Feature: Does Chris Brown deserve no stars ever?

Fri 10th Aug, 2012 in Features

Chris Brown may be a shit human being, but that doesnt mean his music is beyond fair critical appraisal, writes CAITLIN WELSH following Chloe Papas infamous no stars ever review.

Last week, Chloe Papas scorched-earth review of Chris Browns new album Fortune spread across the interwebs, trailing righteous applause and gratified commenters in its wake. BEST REVIEW YOULL EVER READ, crowed several American blogs. In essence, she said the album has no artistic value whatsoever. It is also often, like far too much commercial R&B and hip-hop, incredibly anti-women in its themes. Moreover, Chris Brown is a piece of shit who has shown no genuine remorse for his felony assault conviction against then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, only a petulant resentment that people continue to mention it at all. I agree with essentially everything she said.

But I find it hard to believe that Papas went to her editor and asked to review Browns latest album because she was interested in hearing what innovative new direction Browns music was taking. Most music critics have at one point or another taken a review assignment licking their lips at the prospect of a good old-fashioned Christians-vs-lions evisceration, or because they already have an opinion formed or half-formed and would very much like to have an audience for it. A good music critic tells you what they really think about an album. A good music critic is able to set aside preconceptions, to admit when they are wrong or simply surprised by a record. Papas was never in any danger of enjoying or being surprised by Fortune, but even if she had been, that was not the purpose of the piece. Her inability or refusal to engage wit! h the actual music at all is not only amateurish, but doesnt add to the conversation at all.

People have acknowledged that slamming your girlfriends head in a car door is wrong. This is excellent, and worth celebrating. The outcry against Brown following his felony assault conviction has raised awareness of what is obfuscatingly and euphemistically called domestic violence. Every time I see a smart public figure publicly denouncing Brown and/or his defenders particularly a man I rejoice a little. But if youve ever tweeted anything negative about Brown, you mightve come across Team Breezy.

While many of them are simply pop fans who cant or wont let his awfulness interfere with their enjoyment of his music, there are others who clearly spend all their time looking for critics of Brown to abuse. Once they pop up, it can be fun to bait them. They tend to be just on the wrong side of literate; use a lot of all-caps; and when backed into a corner, will often drop something like, WHO MADE YOU GOD TO JUDGE ANOTHER HUMAN BEING? Even more horrifyingly, many of them tweeted after his Grammys performance that theyd, like, totally let him beat them any time.

They are called Team Breezy by themselves and by Brown. He thanks them a lot. While its become de rigeur for every pop stars glittery minion army to have their own demonym, theres something on the nose, even a little etymologically sinister about the adversarial vibe here. If they are Team Breezy, who are we? Are we The Opposition? Team Rihanna? Team Drake? Team Not Beating Women?

The arguments that both Brown and his followers spout in his defence tend to run along one of two lines. One is to point out all the other entertainers who have beaten, stabbed, robbed, raped, bludgeoned, snorted, crashed, abused or otherwise fucked up real bad, and been welcomed back into the fold after some or no time at all. From Errol Fly! nn to Cha! rlie Sheen and all the woman-bashing Browns (James, Bobby, etc), celebrity history is full of awful humans. The difference is Chris Brown happens to have committed his crime in an era of TMZ, the 24-hour news cycle and Twitter. We all saw a horrifying picture of what he actually did to his girlfriend, so yes, few of us have rushed to forgive him.

But the other criticism levelled at writers is that we are attacking the man, not the music. Papas certainly prioritised lambasting Browns horrible-person status over tearing into the music. Shes far from the only one taking this tack, just the most visible right now. Ive done it myself, albeit on Twitter and not in a published review. Chad Taylor, a critic for an Iowa paper, published a six-word review of the album: Chris Brown hits women. Enough said. By all means, refuse to engage with Chris Browns music, give it no stars ever, but then you also have to give no stars ever to the industry that supports him, the performers who defend him, the producers who work with him and all the celebrities throughout the years who have ever hit a woman, child or a puppy. Otherwise, you are a hypocrite, like it or not.

If we choose to review Chris Browns record, we have a responsibility to approach it with the respect and open mind we give to anything else.

Loudly proclaiming that youre never going to pay attention to him in a published review could be seen if youre cynical as piggybacking off Browns notoriety for your own ends. Thats exactly the same as all the artists who have made music with Brown and stuck by him. Indeed, the commercial imperative of working with a man who generates such tremendous publicity outweighs any moral compulsion that might say its best to ignore him. As music critics, if we choose to review Chris Browns record, we have a responsibility to approach it with the respect and open mind we give to anything else. Prepare to be surprised; engage with the music itself; and, sure, let your preconcept! ions of t! he artists personal life and failings inform your opinion.

But the responsibility of the music critic, such as it is, is to talk about the music. Writers from all over have reviewed Lana Del Reys flaccid palimpsest of a record by talking about the hype and her lips. Theyre reviewing The Newsroom by talking about The West Wing and Sorkins shitty behaviour towards a female interviewer. If youre reviewing Chris Brown if youre going to take exposure and column space away from a great record in order to take potshots at a performer everyone knows is a completely shit human tear this obtuse, misogynistic and derivative album a new one and let that speak for itself. Be a sharp, sly voice for critical and human integrity, in a sea of people bleating the obvious and feeding the trolls.

Listen to Chris Browns Fortune: