New York – These days, Chris Brown is just trying to stay focused and humble – but when you’re a 16-year-old R&B singer with the hottest single in the country, it’s not easy.
Especially when that single, the catchy-club bouncer “Run It,” has ruled the charts for several weeks. And your self-titled debut album premieres at No. 2. And you’re about to embark on a tour with platinum acts like Ciara and Bow Wow. And you’re an instant heartthrob.
“It’s getting hard to stay focused with all these lovely ladies out here,” says Brown, chuckling. “(But) I still want to be the best.”
The R&B singer has set himself apart from the pack with “Run It,” an infectious tune that tempts a girl on the dance floor. It has been perched at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart for the past three weeks.
“When you look at how quickly that song grew on the charts, it was a one-listen (thing),” says Amy Doyle, senior vice president of music and talent and MTV and MTV2, where Brown has become a fixture. “When you have that kind of connection out of the gate, it only gets bigger from there.”
His album is mature enough that adults can relate – but not too mature for the tween set, which is his core audience.
“It might go into a little bit of intimate stuff, but it’s not going too intimate,” Brown says. “But at the same time, it’s not going kiddie.”
Doyle agrees. “It’s not specific to just girls or just boys or one race or the other. It connects on that bigger level.”
