Chris Brown must be having fun with the promo run duties of his newest full-length undertaking, BROWN, however he’s as a substitute the goal of a brutal evaluation of his album. Pitchfork gave Chris Brown’s album an abysmal 1.3 ranking, and followers on-line are piling on, with some additionally pushing again.

Pitchfork’s takedown of Chris Brown’s latest set didn’t mince phrases, because the reviewer instantly dropped a number of zingers, as much as and together with his home violence incident with then-girlfriend Rihanna, Brown’s continued quest for redemption contemplating his success within the final 12 months, and extra. However one of many extra aggressive angles taken is the next:

If I have been on the Chris Brown PR payroll, I’d counsel he simply cop to all of BROWN being AI, as a result of if not, he’s received larger issues. It’s exhausting to seek out something redeemable in regards to the album, and I attempted exhausting. I needed to love “Sluggish Jamz” as a result of it has the cloudy, slow-mo bounce of DeVanté Swing’s Da Bassment demos, however Brown’s historical past offers his intercourse diaries a sinister edge: “When it feels this good you’ll be able to’t say no.” I needed to love “#BodyGoals,” with Tank, as a result of it’s at all times sort of humorous seeing the previous heads attempt to make TikTok development music. However Brown doesn’t match Tank’s foolish craving; his lust is a crutch. He’s not even good at glomming onto developments anymore, which had been his factor for the reason that very starting, contemplating “Run It!” was a food regimen “Yeah!” His horny drill one-off, “It Relies upon,” has been getting nonstop play on Sizzling 97 for a 12 months, and my idea is that when he co-opted Money Cobain’s sound, he flattened the coolness of your entire subgenre. I believe he picked up his Jamaican patois on the Vybz Kartel-assisted “F*ck and Social gathering” from learning Taye Diggs in How Stella Bought Her Groove Again. In comparison with the best way he butchers Memphis membership rap on “Name Your Identify,” a $uicideBoy$ mixtape would possibly as effectively be Mystic Stylez.

Contemplating the aforementioned good favor Brown achieved in 2025, together with his Grammy Award win for Finest R&B Album for 11:11 (Deluxe) and his sold-out Breezy Bowl XX tour, the Virginia native appeared poised to soar increased with all the optimistic momentum.

Whereas Chris Brown is having fun with the assist of his most devoted followers for BROWN, there are others who agree with Pitchfork’s breakdown. We’ve received reactions from all sides beneath.

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Picture: Getty