| Exclusive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 6, 2007 (2007-11-06) | |||
| Recorded | 2006–2007 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 53:15 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Chris Brown chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Exclusive | ||||
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| Deluxe edition cover | ||||
 Exclusive: The Forever Edition | ||||
| Singles from Exclusive: The Forever Edition | ||||
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Exclusive is the secondstudio album by American singerChris Brown. It was released on November 6, 2007, by CBE andJive Records. The record serves as Chris Brown's second studio release under his CBErecord label, as well as with Jive. The record also serves as the follow-up to his multi-platinum selling debut album,Chris Brown (2005).
Exclusive is anR&B record that also borrows frompop,hip-hop andelectronic music.[2] Lyrically it revolves aroundromance. The album was commercially successful worldwide. It debuted at number four on the USBillboard 200, selling 295,000 copies in the first week. The album was supported by fivesingles, three of which—"Kiss Kiss", "With You" and "Forever"—achieved top-three positions on theBillboard Hot 100, also charting highly on other charts worldwide. The album earned a quadruple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States.Exclusive received generally positive reviews from critics, that praised Brown's performances.
On June 3, 2008,Exclusive was re-released as a double-discdeluxe edition, titledThe Forever Edition, which includes 4 more songs, including the singles "Forever" and "Superhuman", and a bonus DVD featuring behind-the-scenes footage from his tour and hismusic videos.
In 2006, following the success of Brown'sself-titled album, the singer started to work on his sophomore album, developing its concept along with Tina Davis andMark Pitts. Brown co-wrote half of the tracks along with different writers, includingSean Garrett,James Fauntleroy,Johntá Austin andTank. The musical direction aimed forExclusive was different to thehip hop soul-influenced sound of the previous album, being worked as an R&B album appealable to a wider public.[3]
Originally, Brown intended to name his albumGraduation. However, after discovering thatKanye West planned to use the same title for histhird studio album, which was set to be released that year, Brown respected West's decision and changed his album's title toExclusive. Brown explained toMTV News: "at first I was naming itGraduation because I was 18, but then Kanye was like, 'I heard Chris is naming his albumGraduation. I'm naming mine ... .', I was like, I'll change mine because I respect his reason more withCollege Dropout andLate Registration, all that, so it kind of went with his. So I was like, I don't need mine to beGraduation, you know, I'll change mine toExclusive, because I'll make an album exclusively for my fans".[4][5] The album was originally set to be released on August 28, 2007, but was delayed until November of that year.
The album's leadsingle, "Wall to Wall" was released on May 29, 2007. The song was produced bySean Garrett, written by Walter Scott. The single reached at number 79 on the USBillboard Hot 100, due to no digital release for this single.
"Kiss Kiss"; a collaboration with a fellow American recording artistT-Pain, was released as the album's second single on September 11, 2007. Following the non-success of his first single, this single became a big success in the United States. The song reached at number one on theBillboard Hot 100, and number 6 on theCanadian Hot 100, also reaching the top ten inAustralia,Canada andNew Zealand.
"With You" was released as the album's third single on December 4, 2007. The song was produced by the production teamStarGate. The single became his second successful single in the most international music markets. It has since become one of the highest-charting singles of Brown's solo career, entering the foreign music markets, where his previous efforts have failed to these charts. It has reached the top ten; including in Australia, Canada,Ireland, New Zealand, andUnited Kingdom.
