Chris Brown has a new single called “I Can Transform Ya,” featuring Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz, streaming right now on his official website. Two decent verses from Weezy make this one a somewhat easier listen than “Twitter,” the grating track Brown leaked earlier this month. One thing hasn’t changed since then, though: I’m still not ready to hear this kind of music from Chris Brown.
The singer also recently announced a headlining concert date on Oct. 27, his first since becoming a convicted felon. I can’t decide whether to feel baffled or outraged by his apparent decision to charge forward with a comeback before even finishing his court-mandated trash-pickup hours. Brown was sentenced to that community service just one month ago after pleading guilty to assaulting his former girlfriend Rihanna in February. Does he think we’ve already forgotten what happened? As EW’s Michael Slezak noted when “Twitter” leaked on Sept. 10, Brown needs to take some serious time off from promoting his career to think about why he committed such an awful crime and make sure it never happens again. Many of you agreed at the time, as did I. Call me crazy, but I don’t think a 19-day break was what any of us had in mind.
It’s really a shame — “I Can Transform Ya” isn’t a terrible song at all. (Stream it after the jump if you want.) Unfortunately, I just can’t hear this guy sing Auto-Tuned come-ons right now without cringing. Can you? When, if ever, do you think it will be appropriate for Brown to hawk new music?
More from EW’s Music Mix:
Chris Brown leaks a track called “Twitter,” but I don’t want to hear it
Lady Gaga on Kanye’s VMAs outburst: “He feels so f—ing bad!”
Guilty Pleasures bracket results: And the greatest guilty-pleasure artist of all time is…
Adam Lambert burns up the pre-sale album charts
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Oh Please Simon.. Stop Hatin’ The guys gotta move forward sometime. He’s a young guy. This is what he does for a living. Give him a break. No we have not forgotten what happened but why should we sit and ponder about it forever? It’s called moving forward which is something you need to do. Just like the public needs to get over the VMA incident betweeen Kanye West and Taylor Swift. She has accepted his appology so now the world should move on. Life is too short to ponder over mistakes. Just move on. MOVE ON!!!
thats what im talking bout.chris brown can do whatever he want.he gotta keep trying,so thanks haters!
Either way, this song is lame. I’m sure he’ll do fine though, his fans don’t seem to mind that he beats women. I guess that’s their prerogative.
That’s not true. I’m a HUGE fan, but i don’t believe in violence towards women, or any other type of violence. Stop sterotyping. It’s ignorant.
although kanyes incident was pretty neurotic, what chris did is MUCH MUCH worse. please stop comparing two incidents that are completely different.
No…it makes perfect sense to compare. Yes, what Chris did was worse, but that’s not the comparison. She’s basically saying that Kanye did a bad thing, but yet Taylor forgave him. Same with Riri and Chris Brown. He did a bad thing, and Rihanna forgave him…so if Rihanna’s supposed to be the “horribly battered victim”, and even she still accepted his apology, why can’t you or anyone else? He didn’t hit u.
We have to remember Chris was the first famous male in history to get into a fight with a fmale.
no he isn’t…guess u must be…what…3 years old.
Brown sure has the beats down: as in beating down women that is.
No Joke It Not Only Sounds Very Similar To Beyonce’s Upgrade U as far as the music, but lyrically he’s basically saying the same thing. Had Chris Brown taken some time off from music, really did some soul searching, and possibly even contributed hsi time to domestic violence causes, he might be better received.
WTH are you talking about?? It’s been like 7 months. wat 19 days. You think he hasn’t thought about. He tweeted that he is getting conseling and doing community service. He also tweets to start a cause to reduce teen voilence. He has to make a earning in life you know. I guess he should not make any money until u tell him too sihhh retards
19 days since Twitter. Read carefully.
Like it just not loving the hook besides that its a great song.
It’s the bomb!!! Everyone has their opinion and you’re entitled to it. Maybe people think he should finish his 5 years probabtion and community labor before he perform or make new music. Question it’s his job, livehood, if you had a job and say… you left the scene of a accident, later you went in to the police station, someone was hurt bad, you were let out on bail. Now you are given a court date once you attend your court date, they fine you and give you mmm… a year probation for leaving the scene of the accident, now my question is should you quit your job? No!! it had nothing to do with your incident!!
this song is hott! stop hating, its 7-8 months after the fact. You (the media) did the same thing to mike jackson, kicked him while he was down. Now you guys want to praise him. Let chris ( and rihanna in that case) move on. THis song is hot, and he is one of the most talented artists in the industry.
No.
F-ed up. Most of his fans are 14 year old girls. They are the last people that should be sent the message that beating your girlfriend deserves a slap on the wrist and then everything’s fine and we can pretend it never happened. I can’t understand why ANYONE could stomach listening to his music right now. He needs to go away for a WHILE.
