Commercially,11:11 debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200,making it his 12th consecutive top-ten album in the country.[15] The singles "Summer Too Hot","Sensational" and "Nightmares"[16] were released in the album's promotion.[17] "Residuals" was released as the only single from the deluxe edition of 11:11. Despite not being released as a single,the album's opening track "Angel Numbers / Ten Toes" became its most successful song worldwide,reaching the top ten in several countries. To support the release of the album,Brown embarked on his "The 11:11 Tour" in North America,South Africa and Brazil.
Background and recording
The album's title is derived from the numerological belief of the same name,and is connected to the fact of it being the singer's eleventh studio album.[18][19][20] The recording sessions for 11:11 and its deluxe version,released five months later,spanned a year and a half from 2022 to 2024. Some of the material for 11:11 (Deluxe) was recorded during the production of the standard album.[2]
On October 24,2023,while promoting the album on social media,Brown wrote on his Instagram Story:"11th album,I still pinch myself and have frequent Spatz of imposter syndrome. I'm extremely thankful and appreciative of how far I’ve come and the people who got me here. I continue to strive higher. MUSIC IS A CHOICE AND I THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ME."[21][22]
Composition
11:11 is a double album,with its two sides containing 11 tracks each.[23] The album's musical style mixes R&B,pop music,Afrobeats and dancehall.[4][24] 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".[25] Lyrically,11:11 mostly features lighthearted content,while also containing tracks where Brown faces themes of anxiety and regret.[26]AllMusic's TiVo Staff found its lyrical content to be "a little more romantic" than the singer's previous album Breezy.[27]
Artwork
The album's artwork was designed by Courtney Walter,[4] and depicts four images of 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.[28]
Exclaim! listed the album cover as 16th worst of 2023,writing:"One Chris Brown is already too many,so this just feels cruel. But we tried wishing his career away on it anyway —fingers crossed!"[29] The deluxe version's cover was listed by Exclaim! as 20th worst of 2024,although "this one gets points for covering his face."[30]
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". He stated,"No more 20- to 40-song albums",hinting that his next album would mark a departure from the length of his previous three albums:Heartbreak on a Full Moon,Indigo and Breezy.[31] On that same day,he announced the release of "a single for the summer".[32][33] On June 17,Brown officially announced the album's lead single "Summer Too Hot",along with its release date of June 23,2023,on his Instagram account.[34]
On August 17,he unveiled the album's title,11:11,along with its release date of November 11,2023,and stated that it would contain 11 songs.[35][36][9][37] On September 29,the singer announced that the album was "complete",sharing a possible black and white album cover.[38] On October 17,2023,Brown revealed the second single from the album,titled "Sensational" featuring Lojay and Davido,with a video in which he performs choreography with his dance crew.[39] On October 20,2023,Brown released "Sensational" along with a music video directed by videographer Child.[40] On October 21,Brown revealed the official album cover and announced that the album would be a double disc consisting of two sides,each featuring 11 tracks. He stated that the first part would be released at 11 AM and the final part at 11 PM on November 11.[41] On November 2,Brown previewed a new song on his Instagram supposedly titled "Walking on 10 Toes".[42] 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.[43] On November 9,Brown announced that 11:11 would be released on November 10,a day earlier than what previously announced.[44] 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".[45]
The standard edition of 11:11 was released on November 10,2023,exclusively for digital download and streaming. On February 19,2024,Brown officially announced the release of the deluxe edition of 11:11,stating that it would contain 11 additional tracks,with April 11,being a possible release date for it.[46][47] On March 10,he confirmed the date,stating that the deluxe version of 11:11 will encompass 13 new songs,sharing its tracklist,and featured guests,including Bryson Tiller,Joyner Lucas,Tee Grizzley and Davido,hinting at Ayra Starr as a possible feature on the track "Won't Keep You Waiting".[48][49] He then shared snippets of the songs "Bruce Lee","Go Girlfriend" and "Freak" on his Instagram account,revealing the appearance of American rapper Lil Wayne on the track "Freak".[50]11:11 (Deluxe) was released digitally on April 11,2024.[51][52][53][54] On August 24,2024,the deluxe edition of the album was released in vinyl format.[55]
Tour
Brown performing "Residuals" during his 2024 "The 11:11 Tour"
The album was further promoted with Brown embarking his 2024 tour named "The 11:11 Tour".[56] The North American leg of the tour featured singers Ayra Starr,Muni Long and Maeta as supporting acts.[57][58] The setlist included more than 40 songs from the singer's entire discography and featured a performance lasting over two hours. The set was divided into four acts:Fire,Water,Air,and Earth,with breaks from DJ Fresh.[59]
