My heart is achin' and I can't breathe, my soul's breakin', minus 31 degrees

This post is a fragment of something that's been sitting as a draft for nearly two months. Don't let that be an indication of this song losing its impact quickly, though--if anything, it's only become more powerful for me with time.


"Froze" is the latest Chris Brown demo to leak, and it's an excellent one. A ballad, synth-created icy sadness is its aura, with Chris singing about a broken heart. Almost epic and with a chorus I adore in every aspect--its lyrics, the half-processed and half-giant (aided by some layering) sound of Chris's vocals, the whispered backing vocals underneath, the simple melody of Chris's vocal melody (especially the whole "my heart is achin'" section) and the melody of those backing vocals--and a bridge that's fantastic as well. The subdued guitar and the harp-like ripples are just what the song needed to finish it off. If you could float in the middle of an ice cave, this song is what that experience would sound like. If it was ever a single, I'm picturing something like Usher's "Moving Mountains" or the reverse of Grégory Lemarchal's "Le feur sur les planches" for the video...or maybe a reversed version of Ferry Corsten's "Fire," only with, um, no woman in a bikini. Do it right and you could get something that sticks with you as much as the end of Najoua Belyzel's video for "Gabriel." Of course, if "Moving Mountains" wasn't a successful single, I don't know that "Froze" ever will be, but I'm completely captivated by it at the moment.

There's nowhere you can purchase "Froze" yet, but you can buy Chris's latest album, Exclusive: The Forever Edition, here (physical) or here (digital).

Next up: maybe something about Eurovision national finals.

#2 Chris Brown, "Forever"

All you gotta do is watch me
Look what I can do with my feet

You know those annoying people who are always shouting "OH MY GOSH this is my song!" and then turn up the radio volume/knock everyone over on the way to the dance floor/bob along while shopping (chose as applicable) every time that song comes on?

Yeah, that's me with "Forever." I think everyone who knows me is sick of it, but I can't help myself--"Forever" is Chris Brown actually living up to his proper popstar potential, channeling the "aww, bless" reaction towards him that he had formerly used for mushy ballads into synth-coated pop music...and what a match it is. I don't know that I can say much more about him or it than I did back in April, so let me leave it here: "Forever" is perfect. The video, too.

Find it on: Exclusive: The Forever Edition

#82 Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown, "No Air"

Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gon be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

Overdone epic pop-R&B balladry becomes the greatest thing in the world for the length of the second single from American Idol winner Jordin Sparks's debut album. I've gone on the record with liking Chris Brown many times before, so it made me all the happier that he was half of this fantastic song and I very much wanted Idol to prove that it can still produce winners relevant to the modern commercial music scene, but even beyond that they match the song well vocally and even just with their youth. They lend their voices to a song that avoids the typical power ballad route and instead steps lightly and gorgeously from cloud to cloud. "No Air" acknowledged and worked with the sound of contemporary charts, but it was an incredible breath of, well, fresh air for American music.

Find it on: Jordin Sparks