Tens of thousands of members of Team Breezy swarmed to Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Sunday night (Oct. 5) to experience Chris Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX Tour.
After Bryson Tiller and Jhené Aiko warmed up the crowd, Brown was greeted with raucous cheers when he emerged from the stage at 8:25 p.m.
Rocking a red Breezy Bowl varsity jacket, Brown opened his exhilarating show with “Run It!,” his debut single that spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005. It was the perfect way to kick off the 50-song set, celebrating the R&B icon’s 20-year reign. (His self-titled debut album’s milestone anniversary is in November.)
Breezy Bowl XX, Brown’s first stadium tour, was curated specifically for Team Breezy as Brown’s form of gratitude for their unshakable support throughout his career — the ups and the downs. The tour launched just a year after Brown’s highly successful 11:11 Tour, which grossed $82.3 million, according to Billboard. The publication further reports that Breezy Bowl XX is set to become his highest-selling tour of all time, according to forecasts.
But, Sunday night wasn’t about record-breaking accolades — it was about reflecting on the journey through song. Brown, 36, powered through a 50-song set that reaffirmed why he’s one of the best performers of his generation.
During Act One (The Rise), the superstar revisited early hits such as “Gimme That” and “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” as well as high-octane bangers like “Party” and “Turn Up the Music.” For Act Two (The Fall), he slowed things down to cover more contemplative material like “Angel Numbers,” “Deuces” and “Residuals.”
Brown’s 2008 single “Take You Down,” from his sophomore album Exclusive (2007), marked the first time he revealed his sensual side, signaling his shift from a teen sensation to a maturing young adult artist. Act Three (Fantasy) was devoted to beloved bedroom jams. After soaring in the air from the mainstage to the B-stage, while performing “Wall To Wall,” Brown slowed it down with passionate numbers like “Wet the Bed” and “Sweet Love.”
The final act (Legacy) was a nod to Brown’s genre-spanning hits, from the 8x platinum “Loyal” and afrobeats-tinged “Sensational” to his iconic duet “No Air” (with Jordin Sparks) and his RIAA diamond certified “No Guidance.”
Chris Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX Tour felt like a victory lap 20 years in the making. The Tappahannock, Virginia, native has evolved from prodigy to global superstar — even earning the title of “legend” from R&B maverick Usher himself. Despite two decades of success and accolades, Brown shows no signs of slowing down. He’s currently working on a new album, tentatively titled BROWN.
As fans await more details, he’s set to play additional shows in Washington, D.C., before heading to Birmingham and Raleigh, with the tour wrapping in New Orleans on Oct. 16.