Released May 5, 2016 Recorded 2015 Length 3:21 | Format Digital download Genre Alternative R&B
trap Label RCA | |
"Grass Ain't Greener" is a song by American singer Chris Brown. It was released for digital download on May 5, 2016 as a standalone single with RCA Records. The song was produced by Nikhil. "Grass Ain't Greener" is a mid-tempo song, with a mainly alternative R&B genre, with a bouncy tune, and minor influences of trap, with lyrics that tells a story of how his side girl became his main girl and their relationship changed for the worse, combining passion and romance, even though Brown is wary of the intentions of his female liaisons.
Contents
Background
On January 10, 2016 Brown had previewed some unreleased songs on his Periscope and Instagram profiles, showing him dancing and lip-synching these songs, and "Grass Ain't Greener" was one of these songs. On April 27, Brown announced the publication of a new single on May 5. On May 3 he has revealed that the single published will be "Grass Ain't Greener", showing its cover art. The single was released on May 5, 2016, the day of Brown's 27th birthday.
Composition and lyrics
"Grass Ain't Greener" is an alternative R&B, mid-tempo song, with a bouncy tune, that features beats and minor influences of trap. The production of the song is based on a roland TR-808. After the first two sung verses, Brown visits his rapping skills in the final verse of the song. Lyrically, the song tells a story of how his side girl became his main girl and their relationship changed for the worse, combining passion and romance, even though Brown is wary of the intentions of his female liaisons. The crooner calls out an ex for fronting and admits he's fed up with blowing up her phone, 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".
Music video
On August 26, 2016 Brown uploaded the music video for "Grass Ain't Greener" on his YouTube and Vevo account.
Synopsis
The video starts with Chris and his friends (one of them being Famous Fresh) driving on a lonely road in the dark. His friends tease him how he’s “always chasing girls” and mention that his ex may be where they’re headed. Then the guys finally arrive to foggy club with cool fluorescent lights, where dancers in lingerie laying in hoops that are hanging from the ceiling. Chris looks around while flashes of a girl (his ex) pop up in his mind. The girl is dressed in tribal-like clothing with her hair teased and white paint on her body. The dancers end up being vampires and the dancer takes a bite into Chris' neck. Chris starts to chase around a girl in a black bikini top and she looks like the same girl who took a bite out of his neck. He basically takes a trip to another world when he’s in a grey, forest-like setting where people are running and jumping through the trees. The video ends with the girl he was having flashes of in the beginning of the video. She seductively looks at the camera before she turns and walks away into the forest.
Reception
Capital XTRA called the video "cinematic" and "dark". A writer for Rap-Up described the video as "mysterious". The sites 2DBZ and Urban Islandz noted that the girl that is supposed to be the ex-girlfriend of Brown in the video could be reportedly referred to Karrueche Tran.