Grass Ain't Greener

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"Grass Ain't Greener"
Single by Chris Brown
from the album Heartbreak on a Full Moon
ReleasedMay 5, 2016
Recorded2015
StudioRecord Plant (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length3:21
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Nikhil
Chris Brown singles chronology
"Wishing"
(2016) 		"Grass Ain't Greener"
(2016) 		"I'm the Man (Remix)"
(2016)
Music video
"Grass Ain't Greener" on YouTube

"Grass Ain't Greener" is a song by American singer Chris Brown released on May 5, 2016 as the lead single from Brown's eight studio album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon.[1] The song was written by Brown and Prince Chrishan, and produced by Nikhil.[2] "Grass Ain't Greener" is a mid-tempo alternative R&B and trap song, that explores themes of breakup and untrusting love relationships.

The song obtained positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its lyrical production and Brown's overall performance. Some noted it as Brown's first introduction to "dark R&B". The song received moderate success, being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

A music video, shot in the desertified surroundings of Los Angeles, and in a forest outside Fresno, California, was released on August 26, 2016, and displays, though a "cinematic" and "dark" atmosphere, a "mysterious" storyline about Brown following his ex-girlfriend to a foggy club that ends up being full of vampires.

Background, recording and release[edit]

The song was one of the first tracks that Brown recorded for his eight studio album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon. It was recorded in late 2015 at Record Plant, in Los Angeles, California

On January 10, 2016, Brown previewed some unreleased songs on his Periscope and Instagram profiles, through videos of him dancing and lip-synching these tracks in the studio, with "Grass Ain't Greener" being one of them.[3][4][5] On April 27, Brown announced the mixtape Before the Trap: Nights in Tarzana, the European leg of his One Hell of a Nite Tour, and the release of a new single on May 5.[6][7][8] On May 3, he revealed that the single would be "Grass Ain't Greener", showing its artwork and announcing it as the first single from his upcoming album titled Heartbreak on a Full Moon.[9] The single was released on May 5, 2016, the day of Brown's 27th birthday. "Grass Ain't Greener" was originally not included on the album's first announced track listing, later being re-included on the official tracklist as a bonus track when the album was available for pre-order.[10]

Composition and lyrics[edit]

"Grass Ain't Greener" is a mid-tempo alternative R&B song, with a bouncy tune,[11] and a trap production.[10][12] The song was written by Chris Brown and Prince Chrishan, while its production, based on roland TR-808 drums, was handled by Nikhil Seetharam. On "Grass Ain't Greener", Brown sings the first two verses and the chorus, rapping its final verse.

Lyrically, in the song Brown addresses how his second lover became his main girlfriend, combining passion and romance, but their relationship changed for the worse, ending up in a bitter breakup. In the track, Brown is wary of the intentions of his female liaisons, while calling out his ex-girlfriend for putting on a false facade to impress others, lamenting that he's tired of texting her, as he sings "I know what you want, but you're not gon' get it (...) You do what you want with somebody else / I'm gone, baby".[13][14][15] Media outlets speculated that the song's lyrics were referring to Brown's relationship with his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran.[16][17][18]

Critical reception[edit]

Carl Lamare of Billboard said that the song is "Brown first major attempt at the whole "dark R&B" craze, and it works perfectly" describing its composition as "brutally honest lyrics over a beat that's somber, but danceable".[10] Adam Fleischer of MTV said that Brown on the song sings about "how the two don't play nicely together no more", commending Brown's "heartfelt vocals" and its lyrics, which he found to be "very releatable to his private life".[19] XXL's writer Mark Stainser said that the song's production "matches impeccably Brown's voice", defining it "one of the best R&B cuts of 2016".[10]

Music video[edit]

On August 26, 2016, Chris Brown uploaded the music video for "Grass Ain't Greener" on his YouTube and Vevo account.[20] The video was directed by Brown, and shot in August in the desertified surroundings of Los Angeles, and in a forest outside Fresno, California.[21]

Synopsis[edit]

The video starts with Brown driving towards a party in the desertified surroundings of Los Angeles, with his friends in the car, interpreted by members of his OHB crew, being skeptical, claiming that he's “always chasing a girl”, mentioning that his ex-girlfriend might be at the party they're headed. The crew arrives to the foggy club, where dancers in lingerie are laying in hoops that are hanging from the ceiling. Brown looks around while flashes of his ex-girlfriend pop up in his mind. The girl is dressed in tribal-like clothing with white paint on her body. The dancers turn out to be vampires, with Brown starting to chase around a girl in a black bikini top, that bites his neck. The video ends with the girl he was having flashes of in the beginning, seductively looking at the camera before turning around and walking away into the forest.[22]