The re-release of its first single fromThe Forever Edition, called "Forever" (produced byPolow da Don). It was released on April 29, 2008. The song debuted at number 9 on theBillboard Hot 100, due to its high digital sales. However, it dropped quickly due to the lack of sales during these following weeks. The song then re-entered the top ten again, after airplay increases and has peaked at number 2.[citation needed]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Boston Globe | [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[1] |
| The New York Times | (favorable)[7] |
| PopMatters | [8] |
| Rolling Stone |  [9] |
| Slant Magazine | [10] |
| USA Today | [11] |
| Vibe | (favorable)[12] |
| The Washington Post | (mixed)[13] |
Exclusive received generally positive reviews from critics, scoring 69 out of 100 based on 11 reviews onMetacritic. Andy Kellman ofAllMusic praised Brown's singing ability while reviewing the album and noted that its material "[pushes] all the right target-demographic buttons".[3] Rob Sheffield fromRolling Stone said that “Brown seals the deal withExclusive, an all-grown-up album on a level withJustin Timberlake'sJustified (2002),Rihanna'sGood Girl Gone Bad (2007) or evenBobby Brown'sKing of Stage (1986)", ending up saying "it's hard to imagine he doesn't have an album's worth of hits here".[9] Mark Hammers ofBoston Globe in a positive review said that "If there was ever a record created to turn an R&B singer into a superstar, it's Brown's sophomore effort".[6]Vibe's Iyana Robertson stated that onExclusive Brown is "tapping moreelectric up-tempos, swimming deep inhip-hop waters and annihilating the pop arena".[2]HotNewHipHop in a retrospective review commented that "Exclusive undeniably cemented Chris Brown's foothold in the music industry as more than a fleeting teenage sensation. Its release heralded the arrival of a versatile artist capable of sculpting his youthful exuberance into a more polished, varied sound."[14]
Neil Drumming fromEntertainment Weekly rated the album a B− saying that, "Like his onscreen (This Christmas) character, Brown is most charming when he's playing up his youth: singing of MySpace romance, meeting his girl's 'pops,' and such". But he also said, "sadly, Brown's adolescent voice and playful scatting — while cute — are steamrolled by pushy collaborators, whether it's those Stargate guys (Ne-Yo,Rihanna) falling back on that ol' guitar noodling, orT-Pain milking his vocoder. Ease back, people, and let the boy sing".[1] However, Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine criticized the unoriginality of the album, writing, "...there's still nothing very 'exclusive' aboutExclusive at all."[15]Michael Arceneaux ofPopMatters wrote, "Exclusive seems aimless, an album where Brown is doing what he's told versus being the anchor of his own ship."[8] The album ranked number 34 onRolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[16]
At the2008 Grammy Awards,Exclusive was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" for "Kiss Kiss", a collaboration withT-Pain. However, the award was given to the 2007 single, "Umbrella" byRihanna featuringJay-Z. The album also nominated for anNAACP Image Awards in a category for "Best Album", while Brown himself won for "Best Male Artist". At the 2008BET Awards, the singer received 4 nominations in four categories, including "Best Male R&B Artist", "Best Collaboration" for "Kiss Kiss", and "Viewer’s Choice" for "Kiss Kiss" and "No Air", his duet withJordin Sparks. At theAmerican Music Awards of 2008 Brown won forArtist of the Year.[17]
On June 22, 2008,Fearne & Reggie revealed on theirUK's chart showBBC Radio 1, that all three tracks from the albumExclusive have appeared on the top forty. Two of which on the top ten, including "With You" (at number 35), "No Air" withJordin Sparks (at number 2), and "Forever" (at number 5).[18][19]
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Album | Nominated | [20] |
Exclusive debuted at number four on the USBillboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 294,000 copies in the United States.[21] As of March 2011, the album has sold 1,973,000 copies in the United States. In 2021, the album was certifiedquadruple platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over four million copies in the United States.[22]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 31 on theUK Albums Chart and eventually peaked at number three on the chart. It spent a total of 52 weeks on the chart. On September 5, 2008, the album was certified platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 300,000 copies in the UK.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Throwed" |
