Chris Brown brought a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the self-titled album that launched his career to downtown Phoenix on Thursday, Sept. 11, where he introduced the second act with a video montage of newspaper headlines detailing a handful of the legal troubles that have made him such a controversial figure.
A newscaster saying “There’s speculation already by some that this really will end Chris Brown’s career” appeared to refer to that infamous night in 2009 that led to Brown, then 19, pleading guilty to the felony assault of the woman he was dating at the time.
We’ve all seen those awful photos of Rihanna’s battered face.
“It was hard,” Brown reflects in the video. “It was real hard. No radio would play my music. Nobody would really answer their phones. … Nobody really wanted to be associated with you. Nobody wanted to be around you.”
He decided to focus on his craft, he continues, while learning to be a better human without “trying to fit this picture that somebody needs me to be.”
Dramatic music swelled as clips of Brown in concert cut to fans with “We don’t judge U” signs.
Brown returned to the stage to the sound of police sirens wailing to launch a second act he calls The Fall with “Angel Numbers”/ “Ten Toes.”
Chris Brown appears to be as popular as ever on his biggest tour
Whatever temporary setbacks he may have endured as a result of his own actions that night in 2009, the man appears to be as popular as ever while continuing to find himself involved in situations that only reinforce his tarnished public image.
All nine albums he’s released since then have hit the Top 10 on the Billboard album charts with three of those releases going all the way to No. 1.
He’s had 22 Top 40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 since then.
Now he’s on his biggest tour to date, which drew a huge, adoring crowd to Chase Field for a hit-filled celebration of his 20 years in showbiz.
Chris Brown remains an awe-inspiring dancer with a great voice
And he definitely gave those fans the show they came to see, a fast-paced journey through his greatest hits and more.
The choreography was brilliant. Brown himself remains an awe-inspiring dancer and he poured his heart out in those songs, especially the ballads, while thrilling fans with his natural charisma.
The production was fantastic, with plenty of pyro and giant inflatable statues of Breezy flanking the stage, which featured an array of massive LED screens that offset live performance footage with scenes from music videos, album covers and other dazzling visuals.
The setlist featured more than 50 songs, including all his biggest hits.
Chris Brown’s concert was divided into four distinct acts
The show was divided into four acts: the Rise, the Fall, the Fantasy and Legacy.
The Rise began exactly as it had to, with “Run It!,” the triple-platinum debut single that spent five weeks at the top on Billboard’s Hot 100 in late 2005, before proceeding through a mix of early hits, from “Gimme That” to “Yo (Excuse Me),” to hits that made it feel more like an overview of his career that actual Rise, including hits as big as “Ayo,” “Show Me,” “Yeah 3x” and “Heat.”
It felt more like a Chris Brown party mix, which no one seemed to mind, including Brown, who told the crowd, “I came here to do one thing tonight” by way of introducing “Party.”
The Fall was moodier and more reflective but also featured several of his bigger hits, including “Deuces,” “Say Goodbye” and “New Flame.”
The Fantasy opened with Brown soaring high above the crowd in a harness singing “Wall to Wall” on his way to a satellite stage at the opposite end of the ballpark, where he plucked a woman from the audience and had her sit back and enjoy a steamy lap dance during “Take You Down.” Other highlights of The Fantasy, which put the focus squarely on the sexy side of Brown’s aesthetic, ranged from the Marvin Gaye-sampling “Back to Sleep” to “With You,” “Kiss Kiss,” “Private Show” and “Strip.”
He brought the concert to a hit-filled close with Legacy, which featured such career-defining hits as “Loyal,” “Go Crazy,” “No Guidance” and “No Air” before ending the night after thanking the fans for always standing by his side with one last massive singalong, “Forever.”
Bryson Tiller and Summer Walker got the party started
Bryson Tiller got the party started with an energetic journey through his own hits, from “Exchange” and “Wild Thoughts” to “Don’t,” making the most of his limited time on stage while championing a headliner he called “my brother,” telling the crowd “It’s my brother’s first stadium tour. It’s a big (expletive) deal.”
Summer Walker followed with a more elaborate production, including a crew of 10 dancers and a simple but effective stage design that made it feel like watching a vintage R&B act on a TV variety show after introducing her set with a science-fiction video.
She opened with “Heart of a Woman” and made her way through such highlights as “Body” and “Girls Need Love,” a perfect introduction to her catalog that made you wish she’d had more time on stage.
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chris Brown Breezy Bowl XX Tour drew a huge crowd in Phoenix
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