| 11:11 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 10, 2023[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 67:53 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Chris Brown chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from 11:11 | ||||
| ||||
11:11 is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Chris Brown.[5] It was released on November 10, 2023.[1][6] The singles "Summer Too Hot", "Sensational" and "Nightmares"[7] were released in the album's promotion.[8] 11:11 features guest appearances from Maeta, Byron Messia, Future, Fridayy, Davido and Lojay.[9]
The album has a nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, with its track "Summer Too Hot" being proposed for Best R&B Performance.[10]
Background
The album's title is derived from the homonym numerological belief, and is connected to the fact of it being the singer's eleventh studio album.[11][12][13]
Composition
11:11 is a double album, with its two sides containing 11 tracks each.[14] The album's musical style mixes R&B, pop music, Afrobeats and dancehall.[2] According to Kayla Sandiford of Renowned for Sound, 11:11 "seeks to make use of a range of rhythmic elements", with Brown incorporating Afrobeats "on various tracks which embrace a funkier, percussion-driven feel".[15] AllMusic's TiVo Staff found its lyrical content to be "a little more romantic" than Brown's previous album Breezy.[16]
Artwork
The album's artwork was designed by Courtney Walter,[2] and depicts 4 images of Chris Brown standing to form 11:11's title. The head shots used to form the colon include the singer with black and blonde hair, the juxtaposition symbolizes the negative and the positive in life. The colors used in each of the standing images are a nod to body chakras: yellow (manipura – solar plexus chakra symbolizing wisdom and power), indigo (ajna – third eye chakra symbolizing awareness), blue (vishuddha – throat chakra symbolizing communication), and green (anahata – heart chakra symbolizing love and healing) and tie in with the spiritual meaning of "11:11". Brown used similar imagery in the lyrics of his 2019 song "Indigo", from the album Indigo.[17]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [18] |
The album received positive reviews by music critics. Kayla Sandiford of Renowned for Sound described 11:11 as "palatable", praising Brown's vocal performances, saying that he "does well to demonstrate his dynamic vocal quality", but criticized the record's length, stating "although Brown can be commended for this, there are moments that feel like 11:11 has gotten wrapped up in quantity over quality".[15] TiVo Staff of AllMusic found the record to be "more concise and a little more romantic" compared to his previous album Breezy.[16] HipHopDX called 11:11 "his best album in almost a decade".[19]
Different publications, including Billboard, Rated R&B, Yardbarker and HotNewHipHop put 11:11 among the best R&B albums of the year.[20][13][21][22] Billboard's staff wrote that the singer "remains a formidable draw in his 18th year in the music industry. His 11th album, 11:11, proves as much".[20] Hayley Hynes of HotNewHipHop reviewing the album noted that Brown "seems more worried about impressing himself than critics".[21] Mya Singleton writing for Yardbarker stated that "the formulas Brown uses in his music continue to work in his favor, and he's showing no signs of slowing down".[13] Rated R&B said that with 11:11 the singer "continued to add stones to his jeweled, fan-dubbed crown".[22]
Release and promotion
On May 19, 2023, Brown teased the release of new music on his Instagram account, writing: "Y'all ready for some new music? Been locked in the studio", stating "No more 20- to 40-song albums", hinting that his next album would mark a detachment from the length of his previous three albums Heartbreak on a Full Moon, Indigo and Breezy.[23] On that same day he announced the release of "a single for the summer".[24][25] On June 17, Brown officially announced on his Instagram account the album's lead single "Summer Too Hot", and its release date for June 23, 2023.[26]
