Beginning in 2017, Chris Brown decided he had a lot to say, run time be damned. That's the implicit message of the 45-song Heartbreak on a Full Moon, and the sentiment surfaces again on Indigo (Extended). Released in 2019, the 42-song LP plays out like a melodic and rhythmic map of the African diaspora in the 2010s. For the project, the Virginia singer swerves through sounds, textures and vocal approaches for a sprawling exercise in versatility. While he had already played a role in dissolving the lines between R&B and hip-hop, Indigo (Extended) pushes his boundaries even further. Here, C. Breezy adapts to sonic habitats with instinctual ease, altering his delivery for songs that can be tender, sultry or exhilarating. For "Wobble Up", assisted by Nicki Minaj and G-Eazy, he skitters across a jittery New Orleans bounce sound bed for an electric sex anthem. Teaming up with Davido for "Lower Body", he grafts his reedy tenor onto an atmospheric yet energetic Afrobeats instrumental. The hook itself is a call to the dance floor, a place Chris had already made his home a long time ago. He's just as at home alongside melodic spitters like Gunna. On "Heat", the two coast over a nocturnal trap beat as Breezy employs a choppier melodic flow that evokes Gunna's mentor Young Thug. Breezy's dexterity is apparent no matter the collaborator. Operating in familiar territory, he and H.E.R. suffuse a misty R&B soundscape for a steamy love song, "Come Together", that feels plucked from the '80s. In a highlight from the LP, he reunites with one-time rival Drake for "No Guidance", a duet that blends playful flirtation with a stylishly muted atmosphere—an exhibition in controlled cool. Looking toward the past again, Breezy interpolates the melody for Shanice's "I Love Your Smile" on "Undecided". Romantically speaking, he might long to make a decision, but when it comes to musical genres, he doesn't have to.
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- 42 Songs
- Tory Lanez
- DJ Khaled
- Jacquees