| 3:01 | |
| 2. | "Kiss Kiss" (featuringT-Pain) |
| T-Pain | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Take You Down" | 4:05 | ||
| 4. | "With You" | 4:12 | ||
| 5. | "Picture Perfect" (featuringwill.i.am) |
| 4:13 | |
| 6. | "Hold Up" (featuringBig Boi) |
|
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "You" | Los da Mystro | 3:22 | |
| 8. | "Damage" | The Runners | 4:16 | |
| 9. | "Wall to Wall" |
|
| 3:43 |
| 10. | "Help Me" |
|
| 3:17 |
| 11. | "I Wanna Be" |
| 3:46 | |
| 12. | "Gimme Whatcha Got" (featuringLil Wayne) |
| Jazze Pha | 3:48 |
| 13. | "I'll Call Ya" | Garrett | Swizz Beatz | 3:53 |
| 14. | "Lottery" |
|
| 3:41 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Nice" (featuringThe Game) |
| Scott Storch | 4:32 |
| 16. | "Down" (featuringKanye West) |
| Bigg D | 4:17 |
| Total length: | 62:04 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Get at Ya" | Brown | The Underdogs | 3:18 |
| 16. | "Mama" | Brown | Eric Hudson | 4:24 |
| 17. | "Nice" (featuring The Game) |
| Storch | 4:32 |
| 18. | "Down" (featuring Kanye West) |
| Bigg D | 4:17 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Fallen Angel" |
|
| 5:34 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Journey to South Africa" | 15:00 |
| 2. | "Behind the Scenes of "Wall to Wall"" | 15:00 |
| 3. | "Wall to Wall" (music video) | 5:20 |
| 4. | "Behind the Scenes of "Kiss Kiss"" | 12:37 |
| 5. | "Kiss Kiss" (music video) | 4:25 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Forever" |
| 4:38 | |
| 18. | "Superhuman" (featuringKeri Hilson) |
| 3:38 | |
| 19. | "Heart Ain't a Brain" |
| The Underdogs, T-wiz | 3:40 |
| 20. | "Picture Perfect" (featuringBow Wow andHurricane Chris) |
|
| 4:11 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Nice" (featuringThe Game) |
| Scott Storch | 4:32 |
| 16. | "Down" (featuringKanye West) |
| Bigg D | 4:17 |
| 17. | "Forever" |
| 4:38 | |
| 18. | "Superhuman" (featuringKeri Hilson) |
| 3:38 | |
| 19. | "Heart Ain't a Brain" |
| The Underdogs, T-wiz | 3:40 |
| 20. | "Picture Perfect" (featuringBow Wow andHurricane Chris) |
|
| 4:11 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Fallen Angel[23]" |
|
| 5:34 |
| 18. | "Forever" |
|
| 4:38 |
| 19. | "Superhuman" (featuring Keri Hilson) | 3:39 | ||
| 20. | "Heart Ain't a Brain" |
| The Underdogs, T-wiz | 3:40 |
The Forever Edition includes a DVD with a documentary titled "Chris Brown on Tour", which is a montage of performances from his Up-Close & Personal Tour and behind-the-scenes footage. It also features a cameo appearance fromKeyshia Cole, who held her own sold-outJust like You tour.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wall to Wall" (music video) | |
| 2. | "Kiss Kiss" (music video) | |
| 3. | "With You" (music video) | |
| 4. | "Forever" (music video) | |
| 5. | "Chris Brown on Tour" (documentary) | |
| 6. | "Wall to Wall" (featuring [Jadakiss])" (music video) |
Two versions ofThe Forever Edition were made available; the first included the DVD, and the second did not. Only the CD edition was made available in the United Kingdom,[24] while most other countries had both editions available.[25]
Notes
Sample credits
BET Presents Chris Brown is a DVD originally packaged with Exclusive, exclusively atWalmart. The release features BET highlights, performance highlights, and music videos from throughout Brown's career at that time. It also includes an interview where Brown talks about the making ofExclusive.[26]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[57] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[58] | Gold | 30,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[59] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
| Ireland (IRMA)[60] | 2× Platinum | 30,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[61] | 4× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[62] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[63] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Collaborative albums | |
| Mixtapes | |
| Extended plays | |
| DVDs | |
| Concert tours | |