Reception[edit]

Capital XTRA called the video "cinematic" and "dark".[23] A writer for Rap-Up described the video as "mysterious".[24] 2DBZ and Urban Islandz stated that the character of Brown's ex-girlfriend in the video might be a reference to Karrueche Tran.[25][26]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[39] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Worldwide May 5, 2016 Digital download RCA [40]
United States June 21, 2016 Rhythmic contemporary [41]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Chris Brown - Grass Aint Greener (Snippet)". HotNewHipHop.com. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Chris Brown Teases New RnBass Song "Grass Ain't Greener"". Rnbass.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  3. ^ "Chris Brown fa ascoltare inediti live, su Periscope e Instagram". Rnbjunk.com. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Chris Brown Previews New Music On Periscope, Ignites Rumors Of Another Surprise Mixtape Release - Inquisitr". Inquisitr.com. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Chris Brown Announces New Single 'Grass Ain't Greener' | Rap-Up". Rap-up.com. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  6. ^ "Chris Brown Readies 'OHB' Mixtape, New Single". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  7. ^ Fleischer, Adam. "Chris Brown Introduces You To His Crew With A New Mixtape". Mtv.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Chris Brown Says Collaborative "OHB" Mixtape Drops Friday; Followed By New Solo Single". hotnewhiphop.com. 28 April 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  9. ^ "Chris Brown Announces New Album 'Heartbreak on a Full Moon' | Rap-Up". Archived from the original on 2016-05-02. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d "New Music: Chris Brown – 'Grass Ain't Greener'". Rap-Up. May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  11. ^ "New Video: Chris Brown – 'Grass Ain't Greener'". Hiphop-n-more.com. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Grass Ain't Greener – Chris Brown - Free Android Ringtones". Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Chris Brown - Grass Ain't Greener". HotNewHipHop.com. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  14. ^ Platon, Adelle (5 May 2016). "Chris Brown Previews 'Heartbreak on a Full Moon' Album With New Single 'Grass Ain't Greener'". Billboard.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Hip-Hop". Uproxx.com. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Chris Brown Dissing Karrueche Tran in 'Grass Ain't Greener'? Singer Releases New Song on Birthday". 5 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Chris Brown Regrets His Decisions on "Grass Ain't Greener" - XXL". 5 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Chris Brown Releases New Song 'Grass Ain't Greener' on His Birthday". 5 May 2016.
  19. ^ Fleischer, Adam. "Chris Brown Disputes Age-Old Cliche, Probably Finds A Hit In The Process". Mtv.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  20. ^ "Chris Brown - Grass Ain't Greener". Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ Bacher, Danielle (2 March 2017). "Chris Brown's Downward Spiral: Insiders Open Up About His Struggles With Addiction and Anger". Billboard.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  22. ^ "[VIDEO] Chris Brown Releases 'Grass Ain't Greener' Music Video — Watch Here - Hollywood Life". Archived from the original on 2016-08-27. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  23. ^ "Watch Chris Brown's Cinematic 'Grass Ain't Greener' Video". Capitalxtra.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  24. ^ "Video: Chris Brown – 'Grass Ain't Greener'". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  25. ^ "Chris Brown Fights Dancing Vampires In "Grass Ain't Greener" Video". 2dopeboyz.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  26. ^ "Chris Brown Finally Premiere 'Grass Ain't Greener' Video". Urbanislandz.com. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  27. ^ Ryan, Gavin (May 14, 2016). "ARIA Singles: Drake 'One Dance' Still No 1". Noise11. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  28. ^ "ARIA Urban Singles Chart" (PDF). ARIA. May 15, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  30. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  31. ^ "Chris Brown Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  32. ^ "Chris Brown Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  33. ^ "Chris Brown Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  34. ^ "Chris Brown Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  35. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.com. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  36. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Songs". Billboard.com. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  37. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Chris Brown – Grass Ain't Greener". British Phonographic Industry.
  39. ^ "American single certifications – Chris Brown – Grass Ain't Greener". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  40. ^ *Australia: "Grass Ain't Greener - Single by Chris Brown". iTunes (AU).
  41. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases | R&B Song and Hip-Hop Music Release Dates". Allaccess,com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
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