Chris Brown makes a smooth transition into his newfound adulthood with his sophomore effort Exclusive. He takes familiar themes of young love, cheating and lust adds his own spin without over maturing his work. His lyrics are genuine and appealing while still maintaining his youthful swagger. This is especially obvious in the track “Hold Up” featuring Big Boi from Outkast; “Hold up/ Wait, wait a minute/ I’m genuine wit it/ I aint tryin’ to put no pimpin’ in it.” This album is filled with catchy yet addictive tracks that don’t seem overworked, like Take You Down, which inadvertently deals with the subject of sex, a topic most would consider farfetched for Chris. Even so, this R&B heartthrob comes off like a seasoned vet, and lets it be known that “It ain’t my first time/ but baby girl we can pretend;” a stretch from his innocent beginnings. While in the song “I Wanna Be” his vocals sound reminiscent of the coos of Omarion and “With You” seems a lot like a production flashback of Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable,” Chris manages to make the album all his own. The positives certainly outweigh the negatives and dispel the sophomore curse by showing his growth and potential.
