Ciara attracts backlash for new collaboration with Chris Brown

4 August, 2023

Chris Brown and Ciara pictured together in 2007

Ciara is facing criticism on social media over her new collaboration with Chris Brown.

The Texas-born singer teamed up with Brown on the single ‘How We Roll’, which was released today (Friday, August 4). It’ll appear on Ciara’s forthcoming EP ‘Ci Ci’ (out August 18).

Some fans, however, have questioned the R&B artist’s decision to work with Brown again after he was convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna back in 2009.

He has since been accused of assault multiple times. In 2021, Brown was under police investigation after a woman alleged he had “smacked the back of her head so hard her weave came off”. That case was ultimately dismissed owing to “insufficient evidence”.

Upon ‘How We Roll’ being announced earlier this week, numerous fans took to Twitter to air their disappointment in Ciara. “Cute. A domestic abuser,” one person tweeted. “What a shining example.”

Another asked: “Why is Ciara platforming Chr*s Br*wn knowing he’s an abuser?”

Elsewhere, a Twitter user criticised Ciara for choosing to collaborate with Brown over “all the upcoming rappers” who could’ve featured on ‘How We Roll’.

Someone else wrote: “Disrespect of black women will continue as long as black women keep allowing it to happen. Why are you all still supporting him? Why are you supporting the women that choose to be associated with him?”

Another said: “Every time an artist (especially female) collab with this man, I wonder how they’re going to explain it to their children. How do you explain to them that you don’t care about his long rap sheet or his victims because he can dance and carry a tune?”

You can see those tweets and more reactions below.

Ciara toured with Brown back in 2005. Additionally, he featured on the singer’s track ‘Turntables’ from her 2009 album ‘Fantasy Ride’. Around the time of the record’s release, Ciara explained that she’d considered removing Brown’s vocals after he was charged with assaulting Rihanna.

But she ultimately decided to keep Brown’s contribution. “I wanted to focus on the music and leave it at that,” she told MTV News, “because it’s a record that I’ve had for a while, I love the way it sounds and it’s one of my most favourite records on the album.

“And if I alter it, it’s not gonna sound the same. So for me, really it’s nothing more than about the music, so I kept it there.”

However, Ciara said it “definitely took time” for her to come to that decision.

Ciara has not yet responded to the criticism surrounding ‘How We Roll’.

Earlier this year, Chlöe Bailey defended her Chris Brown-featuring single ‘How Does It Feel’. Brown, meanwhile, took to Instagram in February to rant about the “hate” he still gets for a “mistake” he made when he was younger.

In 2022, Jordin Sparks joined Kelly Rowland in defending Brown after he was booed by audience members at the American Music Awards.

Joey Bada$$ also defended his decision to collaborate with Brown following a backlash from fans, saying “people make mistakes”. In 2021, Lizzo was criticised online after footage emerged of her calling the singer “my favourite person in the whole fucking world”.

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