On August 17, he unveiled the album's title, 11:11, along with its release date for November 11, 2023, also stating that it would contain 11 songs.[27][28][6][29] On September 29 the singer announced that the album was "complete", sharing a possible black and white album cover.[30] On October 17, 2023, Brown unveiled the second single from the album, titled "Sensational" featuring Lojay and Davido, with a video where he performs a choreography for it with his dancing crew.[31] On October 20, 2023, Brown released "Sensational" along with a music video directed by videographer Child.[32] On October 21, Brown revealed that the album would be a double disc consisting of two sides featuring 11 tracks each, with the first one being released at 11 AM, and the final part on 11 PM of November 11, revealing the official album cover as well.[33] On November 2, Brown previewed a new song on his Instagram titled "Walking on 10 Toes".[34] On November 4, the singer previewed another track titled "No One Else" featuring Fridayy. The album's tracklist was revealed on November 6, confirming guest appearances from Byron Messia, Future, and Fridayy, teasing two other guests scheduled to be revealed on a later date. The following day, the song "Nightmares" featuring Byron Messia was released alongside its music video.[35] On November 9, he announced that 11:11 would be released on November 10, a day earlier than what previously announced.[36]
A few hours before the release of 11:11, its last track was changed from the previously announced "Double Negative", which features Justin Bieber, to a track called "Views". Brown explained the last minute change on his Instagram account on the album's release day: "Double negative unfortunately did not make the deadline in time with the lawyers, so we couldn't put it on the album. Justin my little brother for life, so we will make that moment happen soon. Sorry to the fans that really wanted it to be on the album".[37]
Commercial performance
In the United States, 11:11 debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 with 45,000 album-equivalent units, which included 6,000 pure album sales in its first week, making it his 12th consecutive top-ten album in the country.[38][39] The album also accumulated 50.97 million on-demand audio streams in the United States for its track list of 22 songs.[38] 11:11 marks the lowest debut for a Chris Brown's solo studio album on the US Billboard 200, surpassing Graffiti (2009) which debuted at number seven on the chart.[40] It serves as Brown's fifth album to debut at number one on the Top R&B Albums.[41]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Angel Numbers / Ten Toes" |
|
| 5:06 |
| 2. | "Sensational" (featuring Davido and Lojay) |
|
| 3:51 |
| 3. | "Press Me" |
|
| 2:07 |
| 4. | "That's On You" (featuring Future) |
|
| 4:23 |
| 5. | "Feel Something" |
|
| 3:12 |
| 6. | "Best Ever" (featuring Maeta) |
| Mikhail Beltran | 2:32 |
| 7. | "No One Else" (featuring Fridayy) |
|
| 3:43 |
| 8. | "Shooter" |
|
| 3:30 |
| 9. | "Nightmares" (featuring Byron Messia) |
|
| 2:30 |
| 10. | "Very Special" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 11. | "Messed Up" |
|
| 2:53 |
| Total length: | 37:20 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Midnight Freak" |
|
| 2:43 |
| 13. | "Moonlight" |
| Chizzy | 3:11 |
| 14. | "Bouncing / G5" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 15. | "Make Up Your Mind" |
|
| 2:34 |
| 16. | "Stutter" |
|
| 2:51 |
| 17. | "Need a Friend" |
|
| 3:12 |
| 18. | "Summer Too Hot" |
|
| 3:08 |
| 19. | "Feelings Don't Lie" |
| Elliott Trent | 2:18 |
| 20. | "Red Flags" |
|
| 2:48 |
| 21. | "Closer" |
|
| 2:11 |
| 22. | "Views" |
| Sterling Gittens Jr. | 2:30 |
| Total length: | 30:12 | |||
- Sample credits
- "Press Me" contains a sample from "Baby I'm Back" as performed by Baby Bash featuring Akon.
- "Moonlight" contains a sample of "Sky Restaurant", written by Yumi Arai and Kunihiko Murai, and performed by Hi-Fi Set.
- "Shooter" contains a sample of South African singer, Naledi Aphiwe singing.
