CHRIS BROWN “I Can Transform Ya”

Before Chris Brown’s problems with Rihanna and the criminal charges that resulted, the 20 year-old R&B star had strung together an impressive list of hit songs, including “Run It!”, “With You”, and his smash duet with Jordin Sparks, “No Air.”

Since I imagine that Chris is aware of the image repair that needs to be done, I fully expected the first single from his forthcoming album Graffiti to be another of his slickly-produced, danceable pop songs, like his last Top 10 hit, the spectacular “Forever.”

Well, I was wrong.  Teaming with Lil Wayne and producer Swizz Beatz, Brown has moved his sound in a grittier, harder-edged direction.

Since I’m such a fan of strong melodies, this song seems a bit noisy…I prefer the Michael Jackson-esque feel of his other hits.

What do YOU think?