51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� International R&B superstar Chris Brown wowed 51黑料 fans on Friday night, bringing aerial choreography, nonstop dancing and 20 years of hits to the Dome at America鈥檚 Center.

The Grammy Award-winning singer sold out the downtown venue on his first headlining stadium tour, showcasing his performance prowess and stunning the crowd with high-energy breakdancing and aerial stunts.

The 36-year-old entertainer rose to stardom when he was 13, taking the world by storm as a young music sensation. By the time he was 18, Brown had sold more than 10 million records, starred in hit films and released a slew of platinum-certified singles 鈥� a preview of his success to come.

But it鈥檚 no secret that a lot of people hate Chris Brown.

His image has taken blow after blow. From felony assault charges following his domestic violence case with singer Rihanna to recently being arrested in London on the European leg of 鈥淏reezy Bowl鈥� for an alleged past assault, Breezy has gained a reputation as the good boy, gone bad.

Friday鈥檚 concert took the audience through the yin and yang of Brown鈥檚 enigmatic brand. It traveled through the highs and lows of his past, with a medley of 54 songs spanning over 2.5 hours and overflowing with enthusiasm and pride.

Brown鈥檚 performance felt perfectly synchronized as he worked the giant stage, which extended out into two 鈥淴鈥�-shaped runways. He danced all night on the Roman numeral for 20, celebrating a two-decade career ignited by the release of his debut, self-titled album in 2005.

And that鈥檚 exactly where the show began as flames erupted from the stage and laser lights bounced from wall to wall. Brown kicked off with 鈥淩un It,鈥� his debut single, before jumping from hit to hit and singing snippets of fan favorites like 鈥淎yo,鈥� 鈥淗eat鈥� and 鈥淪how Me.鈥�

As he grinned and ran across the stage, it was clear that Brown was happy to be there. His excitement felt pure as he proved he was a top-tier millennial showman.

Every song had intense, rapid-paced choreography. Whether solo or accompanied by an amazing troupe of background dancers, Brown wasn鈥檛 afraid to bust a move. 鈥淵o (Excuse Me Miss)鈥� was remixed mid-song to include a funky, center-stage dance break. His moves were impeccable during 鈥淟iquor,鈥� demonstrating a stage mastery that was instilled in him during childhood.

The show was about more than singing. It was a night designed for a full spectrum of entertainment. With such extreme choreography on every song, it was understandable why Brown incorporated a backing track to pick up the slack while he danced. There was a lot of noticeable lip-syncing, though fans didn鈥檛 seem to care.

But the dancing didn鈥檛 stop Brown from shining vocally on songs like 鈥淎ngel Numbers/Ten Toes鈥� and 鈥淲ith You.鈥� Brown performed 鈥淪trip鈥� in its entirety, showcasing that his voice is still as solid as it was in his younger days.

Brown and his ensemble took full advantage of the stage, screens and visual effects. Each element, from the fog machine and fire eruptions to the video montages that jogged the memories of thousands of fans, felt intentional. Brown鈥檚 team put on a show derived from a well-oiled machine that fans fell in love with as children.

But sound problems plagued the concert from start to finish. Brown encountered issues with his in-ear monitors during 鈥淩esiduals,鈥� signaling from the stage that something was wrong. It happened again on 鈥淧lease Don鈥檛 Judge Me,鈥� and during Summer Walker鈥檚 opening set on 鈥淪pend It鈥� when the performers and the backing tracks weren鈥檛 lined up. But both artists recovered gracefully.

The show鈥檚 climax came during 鈥淲all to Wall,鈥� when Brown emerged connected to a harness and skyrocketed into the air. He soared around the Dome, literally flying 鈥渇rom wall to wall鈥� and executing airborne dance moves. Wearing glowing, football-style shoulder pads, Brown shined as he flew through the dark stadium, like a star.

It was a gravity-defying, fearless performance from Brown as the audience screamed and marveled. He gave the crowd another aerial lap during the robust dance track, 鈥淟ook At Me Now.鈥�

After landing on a mini stage set up in the middle of the floor seats, Brown brought an audience member onto the platform for a sexy lap dance that led into a medley of his most sultry singles, including 鈥淯nder the Influence,鈥� 鈥淒on鈥檛 Think They Know鈥� and 鈥淧rivate Show.鈥�

Brown concluded the show with 鈥淔orever,鈥� perhaps a reminder that his career has continued to persevere through personal mistakes, public blunders and cancel culture. The world watched as Brown fell from grace, and they remain spectators as he soars through the air in stadiums worldwide.