| Before the Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Mixtape by | ||||
| Released | November 27, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2011–2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 120:25 | |||
| Label | CBE | |||
| Producer |
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| Chris Brown chronology | ||||
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Before the Party is the sixth mixtape by Americanrecording artistChris Brown; it was released on November 27, 2015, by Chris Brown Entertainment onDatPiff for free. The mixtape contains appearances fromFrench Montana,Wiz Khalifa,Wale,Fetty Wap,Tyga,Rihanna and more. It also includes production fromKuk Harrell,Danja,David Banner,Drumma Boy, among others.Before the Party was released as a prelude to his seventh studio album,Royalty.[1]
Before the Party received positive reviews from music critics, that praised its sound, the performances and its songwriting.[2] It received a great success, becoming one of the most listened and downloaded free mixtapes on DatPiff ever.[3]
The mixtape was re-released as a commercial mixtape exclusively on the streaming platformsTidal andAmazon Music on August 15, 2017, in its entirety.[4]
On October 13, 2015, Brown announced that his upcoming albumRoyalty would've been released on November 27, 2015.[5][6] After it was revealed that the album has been pushed back to December 18, 2015,[7] in exchange on November 27, 2015, he released a free 34-track mixtape, calledBefore the Party, as a prelude toRoyalty. The cover art was created by visual artist McFlyy,[8] and features an anime depiction of Brown, posing stoically in aBape coat, floating in the universe with a woman with bountiful cleavage and aGundam head.[9]
The mixtape was re-released as a commercial mixtape exclusively on the streaming platformsTidal andAmazon Music on August 15, 2017, in its entirety.[4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Digital Spy |   |
| HotNewHipHop |  |
| The A.V. Club | |
| The Daily Reveille | |
| Rolling Stone | |
Before the Party received positive reviews from music critics, some of them even said that the mixtape was a better work than his albumRoyalty, which the mixtape was supposed to be a prelude to.[10]HotNewHipHop's Nicholas DG expressed a positive response, praising it for being "an impressive massive mixtape", saying that the track "Holy Angel" is one of Brown's best songs ever, expressing how "is bent on collecting the hardships and sins he has faced throughout his lifetime".[11] Other tracks praised by the critic were "Play Me", because of his "slowly crescendoing orchestral sound and a hypnotic drum beat", "Desperado", being a "perfect musical embodiment to the song's narrator's feeling of never-ending betrayal", "Gotta Get Up", describing it as a "Michael Jackson's heavily inspired track", and "FAN (Freak at Night)" because of his blending genres ofrock,hip-hop andelectro.[12] Jules Blackolm ofRolling Stone commented that "the gangsta side of the mixtape is enjoyable on songs like "Ghetto Tales" and "All I Need", but where the mixtape sounds stunning is on his soft side, with songs like "Matter", "Roses Turn Blue", "Play Me" and "Start It Slow" thanks to their profound songwriting and Brown's impeccable quavered harmonize".
John Roother ofThe A.V. Club called the mixtape a "quite and delicate R&B masterpiece" stating that Brown went "experimental" on songs like "Just So You Know" and "FAN" and that he "did his best on the funky "Go", "Gotta Get Up" and "Come Home Tonight", touching the sky with the hypnotic "Start It Slow".Digital Spy's Ian Sandwell said that the mixtape was "better than expectations", praising tracks like "Holy Angel", "Counterfeit", "Text Message" and "Hell of a Night".[13]The Daily Reveille's Sarah LeBoeuf wrote that she was "a bit disappointed" from the mixtape, saying that "Holy Angel", "Counterfeit", "Go" and "Sex" were highlights from the mixtape, but other songs like "Swallow Me Down" or "Hell of a Night" were unnecessary, saying that the mixtape at some points was "too repetitive, removing its filler tracks would've made this one of Brown's best works to date".[14]
It received a great success being one of the most listened and downloaded free mixtapes on DatPiff, being certified double platinum by the site's standards, reaching over 500,000 downloads and over 3,000,000 full listens.[15]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Counterfeit" (featuringRihanna,Wiz Khalifa andKelly Rowland) |
| 4:35 |
| 2. | "Go" | Kuk Harrell | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Sex" |
| 4:36 |
| 4. | "Holy Angel" (featuringPusha T) | DJ Chose | 4:40 |
| 5. | "Pussy" | Krysshun | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Play Me" | Nard & B | 3:24 |
| 7. | "Gotta Get Up" | Nard & B | 2:34 |
| 8. | "All I Need" (featuringWale) | 4:18 | |
| 9. | "Text Message" (featuringTyga) |
| 3:49 |
| 10. | "Red Lights" | Soundz | 4:26 |
| 11. | "Just So You Know" |
| 3:46 |
| 12. | "Ghetto Tales" | Swiff D | 2:57 |
| 13. | "Come Home Tonight" | DJ Chose | 3:40 |
| 14. | "The Breakup" |
| 4:12 |
| 15. | "Hell of a Night" (featuringFrench Montana andFetty Wap) | The Mekanics | 3:36 |
| 16. | "Freaky Shit" | Drumma Boy | 2:50 |
| 17. | "Beat It Up" | Tone Stith | 4:08 |
| 18. | "Won't Change" | Nard & B | 3:18 |
| 19. | "Here We Go Again" | Nard & B | 4:01 |
| 20. | "FAN [Freak At Night]" | Nard & B | 4:22 |
| 21. | "Swallow Me Down" (featuring French Montana) | Soundz | 5:04 |
| 22. | "Till the Morning" |
| 3:01 |
| 23. | "Right Now" | Nard & B | 3:12 |
| 24. | "Seasons Change" | Soundz | 3:42 |
| 25. | "Roses Turn Blue" | Nard & B | 4:06 |
| 26. | "Second Hand Love" |
| 3:50 |
| 27. | "I Can't Win" | Amadeus | 2:36 |
| 28. | "Matter" | Nard & B | 3:06 |
| 29. | "Lipstick On the Glass" | DomGotbeats & B.Hess | 3:14 |
| 30. | "Scared To Love You" | Soundz | 2:15 |
| 31. | "Show Off" | David Banner | 3:26 |
| 32. | "Desperado" | Nard & B | 2:27 |
| 33. | "Trust Me" | J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League | 2:47 |
| 34. | "4 Seconds" | JAYLIEN | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 120:25 | ||
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35. | "Start It Slow" | The Featherstones | 3:10 |
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Collaborative albums | |
| Mixtapes | |
| Extended plays | |
| DVDs | |
| Concert tours | |
