R&B Artist, Chris Brown, singing one of his earliest tracks, “Poppin'”(2005) which is where fans’ love for the artist all began (Credit: Dominique Gillon).
Chicago’s United Center is known for hosting sporting events, most notably the historic dynasty of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, which won six NBA Championships.
But on Saturday (June 8), the arena drew fans from across the country to see another champion. That is Grammy award-winning R&B artist Chris Brown, who debuted in 2005 with his first single, “Run It”. Saturday was the second of Brown’s two Chicago shows on his 11:11 tour. The first one was on Friday (June 7).
Brown sang, danced and charmed over 20,000 fans Saturday Night. For over two hours, he performed his songs. He brought fans into his so-called “Breezyverse” by singing crowd favorites “New Flame” featuring Usher and Rick Ross (2014), “Poppin'” (2005) and “Summer Too Hot” (2023), giving them every reason to groove all night.
“Summer too hot not to f–k it up. Is the mood right? Is it wet enough?” Brown chanted.
The show was divided into 4 acts and named after nature’s elements of “Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.”
Brown moved so fluidly on stage in each phase that it looked like he was gliding on water.
But he wasn’t alone.
His array of dancers was a blend of different cultures, ages and genders.
They swarmed the stage with energetic rhythms to take his songs to higher levels.
Among them was West Side Chicago native Jeremy “JT” Taylor. He shared with the Chicago Defender how he was added to the tour shortly before it started and described how encouraging Brown is.
“Before our shows, we pray together,” Taylor said. “He’s in our rehearsals doing just as much work as we are. He’s watching us. He’s giving us compliments on the things he sees. And then also, he builds off our energy too.”
The production was second to none. It featured animated videos to match the scenery of each act. One emulated diving underwater in the Atlantic Ocean, and another offered a gazing view of the pyramids in Egypt. Guests were also given wristbands that flashed to the bass of his music. And to top it all off, Chris Brown connected himself to a harness and floated through the air to a rotating platform placed on the other side of the UC to serenade guests with “Take You Down” (2007) and “Wet the Bed” (2011).
The tour featured two fellow artists who are newcomers to the music scene. Soul songstress Maeta opened up the show, singing “DJ Saved My Life” and “Through the Night.”. She was also featured on Brown’s track, “Best Ever,” on his latest album, 11:11. Keeping the groove going was Ayra Starr, who graced the stage to give Chicago some Afrobeats flavor. She performed “Bloody Samaritan” and “Last Heartbreak Song” featuring Giveon from her new album, The Year I Turned 21.
Brown’s Disc Jockey, DJ Fresh, maintained the vibes by playing beloved Chicago juke jams and 90s songs Chris sampled for his tracks, such as Shanice’s “I Love Your Smile” (“Undecided”), Aaliyah’s “Back & Forth” (“Throw it Back”), and Warren G’s “Regulate” (“Picture Me Rollin'”).
Not only was this proof of Chris’ ability to refresh retro classics for contemporary audiences, but it also turned the show into what felt like a Black family barbecue, with fans reciting his songs throughout the stadium when he wasn’t on stage.
The fun continued with an AI-generated game to randomly select songs Brown had to perform. One of which was 2005’s “Ya Man ain’t Me,” where teenage Breezy expressed his distaste for his crush’s choice of another male partner. The arena cheered when the track was picked. He and the crowd sang, “He ain’t fly, He don’t even drive. ‘Cause when you wanna sneak out in the middle of the night, baby, I’m your guy.”
This shows how long Brown has been a mainstay on the playlists of many fans as they have matured in their lives.
Just like the theme of his latest album, the show stopped at about 11:11 p.m.
Dani Carr and Ren Perkins traveled from St. Louis to see Brown for Carr’s birthday and shared their thoughts after the show. “Best birthday gift ever,” Carr said.
Perkins chimed in by quoting a Brown lyric, “It’s ‘sensational.”
Breezy and his dancers bowed, and he thanked fans, saying, “We love y’all so f–king much. Thank you… Y’all be safe. Love one another. Keep being positive. Stay in y’all frequency.”
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