‘Weight Has Taken Its Toll’: Bobby Brown’s Return to the Stage Has Critics Weighing In on Whether the Bad Boy of R&B Has Still Got It
The iconic R&B group New Edition has finished up their special extended residency at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, and fans are gobsmacked at the radical transformation of Bobby Brown, from an ’80s sex symbol to a modern-day cool grandpa.
Spawned from the one collective are several chart-topping acts that typically get their own sets during the show. BBD (Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, and Ricky Bell) had a gang of hits. Both Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill had stellar solo careers. But few had the meteoric success of the King of R&B when he set out on his own in the late ’80s and dropped two albums, “King of Stage” in 1986 and “Don’t Be Cruel” in 1988.
No one was prepared for how successful “Don’t Be Cruel” singer would be. It was the No. 1-selling album in 1989 in the United States and went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide over the next 10 years.
Bobby Brown’s recent performance has fans concerned about his health and slow dance movements. (Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
The bad boy crooned, bumped and ground his way to the top of the charts and into teen girls’ hearts and into the hearts’ of pop stars like Janet Jackson and his first wife, Whitney Houston.
But 35 years later … Brown is not quite the same, and fans have noticed how hard his rock star life as affected him following a clip from one of his recent “Don’t Be Cruel” performances.
The fan clip featured the Boston native with a flank of background dancers and his band brothers, Michael, Ronnie and Ricky singing, rapping and dancing behind him.
Brown’s signature moves, once electric, now were 10 times slower. His vocals were not as crisp and heavily relied on the crowd. Still, his personality beamed.
OK Bobby Brown pic.twitter.com/MWhn7TpUYf
— Shawn K The King (@SKTheKingYT) July 18, 2024
Many observers weighed in on his performance. Some gave the “Roni” singer his props, while others dragged the one-time chart-topper.
“He still can put on a show!” one person said, while another co-signed and said it was good to see him lose some of the weight he had gained over the years — something that had previously prevented him from giving a good show.
Good to see him wit allat weight off
— Toledo $lim (@Suga_Slim1) July 19, 2024
“He remembers the moves just can’t execute as well but he’s still giving a good show,” an X user wrote.
Another fan shadily commented, “He got it but best buhlee them knees are noisier than a drive by in his old hood.” Meanwhile others joked, “More like Bobby Brownies” and said “bobby really lived 3 lives,” noting some of the drama he has experienced, including the deaths of his ex-wife, his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, his son, Bobby Brown Jr. — all of whom died of suspected drug overdoses. He endured all this while battling his own drug addiction.
An X user took it even further and noted, “Bobby use to be a great performer. Drugs and weight have taken its toll.”
In a reply, another Brown historian wrote, “Not so much the drugs. More so he’s have a few strokes, weight gain, real life family heartbreak multiple times.”
Not so much the drugs. More so he’s have a few strokes, weight gain, real life family heartbreak multiple times
— Protect yo MENTAL and yo CHICKEN (@WOOOOO_RICFLAIR) July 19, 2024
Still, there were some who remembered the star that used to be: “In his prime the only show that rivaled him was Prince and MJ. Argue with your mammy.”
New Edition has been going strong across six decades, forming in the late ’70s in the Roxbury projects and constantly touring in various iterations. In 2023, all six members, the original five and Gill, who joined the group on its classic 1988 “Heart Break” album, celebrated their 40th anniversary with a tour.
After two shows, Brown gracefully bowed out of the next two shows after not being able to keep up with the rigorous dance routines that all of his other brothers were mastering. His team released a statement saying the reason was due to “exhaustion.”
The “My Prerogative” star would not be down long. Though he appeared overweight and often tired, his love for performing and his fans have kept him going. While some fans mocked him for struggling through his routines, many were just happy to see that after years of hardship Brown was still pushing through.
It’s this mutual love from performer to fan that cements him as an integral part of the New Edition legacy — and also a reason why their shows remain sold out. Fans simply love Bobby no matter how he shows up.
The boy band responsible for hits like “Candy Girl,” “Cool It Now,” and “Can You Stand the Rain” launched their first-ever Las Vegas residency on Feb. 28, and after selling out each show were invited back for eight additional shows in July.