The tour sold out all 36 dates across North America,drawing an attendance of 446,000 spectators and generating over $82 million in gross revenue.[60] Additionally,on December 14 and 15,2024,he held two concerts at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium,Africa's largest stadium,attracting a total attendance of 189,472 across both shows. This achievement made him the highest-selling artist in the stadium's history.[61] On December 21 and 22,he ended the tour with two sold-out shows at the 55,000 capacity Allianz Parque Stadium in São Paulo,Brazil.[62][63] His performances in South Africa and Brazil have collectively been referred to as the "Breezy Bowl" by his fans.[64] Brown ultimately incorporated footage from "The 11:11 Tour" into his 2025 music video for the song "Residuals".[65][66]
Critical reception
"The 11:11 Tour" garnered widespread acclaim from critics. Tallis Spencer,writing for HotNewHipHop,praised the concluding concert of the tour in Los Angeles:“The 11:11 tour's LA stop was undoubtedly a testament to Brown's artistry,longevity,charisma,and sheer talent. For those fortunate enough to attend,it was a night to remember.”[67]Atlanta Voice said the singer “[delivered] an unforgettable performance (...) Throughout the concert,Chris Brown's stage presence was magnetic. His seamless dance moves and powerful vocals captivated the audience from start to finish.”[68]News24 remarked that the Johannesburg concert on December 14 was “one of the best concerts we've had in South Africa in a long time (...) His set,which lasted over two hours,gave fans everything and more with excellent production,which included flying above the crowd when he sang "Wall To Wall" (...) The man also gave energetic dance breaks,giving his fans some of the iconic choreography they have seen in his music videos.”[69]Hype magazine also expressed a largely positive review of the concert held on December 14,stating:“One of the greatest performers of this generation,Chris Brown proved his legendary status yet again. (...) His Chris Brown Live in Johannesburg show wasn't just the best event of 2024—it might be one of the most memorable in the past five years”.[70]
South African controversy
Brown's South African concerts also sparked controversies as Women for Change,a South African feminist nonprofit,started a petition to block Brown's performances,due to his 2009 domestic violence scandal. The organization presented the petition,which received over 50,000 signatures,to the country's Departments of Home Affairs and of Sports,Arts and Culture,asking that Brown be denied a visa. Brown has addressed the protest by writing,“Can't wait to come,”followed by a heart emoji,under one of the organization's Instagram posts.[71]Mamokgethi Phakeng,a former vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town,publicly expressed her support for the event by announcing her intention to attend the show:“I respect the organization and its mission,but I think it is unfortunate that they chose to target people's legal choices rather than focus on promoting awareness in a way that builds rather than divides.”[72] Following the concerts,the MMC for South African Economic Development,Nomoya Mnisi,has praised the events for generating a significant economic boost for Johannesburg by driving tourism,creating jobs,and stimulating local businesses,contributing an estimated R900 million (US$49,375,417)[73] to Gauteng’s visitor economy:“We are proud to have hosted an event of this magnitude,which not only showcases Johannesburg as a global hub for arts and culture but also highlights our capacity to facilitate large-scale events that stimulate economic activity. The success of the Chris Brown concerts is a testament to the resilience and vibrancy of our local economy”.[74][75]
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".[25] TiVo Staff of AllMusic found the record to be "more concise and a little more romantic" compared to his previous album Breezy.[27]HipHopDX called 11:11 "his best album in almost a decade".[77]
Different publications,including Billboard,Rated R&B,Yardbarker and HotNewHipHop put 11:11 among the best R&B albums of 2023.[26][20][78][79]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".[26] Hayley Hynes of HotNewHipHop reviewing the album noted that Brown "seems more worried about impressing himself than critics".[78] 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".[20]Rated R&B said that with 11:11 the singer "continued to add stones to his jeweled,fan-dubbed crown".[79] The following year Billboard also put 11:11 (Deluxe) as the tenth best R&B album of 2024:“the prolific Brown gifted fans with 13 more tracks for this cohesive,Grammy-nominated deluxe package,which showcases his still-formidable vocal agility and versatility”.[80]
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.[15][88] The album also accumulated 50.97 million on-demand audio streams in the United States for its track list of 22 songs.[15][89]
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