J. Brown is in a zone. The singer-songwriter has been coming on strong all 2022 with singles, videos and his debut album Chapter & Verse, which he released in May. Later this month, he'll drop a deluxe edition with three new tracks, one of which is his latest single, the smooth ballad “Red Bottoms.”
Written by Steve James and produced by Scarecrow, the song title references the famous footwear by designer Christian Louboutin with their trademark red soles. The "bloody shoes" have become a status symbol of sorts, and J. Brown mentions them while singing about his lady whose great job gives her the means to experience the good life and all of its trappings.
Brown shares a glimpse of how large she's living on the first verse over a sound bed of synths, bass and programmed drums. "She’s a hard worker / She grinds and gets it on her own / Brand new Benz and condo / This girl has got it going on," he croons. Her affinity for the finer things in life isn't necessarily a bad thing when her love for those things is placed in the proper perspective. J. calls her "materialistic" throughout the song, but despite the word's definition, it isn't meant in a negative way. He assures her, "Ain't nothing wrong with spoiling yourself."
J. Brown feels good about "Red Bottoms" and deservedly so because it's a great slow jam. When he announced the track on Instagram, he made sure to add a note stating, “Trust me, R&B isn’t dead!” circling back to Diddy's recent comments about the current state of R&B. In J. Brown's hands, the genre is clearly doing just fine.
Chapter & Verse (Deluxe Edition) will be released on Friday, September 30th. In addition to "Red Bottoms," the project will include new tracks "Better" and "Baby Can I." More J. Brown for our playlists? Say less!
While J. Brown gets ready to drop the expanded version of his debut album, he's also planning to embark on his Chapter & Verse Tour in a few weeks. He'll be joined by songstress Mariah. on his headlining journey to City Winery locations in Chicago, Nashville, D.C. and Philadelphia through early October. Before you visit City Winery's website to grab tickets, give "Red Bottoms" a spin below.