Charts
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[42] | 16 |
| Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[43] | 3 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[44] | 52 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[45] | 47 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[46] | 81 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[47] | 34 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[48] | 13 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[49] | 6 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[50] | 49 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[51] | 38 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[52] | 41 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[53] | 2 |
| Nigerian Albums (TurnTable Top 50)[54] | 22 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[55] | 7 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] | 9 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[57] | 11 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[58] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200[59] | 9 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[60] | 2 |
References
- 1 2 Spencer, Tallie (November 8, 2023). "Chris Brown Surprises Fans with Early Album Release: 11:11 Coming on 11/10". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- 1 2 3 Watkis, Donovan (November 12, 2023). "Chris Brown's '11:11′ Album Surges To No. 1 In 40 Countries On Apple Music". World Music Views.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Releases New Single 'Summer Too Hot': Listen". June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Join Forces with Davido for Upcoming Single". October 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Shares New Album Title And Release Date". www.hotnewhiphop.com. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- 1 2 Abraham, Mya (August 17, 2023). "Chris Brown Announces New '11:11′ Album". VIBE.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Gives You "Nightmares" Before 11:11!". Papa Keith. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ Kyles, Yohance (August 17, 2023). "Chris Brown Announces 11-Song '11:11' Album". AllHipHop. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ↑ Alexandria, Lavender (November 6, 2023). "Chris Brown's New Album will be Twice as Long as Originally Promised". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ↑ "Grammy Awards 2024: The main nominees". BBC News. November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Framing New Album Around Everything '11:11'". TMZ.
- ↑ "Chris Brown reveals that his next album will be titled '11:11'".
- 1 2 3 https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/the-25-best-randampb-albums-of-2023/ss-AA1l5OxS#image=25
- ↑ Mamo, Heran (November 10, 2023). "Chris Brown Drops 11th Studio Album '11:11′". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- 1 2 Sandiford, Kayla. "Album Review: Chris Brown – 11:11 – Renowned For Sound".
- 1 2 "Chris Brown - 11:11 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ↑ "11:11 by Chris Brown". Genius. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown - 11:11 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ↑ https://hiphopdx.com/editorials/hip-hop-awards-2023
- 1 2 https://www.billboard.com/lists/bbest-r-and-b-albums-2023/chris-brown-11-11/
- 1 2 https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/745351-10-best-rb-albums-of-2023
- 1 2 https://ratedrnb.com/2023/12/best-r-and-b-albums-of-2023/
- ↑ "Chris Brown Officially Says Goodbye To "20- To 40-Song Albums"".
- ↑ Stephens, Michael (May 19, 2023). "Chris Brown Announces New Summer Song On The Way". Urban Islandz.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Declares: "No More 20 to 40 Song Albums" - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Announces New Single "Summer Too Hot" For June 2023 Release". www.hotnewhiphop.com. June 17, 2023.
- ↑ Stephens, Michael (August 16, 2023). "Chris Brown Announces New Album "11:11" Release Date". Urban Islandz.
- ↑ HipHopDX (August 16, 2023). "Chris Brown Promises To Be More 'Focused' & Concise With New Album 11:11". HipHopDX.
- ↑ Grant, Shawn (August 17, 2023). "Chris Brown Announces His 11th Album '11:11' | The Source".
- ↑ https://twitter.com/cblivee/status/1707772256980455655
- ↑ "Chris Brown confirms release date and title of new song with Davido and Lojay". NotjustOk. October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ↑ Samuels, Keithan (October 20, 2023). "Chris Brown Shares 'Sensational' Video Featuring Davido and Lojay". Rated R&B. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Unlocks '11:11' Album Cover / Announces New 22-Track Concept - That Grape Juice".
- ↑ "Chris Brown – Walking 10 Toes".
- ↑ "Chris Brown releases 'Nightmares' video shot in Jamaica - new song features Byron Messia". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Surprises Fans With Early Album Release: "11:11" Coming On 11/10". www.hotnewhiphop.com. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ "'Double Negative': Chris Brown Apologizes For His '11:11' Album Missing the Long-Awaited Justin Bieber Collaboration". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (November 19, 2023). "Stray Kids Score Fourth No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 'ROCK-STAR'". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ↑ "November 25, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ↑ "He Did It! Chris Brown Keeps Nearly 20-Year Billboard 200 Top 10 Streak Intact with Debut of '11:11′". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ↑ Anderson, Trevor (November 22, 2023). "Chris Brown's '11:11′ Is No. 1 on Top R&B Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "Hitparade der KW 46-2023". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Chris Brown – 11:11" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Chris Brown – 11:11" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 46, 2023". Hitlisten. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chris Brown – 11:11" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Top Albums (Week 46, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chris Brown – 11:11" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Official Top 50 Albums: December 8th, 2023 – December 14th, 2023". TurnTable. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Album 2023 uke 46". VG-lista. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Chris Brown – 11:11". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Brown Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.