Chris Brown is firing back after Pitchfork brutally slammed his new album “Brown” in a review that quickly went viral online. The music outlet gave the 27-track project a shocking 1.3 out of 10 rating, with senior writer Alphonse Pierre going as far as to call the album “a real piece of sh-t” in the scathing critique. But Brown made it crystal clear he is not losing sleep over the backlash.
In a fiery selfie-style video shared to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Brown addressed the criticism head-on while hyping up both his fanbase and his upcoming projects. “F-ck that! We kickin’ they a-s, goddamnit,” the singer said. “We ain’t lettin’ up. I’mma keep my foot on they neck, and we ain’t stoppin’. You heard me?”
Brown also reassured fans that his upcoming “R&B Tour with Usher” is still moving forward despite the controversy surrounding the album’s release. “I’m not gon’ tell you what’s more to come, but it’s comin’!” he teased.
The Grammy winner later doubled down, insisting he does not care what critics think about the project. “I know exactly who my fans is, and I know exactly who hearing this album,” Brown said.
Toward the end of the video, Brown also took an unexpected shot at pop singer Zara Larsson while discussing listeners who dislike his music. “If you not my fan, I don’t want you to listen to my sh-t,” he said. “Go listen to motherf-ckin’ Zara Larsson or somebody.”
Larsson previously revealed she had Brown blocked on Spotify due to his past controversies. The outburst came just hours after Pitchfork’s brutal review began circulating heavily across X, where the article reportedly amassed more than 10 million views within a day.
Pitchfork Called Chris Brown’s Album ‘Soulless’
In the now-viral review, Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre harshly criticized nearly every aspect of the album. “[Brown] isn’t romantic or funny or sexy or sultry or dancey or soulful or vulnerable or honest or creative or inspired whatsoever,” Pierre wrote. “It’s soulless, hit-chasing music with nothing going for it if you aren’t personally invested in the Chris Brown culture wars.”
He continued, “The empty dread is present in his melodies, which over the years have become unstylishly digital, unlike, say, the kiddie-bop smoothness of ‘Say Goodbye’ or the ratchet R&B Auto-Tune foolery of ‘Loyal.’”
Pierre later intensified the criticism even further by writing, “This album is a real piece of sh-t. Why even write about it?”
Fans Split Over Brown Backlash
The review also referenced Brown’s long-running public controversies and questioned how media coverage has contributed to his continued commercial success. “For years, traditional media has been tiptoeing around the popularity of Chris Brown, and in reality, that benefits nobody but him,” he continued. “The lack of critical engagement with his music has allowed him to contextualize his own redemption with statistics and sob stories.”
As the review spread online, social media users quickly became divided over both Pitchfork’s language and Brown himself. Some fans argued the review felt more personal than musical. “Artists have to start getting their fanbase together to boycott publications like this,” one person wrote. “Regardless of how you feel about them album their is a level of professionalism that should be on display.”
They added, “This sounds like someone who doesn’t like Chris Brown personally and was given the assignment of the album review.” Another user added, “I get why he is disliked but it’s obvious that this is a judgement of him and not the music.”
Others, however, defended the harsh criticism while referencing Brown’s past controversies, including his abusive relationship with Rihanna.
Chris Brown Previously Addressed ‘Mixed Reviews’
This is not the first time Brown has responded to criticism surrounding the album. Just days earlier, the singer acknowledged the “mixed reviews” while thanking fans for still listening to the project.
“I can take my audience’s criticism and opinions,” Brown wrote via Instagram Stories on Sunday. “The last 3 albums have came under the same scrutiny and it eventually grew on people. Thank you for even taking the time out to listen.”
