for Breezy to continue pushing onward and upward.
- 5
'I Can Transform Ya' Feat. Swizz Beatz & Lil Wayne
'Graffiti''I Can Transform Ya' was the lead single from Brown’s third album, ‘Graffiti,’ and sounded like nothing we’d ever heard him do. The production was a mixture of hip-hop and a number of robotic sounds that actually sounded like, well, transformers. Plus Weezy united with the crooner once more and brought along Swizz Beatz for some added gusto. With lyrics describing how the guys can move a young lady on up to a better lifestyle, Breezy had successfully come up with the male version of Beyonce’s 'Upgrade You.'
- 4
'Look At Me Now' Feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
'F.A.M.E.'Years after his first Lil Wayne collaboration, Chris Brown joined forces again with the Young Money leader on 'Look At Me Now.' In turn, Weezy brought his newest signee along for the ride: rap veteran Busta Rhymes. And what a ride it was! Brown had morphed into a raunchier version of his younger self right before our eyes. Over a Diplo and Afrojack-produced beat, Breezy dominated the first half of 2011 with ease by unleashing this effort.
- 3
'She Ain't You'
'F.A.M.E.'Brown never misses an opportunity to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson. On 'She Ain’t You,' his fourth single from the ‘F.A.M.E.’ LP, the singer borrows a sample from the King of Pop's classic track 'Human Nature.' Brown laments that his latest flame won’t measure up to his last. "You make it hard for me/ To see somebody else / I'm calling her your name / Yeah it's messed up," he croons. By this point, Breezy fans were driving themselves mad trying to decipher whether or not he was referring to Rihanna in yet another song.
- 2
'Deuces' Feat. Tyga & Kevin McCall
'F.A.M.E.'A year after the very public breakup between Rihanna and Chris Brown, the singer released 'Deuces' for the masses. Listeners speculated that he was bitterly making reference to the demise of his own relationship with the pop songstress. Regardless of whether or not there was any truth to those rumors, the track proved to be a fan favorite. After all, who hasn’t had to chuck “deuces” after a wack relationship?
- 1
'Turn Up the Music'
'Fortune'Breezy found himself jumping into the EDM craze headfirst with his 2008 track 'Forever.' But nothing he’s done has been quite as ubiquitous as 2012's 'Turn Up the Music.' The song was the lead single from Brown’s fifth LP, ‘Fortune,’ and helped the effort climb to the top of the Billboard charts. The dancefloor ditty is fast-paced, infectiously fun and proves how Brown's experiment on wax served as a creative homerum. Even with the heavy synths and booming bassline, the pop star blends his own style with that of the production.