Music Review: Chris Brown - Exclusive (The Forever Edition)

Chris Brown is a talented R&B singer and a damn good dancer, there’s no question about that. With the 2007 album Exclusive, he released a record so stuffed with radio-ready singles that it almost imploded on itself. Not content to simply allow Exclusive to sit on its own as a great R&B record, a fresh and new package had to be created to maximize the buzz around this talented young man.

Hence, The Forever Edition…

This two-disc expansion pack to Exclusive contains four additional tracks expanding on the original listing of 16 tracks. Included in the new tracks is a remix of “Picture Perfect” featuring that hip-hop icon of epic proportions, Bow Wow.

“Forever” is the lead-off single from The Forever Edition. The track is a smart single and Brown works well with production by Polow da Don, although the computerized sway of his vocals seems tacked on and unnecessary. It’s still a hell of a catchy track, though, and a worthy lead-off.

All the hits are here, of course, and most purchasers already know they’re getting a damn fine R&B pop record. There are some seriously great tracks, including the sick “Kiss Kiss” featuring T-Pain and the Lil Wayne-touched “Gimme Watcha Got.”

But the question here really isn’t whether Exclusive is a good album. We know it is. It’s hot. The real question is whether it’s worthwhile to pick up this glossy and slick new edition. Is The Forever Edition worth spending your hard-earned, borrowed, or stolen money on?

Naturally, the answer to this is going to depend on how down with the Brown you are. Fans prone to obsessing over every potential word from his soft lips would be well-served to check out The Forever Edition. The extra songs are lukewarm, but the real hotness for the infatuated is going to come from the second-disc DVD with “behind-the-scenes” goodies and a mishmash of footage from his “Up Close & Personal Tour.”

In this day and age of YouTube, though, the footage from the DVD simply feels tacked on. It isn’t especially presented well and there’s nothing entirely unique for the casual fan.

Chris Brown’s Exclusive (The Forever Edition) takes a great album and flips it much in the same way Rihanna “reloaded” her superb Good Girl Gone Bad. It’s nothing spectacular and those with Exclusive would be better served simply searching for Chris Brown footage on YouTube than spending the extra bank to get this “special edition.” It’s an altogether avoidable re-release of a great album.

Article Author: Jordan Richardson

Jordan Richardson is a Canadian freelance writer. His interests are diverse and his wine glass is almost always half full.

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