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My initial thoughts upon hearing the opening chords of Chris Brown's "Take You Down" were along the lines of "wow, when did this previously unreleased Prince track come out?" The opening guitar riff and echoing drum beats are more then vaguely reminiscent of 'Purple Rain' and the sexy vibe and borderline risque lyrics hearken back to the era of "Darling Niki". However, Chris Brown's smooth voice helps to bring the song into modern times and he brings a sense of personality and charm to the lyrics that helps to make the song all his own. It's catchy and sensual in a way that most songs can not manage to balance out in today's world of manufactured pop tunes, and helps to solidify Brown's place in the hip-hop world. I have to admit that for the most part, hip-hop is not my style. All I knew of Chris Brown before hearing "Take You Down" was he'd released a dance hit called "Run It" and that Cosmo magazine always talks about what a cutie he is. Needless to say, I listened to "Take You Down" fully expecting to be unimpressed. I am truly pleased to admit I was wrong.

The producer of the track chose to loop Brown's smooth voice and have him sing a hook that is aurally similar to the chorus hook for his break-out single "Run It", however this serves more of a reminder of Brown's vocal talents and staying power than as a memory job to his earlier success. In contrast to "Run It", a funky dance track that pumps through your veins and gets you moving on the dance floor, "Take You Down" pumps through your veins and inspires a mood that serves to get you moving in a completely different way. The song is well thought out, the lyrics are smooth, and this is a mood-setter if ever I heard one. My one complaint with the song is that the Prince-esque guitar wailing continues throughout the song and at times is too loud for the rest of the songs, occasionally being louder then Brown himself. It's enough to make you wonder who the real star of the song is, singer Chris Brown or the unknown session guitar player?

That being taken into consideration, "Take You Down" is fresh, fun and sexy. It takes the best of previous artists like Prince and Marvin Gaye and ties them together with a modern sense of sexuality that most artists struggle to bring to light without cheapening experiences or people. Bottom line: "Let's Get It On" may have just been replaced as the go-to song for hook-ups worldwide.

Learn more about this author, Abigail Luftig.
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