Royalty [Clean]

by Chris Brown

Overview

In June 2015, once the Tyga collaboration Fan of a Fan: The Album had run its course, Chris Brown released the first single from his seventh proper album. Woozy ballad "Liquor," with its hook of "All I wanna do is drink and fuck, drink, drink, and fuck," was not atypical for him. The title and cover of its parent album, however, once publicized, seemed to signal a potential shift farther away from the carousing and belligerence that has dominated his work since Exclusive. Named after his daughter, and featuring an endearing portrait that features her on the front, Royalty nonetheless is designed more to please Brown's devout fans than illustrate growth. It begins with a song titled "Back to Sleep," a lullaby of sorts, but it's definitely not for his daughter, and the majority of what follows is a qualitative step back from previous solo album X. Brown doubles down on his swashbuckling persona, boasting "I'm a champagne-pourin' n*gga, I like big asses and tits" and "You know I don't love 'em, and you know I don't cuff 'em," and imploring "Can I stick it in a little bit/Don't be shy, just a little bit." Second single "Zero," a disco-funk throwback replete with talkbox, is as spiteful as anything else in the Chris Brown catalog, where the singer scoffs, "You think I'm thinkin' 'bout your ass?" There's some irony in writing, recording, and releasing a song bragging about not thinking of an ex. With rare exception, Brown keeps it explicit, focused on flaunting. Some of the slow jams, like the Keith Sweat-referencing "Who's Gonna (Nobody)" and Jodeci-referencing "Proof," are built on slinking productions that rate with the best of mid-2010s pop-R&B. Brown has been behind so much X-rated material that, when he keeps it clean, as he does throughout "Make Love," the effect is jarring. Did someone doctor the recording without Brown's knowledge? Indeed, a more representative title for the album would have been that of the 13th track, "No Filter." That phrase reflects his personality and perhaps his quality control. [A clean version was also released.] ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	12/18/2015
Label:	Rca
UPC:	0888751536128
Rank:	63857

Tracks

1. Back to Sleep
2. Fine by Me
3. Wrist
4. Make Love
5. Liquor
6. Zero
7. Anyway
8. Picture Me Rollin'
9. Who's Gonna (NOBODY)
10. Discover
11. Little Bit
12. Proof
13. No Filter
14. Little More (Royalty)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Chris Brown   Primary Artist
Afshin Salmani   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Solo Lucci   Featured Artist
Tushar Apte   Keyboards
Tayla Parx   Featured Artist
Talay Riley   Vocals (Background)
August Rigo   Vocals (Background)
Matthew Burnett   Keyboards
Josh Cumbee   Guitar,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Taylor Parks   Vocals
Future   Featured Artist
Nat Dunn   Vocals (Background)
Ilan Kidron   Vocals (Background)
Adrian Bent   Guitar (Bass)
T-Coles   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Afshin Salmani   Programming,Composer,Engineer
Maddox Chhim   Assistant
Nicolo Arquilla   Composer
Ike Schultz   Assistant
Jason Boyd   Composer
Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge   Composer,Producer
Natalie Dunn   Composer
Arin Ray   Composer
Bryson Tiller   Composer
Orlando Williamson   Composer
Tushar Apte   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Jocelyn a. Donald   Composer
Andre "Drenative" Blake   Composer
Andre Eric Protor   Composer
Antonio Stith   Composer,Producer
Barry "Mijo" Bradford   Composer
Blaq Tuxedo   Producer
Bobby Joseph Turner, Jr.   Composer
Caleb Nordelus   Composer,Producer
Dre Moon   Producer
Gabrielle "Goldie" Nowee   Composer
Jamal Gaines   Composer
Kenneth "K-Smack" Franklin   Composer
Keyz of the Upperclassmen   Producer
Melvin Villanueva   Composer
Ngandu Andy Kabamba   Composer
Omega Sampson   Composer
Rian Glen Beriones   Composer
Terrence De Carlo Coles   Composer
Wesley "Dj Wes" Dees   Composer
Jordan Johnson   Composer
Ian Kirkpatrick   Composer,Producer,Programming
Jeremy Hawkins   Composer
Talay Riley   Composer
Polow da Don   Producer
Nick Breton   Vocal Engineer
Natalie Sims   Composer
August Rigo   Composer
Matthew Burnett   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Matthew Samuels   Composer
Floyd Bentley   Composer,Producer
Dominic Jordan   Composer
Jimmy Giannos   Composer
Stefan Johnson   Composer,Engineer
Gregory "Yung Billionaire" Watts   Engineer
Christopher Washington   Composer
CP Dubb   Producer
Michael Dorsey   Composer
Edward Griffin   Composer
AFSHeeN   Producer
Marcus Lomax   Composer
Dewain Whitmore, Jr.   Composer
Lisa Scinta   Composer
Nayvadius Wilburn   Composer
Ryan Kaul   Assistant
Razihel   Producer
Francesco Carrozzini   Photography
Austin Owens   Composer
Josh Cumbee   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Irvin Whitlow   Composer
Allen Ritter   Composer,Producer
Anderson Hernandez   Composer
Vinylz   Producer
The Mekanics   Producer
Don City   Producer
Riley Bell   Composer,Additional Production
Taylor Parks   Composer
Christopher Dotson   Composer,Producer
James Foye III   Composer
Chris King   Engineer
Derrick D. Beck   Composer,Producer
Donameche Jackson   Composer
Keith Thomas   Composer,A&R
Chaz Jackson   Composer
Michael Hernandez   Composer,Producer
Shanell Woodgett   Composer
Marlin Donnell Bonds   Composer
Strangerz   Producer,Programming
The Monsters   Producer,Programming
The Aristocrats   Programming
Ayo   Producer
Chris Brown   Composer,Creative Director,Executive Producer
Scott Fitzgerald   Composer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Boi-1da   Producer
Nate Hills   Composer
Mike Stoller   Composer
Aquarius   Producer
Jamal Jones   Composer
Daryl Simmons   Composer
Brian Springer   Vocal Engineer
Lyrica Anderson   Composer
Jaycen Joshua   Mixing
Leshawn Rogers   Composer
Kenneth Edmonds   Composer
Keith Sweat   Composer
Poo Bear   Producer
Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey   Composer
Bryan Nelson   Composer,Producer
Andrew Hey   Composer
Chris Galland   Assistant
Tom Coyne   Mastering
Angela Laverne Stone   Composer
Askia Fountain   Composer
Darius Logan   Composer
Dominique Logan   Composer
Ilan Kidron   Composer
Aaron Lamont Small   Composer
Jocelyn Donald   Composer
Sean Douglas   Composer
Donald DeGrate, Jr.   Composer
Warren Griffin III   Composer
Mark Pitts   Composer,Executive Producer
Steven Rehbein   Composer
Richard Braun   Composer
Cheryl Cook   Composer
Courtney Walter   Design,Art Direction,Creative Director
Daniele Autore   Composer,Producer
DJ Wes   Producer