by Lesley Aeschliman

Created on: July 14, 2008

I'd heard of Chris Brown's "Take You Down" from following the Billboard Hot 100, but I hadn't actually heard the song. However, when I stumbled upon this link at Helium, I decided to find the song and listen to it. After hearing this song, though, I wish I had remained ignorant of what it sounded like. While I've never been that impressed by songs I'd heard by Chris Brown in the past, I decided that I should try to go into "Take You Down" with an open mind. After all, there was always a chance that the song could be a "diamond in the rough," right?

Unfortunately, as soon as the music started, I knew I wasn't going to like it. The music was extremely grating, and the vocal performance and lyrics weren't much better. It appears that Chris Brown is trying to do a sexy, seductive song... however, it feels like he's trying too hard. In some respects, though, perhaps this makes sense, since he was only 18 or 19 years old when he recorded the song.

For one thing, the music is anything but sexy. It's a loud cacophony that can grate on the listener's nerves rather quickly. The music doesn't complement the "smooth" and "sexy" vocal delivery that Chris Brown is trying to deliver; however, I don't think the vocal delivery is either "smooth" or "sexy." I don't know if this is a problem with the recording I'm listening to, but the music seems to be overpowering Chris' vocals.

If Chris Brown really wanted a sexy, seductive song, he should have looked at artists such as Boyz II Men and Luther Vandross for inspiration. A song like Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" is much more sexy and seductive than "Take You Down." A more laid back, subtle music track, such as Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" or "On Bended Knee" is much more effective for a seductive song than the music track that appears on "Take You Down."

After hearing this song, I think it will probably have some success at Urban and R&B radio, but I don't think Pop radio is going to be too terribly interested. It may get some initial airplay, due to Chris Brown's name, but in the long run, I don't think pop radio listeners are going to appreciate this song. The only people I see really getting into "Take You Down" would be the teen girls and young women who are already fans of Chris Brown. And for me, personally, this just reinforces the lack of interest that I already have for Chris Brown and his music.

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