Ahead of the start of his upcoming joint tour with Usher, Chris Brown has alluded to several pop and R&B classics with the cover art for his new album, Brown, and it’s already inspiring plenty of Michael Jackson jokes.
Brown, who recently welcomed his first child with model Jada Wallace, is scheduled to drop his twelfth studio album, Brown, next Friday (May 8). Brown recently unveiled the cover art for the project, which shows him in a tan suit leaning on his elbow on a carpet. The composition of the cover immediately drew some obvious comparisons, from Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Lionel Richie’s single “You Are,” to Luther Vandross’ Give Me the Reason and Teddy Pendergrass’ It’s Time for Love.
It’s clear that Brown is trying to convey a certain image and comparison point with the cover art, which has resulted in a lot of fans and critics alike reacting to the artwork. Some have suggested that it’s perhaps egotistical for Brown to compare himself to such greats, especially MJ, while others appreciated the nod to a different era of R&B and pop.
Regardless of what people think of the artwork, Brown has been leaning into his status as an R&B musician as of late. He’s set to join Usher on tour later this year, and the pair even named the tour, The R&B Tour: Raymond & Brown. The Live Nation-produced tour is scheduled to start in June and will run until December.
Check out some of the reactions to the cover art below.
