Chris Brown Fires Back at Scathing Pitchfork Review of New Album

Chris Brown has addressed a scathing Pitchfork review that's been circulating widely online. On Tuesday, May 12, the 37-year-old artist shared a video message to his Instagram Story in the wake of the publication's harsh critique of his new album, BROWN.

The Pitchfork review awarded the project a 1.3 out of 10, with the critic writing: "This album is a real piece of s–t. Why even write about it? For years, traditional media has been tiptoeing around the popularity of Chris Brown, and in reality, that benefits nobody but him. The lack of critical engagement with his music has allowed him to contextualize his own redemption with statistics and sob stories."

The review further contended that the album "isn't romantic or funny or sexy or sultry or dancey or soulful or vulnerable or honest or creative or inspired whatsoever. It's soulless, hit-chasing music with nothing going for it if you aren't personally invested in the Chris Brown culture wars."

In his response, Brown addressed his supporters directly, saying: "Team Breezy. I know people want me to get on here and, you know, say some sad s–t, but f–k that. We kicking their s–t, goddammit. We ain't letting up."

He continued with confidence about his trajectory, stating: "I'mma keep my foot on their neck, and we ain't stopping. You hear me? We doing this motherf–ker. Tour, more s–t to come. I'm not gonna tell you what's more to come, but it's coming at the end of the day."

Brown emphasized his focus on his fanbase rather than critics, declaring: "I know exactly who my fans is, and I know exactly who hearing this album. If you're not my fan, I don't want you to listen to my s–t. Go listen to motherf–king Zara Larsson or somebody. F–k me."

The reference appears to stem from Swedish singer Zara Larsson, 28, who recently participated in a "Cheap Shots" segment with Cosmopolitan. When asked which artist would never appear on a Spotify playlist of hers, Larsson revealed she has blocked numerous artists on the platform. "There's so many artists I've blocked on Spotify," she explained. "And all of them are like, abusers. You certainly wouldn't find, like, a Chris Brown song."