Chris Brown — the 20-year-old R&B singer who shattered his squeaky-clean image in February when he battered then-girlfriend Rihanna and was later convicted of assault and sentenced to community service — took a step toward restoring his career Tuesday at a “fan appreciation” show.
Onstage at the Nokia Theatre, at his first show here since his arrest, Brown was slick in both his smooth-groove vocals and his frantic dance moves. Anyone expecting an angry stage outburst or hint of misogyny was disappointed. While not openly contrite, the kid was a charmer, eager to please the fans who stuck with him.
Brown has said how sorry he was about his attack on Rihanna a number of times over the past year in TV interviews, and he posted a remorseful statement on YouTube. Yet he had no apology to make about this show.
Mary Jackson, 20, who came to the concert from The Bronx, was beaming after the 90-minute performance. She said Brown’s assault on Rihanna was indeed “a terrible thing” but added, “It’s the media that won’t let this go. Chris made a mistake, he paid for it and he moved on. You should move on, too.”
Brooklynite Ni-Sun Akrus, 28, agreed, saying, “He’s human, he messed up bad. I respect that he didn’t let his troubles get in the way of his art.”
Those forgive-and-forget attitudes were reflected in the cheers Brown got from the 2,000 fans who packed into the Times Square theater for this concert. The show featured material from his entire songbook, with the set focused on last week’s release, “Graffiti.”
While it’s impossible to approve of this guy’s behavior last winter, Brown was an entertaining performer, especially when he danced. He was all wide smiles and flashy footwork as he bounded about the stage leading a quartet of male dancers. He isn’t Michael Jackson when it comes to hoofing, but there were times he came close.
The show opened with Brown performing his new single “I Can Transform Ya” off “Graffiti,” and it was a visually engaging piece of music in which he moved like he was born to dance.
Other hot track highlights were the new “Sing Like Me” and the older “Kiss, Kiss.” The downside of such vigorous routines was that he probably had to lip-sync; but when the music slowed, his voice was steady, emotional and clearly live.
Brown’s real salvation may be in work. When he got into the spirit of the show, the convicted bad boy blurred back to a winning teen pop idol.