The singer takes a break from throwing bottles, starting fights, and generally making it difficult to regard him as a decent person to work on his new album.

Brown previewed his sixth album, entitled X, for Rolling Stone. Expected for release in late summer or early fall, Brown wanted to avoid “Euro beats,” opting for “the Quincy Jones approach.” To that end, he enlisted Timbaland and protege Danja along with newcomer DJ Rockstar for the album’s production.

As for featurees, Kendrick Lamar is the only confirmed guest, and the rapper was an easy choice. “I picked Kendrick because his subject matter as a lyricist is beyond everybody else’s. There’s a substance to what he says. It’s also fun to experience the ambitions and aspirations of a younger artist who’s just learning how the game works.” Sure to make headlines is a collaboration between Brown and Rihanna on a song which “may or may not make it, but you know, because she’s already on it, it’s a strong possibility.”

For the album’s title track, Brown reunited with ‘Look At Me Now’ hitmaker Diplo for a track that Rolling Stone says “thunders from dubstep bass to trap beats, with sirens announcing a huge anthemic chorus that builds like a rave drop stretched out like taffy.” So there’s that.

As for his frequent bad behavior, Brown uses the opportunity to close the door on his rocky past. “Basically, I’m saying the negativity is in the past for me. I’m just all about positivity and moving forward, being able to X out the negativity and stay on a focused path,” he says. “Now, instead of me being the temperamental guy that everyone thinks I am, I’m more about crafting that into my music, so when my fans hear it, they can feel it.”