Chris Brown performed at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Sunday evening. The concert almost got canceled as the singer was recently detained. Brown made the most of the situation and used the arrest to give his music extra meaning.
It wasn’t until three weeks before the concert that it became clear that the Dutch fans would still see their 36-year-old idol. Brown was released on bail on May 21 for an estimated 6 million euros.
The artist was held in Manchester for several days on suspicion of aggravated assault with premeditation. In February 2023, the R&B singer allegedly hit a music producer with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub.
This isn’t the first time Brown has been linked to violent incidents. In 2009, he was convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna.
In 2017, Brown was issued a restraining order because he allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran. Additionally, several women have accused the singer of rape.
From Run It to Heat, Brown doesn’t skip a hit
The tens of thousands of fans in the Johan Cruijff ArenA don’t seem to care. When Brown appears on stage, or rather, shoots out of the ground, he is greeted with loud applause. The singer blasts through his repertoire at a killer pace. He sings more than fifty songs in 2.5 hours: from classics like Run It!, Yo and Yeah 3x to newer tracks like Party and Heat.
That’s not surprising, as Brown already broke through in 2005 and hasn’t been idle since (except when he was in jail). Although he has barely been in the Dutch charts in recent years, he is among the top worldwide: he is number 32 of the most streamed artists. Songs that he skips during the show are played by an energetic DJ who keeps the audience entertained between set changes.
The audience cheers at every song that is played, and Brown visibly does his best to give everyone a special evening. The singer dances energetically, smiles at the audience, and changes outfits about fifteen times. At one point, he even hangs in a harness to fly to another stage while singing.
His dancers, who have been working with Brown for years, also show off almost acrobatic choreographies. Especially during sensual songs like Under the Influence, the female dancers attract attention. In sexy outfits, they stand on their heads and move seductively with their buttocks, something that is audibly appreciated by the audience.
Brown also takes on some seduction work himself. During Take You Down, he asks a fan on stage. The woman takes a seat on a red chaise lounge, after which the singer approaches her singing. And climbs on.
Brown flies through the ArenA.
Attention to Brown’s legal battle
Apart from climbing on the woman, Brown hardly makes contact with his fans. The spectators clearly show that they support him in his legal battle. Some fans have signs with texts like “We don’t judge you” and “From the cage to the stage“, a quote that Brown himself posted on Instagram beforehand. Apart from a short thank you, there is no interaction.
Yet Brown does not leave his legal troubles unaddressed. In a video on the big screens, images of his arrests are shown, accompanied by police sirens and blue lights. “Nobody wants to do anything with you anymore,” Brown says in the voice-over. “I don’t want to conform to the image that others expect of me anymore. I want to show my vulnerability through my music.”
Brown then starts the sensitive Angel Numbers/Ten Toes with lyrics like “Anxiety, don’t let the pressure get to your head” and “Life learning lessons, cause you reap what you sow“. The audience sings along loudly and perhaps applauds the singer even harder at these kinds of moments.
Brown does not give an encore. After an exuberant version of his big hit Forever, including fireworks, the lights in the ArenA go on again.
The singer continues his tour in Germany and England. Whether he will then also delight his French and American fans with his presence remains unclear. On June 20, he must appear in court again.