", was a great commercial success, making Brown the first male act since Montell Jordan in 1995 to have his debut single to reach the summit of the Billboard Hot 100—later remaining for four additional weeks.

[97] In 2008, Brown began work on his third studio album, announced to be called Graffiti, promising to experiment with a different musical direction inspired by singers Prince and Michael Jackson.

[102] According to Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times, the album is made of an "upbeat" part, that "can be considered the sonic sequel to 'Forever'", mixed with power ballads, observed to express his remorse and feelings following the Rihanna incident.

The single received big international success, entering the top-ten in eleven countries, including Australia, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

It was succeeded by the hip-hop single "Look at Me Now", featuring rappers Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, that reached number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[109] where it remained for eight consecutive weeks.

[121][122] Brown's fifth studio album Fortune was anticipated with the release of "Strip", "Sweet Love", "Till I Die", and the top 10 singles "Turn Up the Music" and "Don't Wake Me Up".

[89] Los Angeles Times wrote that the album is "brash and commercial", stating that "Brown’s “F.A.M.E.” hit with a solid combination of freaky, heavy-duty R&B bangers and the requisite sex-in-bed seduction numbers.

On February 15, 2013, the singer unofficially released the song "Home", where he expresses a reflection on the dark side of fame, and how the only moment of respite from that thought is when he returns to the neighborhood where he grew up with people who knew him from the start.

[128] Following the release of two other anticipation singles of X, "Don't Think They Know" and "Love More", on August 9, 2013, at 1:09 am PDT, Brown was reported to have suffered a seizure from Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California as a 9-1-1 call was made.

[129][130]) The next day, Brown's representative reported the seizure was caused by "intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress, both due to the continued onslaught of unfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity.

[145][146][147] After it was revealed that the album has been pushed back to December 18, 2015,[148] in exchange on November 27, 2015, he released a free 34-track mixtape called Before the Party as a prelude to Royalty, which features guest appearances from Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, Kelly Rowland, Wale, Tyga, French Montana and Fetty Wap.

[152] According to Iyana Robertson of Vibe, Brown on the album "sticks to the absence of a sonic script", showcasing "a pure, palpable display of an “outside of the box” approach to music".

[181][182] In February 2018, Brown and rapper Joyner Lucas announced an upcoming collaboration project, titled Angels & Demons, with the release of the single "Stranger Things".

The mixtape was released on May 5, 2020, and features the hit single "Go Crazy", which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Brown's first song to spend one full year on the chart.

[217] Following Glasper's winning, Brown publicly attacked him and The Recording Academy on his social media accounts, later apologizing to the American musician, congratulating him for the accolade, stating he was not the intended target.

[223] On November 18, 2022, Brown took to his Instagram page to announce that the American Music Awards had canceled his scheduled tribute performance to Michael Jackson in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 1982 album Thriller.

[259][260] In January 2024, with Tee Grizzley's single "IDGAF" featuring Chris Brown and Mariah the Scientist, he became the first artist in the 21st century to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for twenty consecutive years .

[262][263][264] On April 11, 2024, the singer released 11:11 (Deluxe), the expanded edition of his eleventh album, containing 13 additional tracks and features from Lil Wayne, Bryson Tiller, Davido, Joyner Lucas, Tee Grizzley and Mario.

[280] Choreographically, MTV noticed that it "takes distinct visual cues from classic clips like 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Beat It'",[281] while Billboard complimented his appearance by calling it "a modern way to channel the King of Pop".

as "his most diverse offering to date", containing songs that mixed many genres including R&B, pop, hip hop, dancehall, rock and Europop, she remarked, "There was no level of musical flexibility comparable.

[300] Vulture's writer Craig Jenkins, while reviewing Heartbreak on a Full Moon, noted in its "breakup tracks" a usage of "shattered, jilted reflection", while the sexual records' lyrics were described for being explicit.

(C♯6)[302][better source needed] His vocal ability was first recognized by his mother at a young age, as Brown tells People magazine, "I was 11 and watching Usher perform 'My Way', and I started trying to mimic it.

critics noted huge flexibility in his voice, with Steve Jones of USA Today praising the singer's ability to "give top notch vocal performances in R&B, Europop, rap, rock and acoustic records".

[312] According to Slant Magazine, different tracks from his Heartbreak on a Full Moon album showcase the singer's falsetto, being "a reminder that Brown’s voice is capable of sublime beauty".

[408][409] In a 2014 interview with radio personality Ebro Darden, Brown revealed that prior to his 2013 incarceration, he used “the syrup, the Xanax,” and added that while marijuana offset his hyperactive tendencies, "once I started doing the lean, the other stuff … I'd be sitting in the [recording] booth sleeping.

[384] On June 22, 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years of probation, and domestic violence counseling.

[433] In June 2016, Chris Brown was sued for assault, false imprisonment and battery by Mike G, the singer's former manager, hired in 2012 to help him repair his public image.

[457] Brown has since signed frequent collaborator Kevin McCall, singer Sabrina Antoinette, former RichGirl member Sevyn Streeter, singer-songwriter Joelle James, and rock group U.G.L.Y.

[459] In October 2009, Brown founded a lifestyle website, Mechanical Dummy, with the purpose of curating and promoting current trends in the world of technology, music, culture, fashion, style and emerging brands.

[471][472][473] In May 2022, Brown partnered with Los Angeles based clothing brand Renowned and an online media company BlackNFTArt, to launch a NFT collection, "The Auracles", with accompanying physical streetwear pieces.