BOO.
nobody will ever forget about what he did but he made a mistake and he’s paying for it. He even said he was sorry for what went down and deep down in my heart i know if he could change it he would.
NEVER.
this is GR8……
50 year old grandmother hear and I think a year off from your JOB is fine for ‘fighting’ with your girlfriend. Leave him alone and pick on Jack Nicholson,Charlie Sheen, Sean Penn all the alist stars that got away with NO sentence for beating the hell out of their mates. Chris and his mom are exceptionally decent people…
asdf, thanks for the wise words! Tell these morons to go pick on Sean Penn and the rest who got away with everything they did with no slap on the wrist at all. These people won’t be happy until Chris Brown puts a gun in his mouth.
Thank you Lee. I’m glad that there are people on here with some common sense.
HEY SIMON THANKS FOR PROMOTING CHRIS’s MUSIC ON UR SITE!
this is a great song, stop hating
Now is a great time for him to release some music
Simon…Geez the kid has been humiliated and is serving his punishment.Rhianna has moved on and so should EW and you..go after Roman Polanski
Seriously I’m not even a Chris Brown fan, I’m more into Pop/Rock But I’ll say “Forever” I do like. Anyways, I’m just tired of Feb/8 it’s been 8 months going on to a year. Enough is enough, let it die down. Enjoy his music or don’t. But to say we need more time. WHAT? You guys weren’t abused what is there to need more time off???????????? LOL! In 2010 I really don’t want to hear about this anymore. It it be.
I’m diffinitely not ready to hear from Chris. I think he should fulfill his community labor and do his year of anger management before even considering doing music. He has yet to seem truely remorseful.
I’m happy he is putting out new music…the song is catchy and growing on me…if the video is him dancing then it will be a hit…
I wish him and Rihanna the best. Matter of fact, she needs to release some music b/c she is looking irrelevant (going from fashion show to fashion show like a black Paris Hilton) and I want to see her in regular clothes i.e. some Chuck Taylor’s and jeans.
juju: stop posting incoherence and go earn your GED, cuz!
Yeah: Chris Brown can “transform ya” alright. With his fists. Ask Rhianna.
That is so old. Not even funny. Boo.
He still thinks he’s a victim and made excuses left and right on Larry King. No excuses. He was always over rated. Time for early retirement.
When did he ever say that he was the victim? I mean, my God. Like I say I agree with Lee. Some of y’all won’t quit until he kills himself. Let him live his life. WITHOUT JUDGING HIM!
When did he ever make any excuses and/or say he was a victim?
I think someone needs to learn how to listen and comprehend, because that dosen’t even make any sense.
I hope this lame, woman-beater’s career is over. He the same weak little boy who will never step up to a man or know what it feels like to be a real man. And for all the people who are saying “it’s been 7-8 months” are the same stupid girls who probably let men beat on them as well. Wake up!!!!
MSSSC!! u r retarded!!! CB’s fans do not have 14 or 15 only!! he has fans of all ages…men n women, young people, childrens….i mean my god!!! watz ur problem? ur comment was very stupid, please dont say dat again!
Love It. Rihanna who? Roman Polanski was an admitted pedophile but a genius director. You have to be able to seperate the personal from professional.
Okay…so since Roman Polanski was a good director, that completely gives him a right to drug and rape 13 year old girls.
this song really doesn’t catch my interest. i liked him better in his first album, without the auto-tune.
My, my… can we just move on… Roman Polanski and R. Kelly: Pedophilic Celebrities, R.Kelly got off in Florida because charges were dropped due to a lack of probable cause for the search warrants, yet there were 3 photos of him having sex with a underage girl, not Chicago, that was last year trail… Hollywood is rallying behind Roman Polanski,, I watched Good Morning America today and I couldn’t believe just how many people are speaking in his defense, I don’t care how long ago it was, it was wrong and he should be punished, yet they want him released and charges dropped,said that Polanski has paid the price for raping a 13 year old girl, mmm.. he fled the country because he had to serve 44 days in jail… wow!!! I guess they meant he couldn’t be a part of the Hollywood scene. People are daily bashing a boy who made a bad decision at 19… he accepted his punishment more than I can say for the two of them… he’s doing his community labor and probation, neither of them had to serve any… Roman Polanski continue on with his career, Hollywood gave him an absent Oscar in 2002 for a movie he co produced see, he didn’t stop working? I guess were a little bit double standard here… or raping children don’t count as abuse? I’m wishing him the best and really to see that he’s moving forward in his career.
CHRIS ANT DID NOTHEN TO ME SOOOOO I STILLLL LOVE HEMM
i hope his career can take off again and everyone can move on and give him another chance…Even Rihanna could atleast be friends in a few years
Okay, America is officially hypocrites. Let the boy play his music. Music is his refuge. If you cut the only thing he loves, what else can he do? Seriously, all this huff & puff from you guys it’s borderline insane. I’m trying to remember if this was how the world reacted when R. Kelly slept with those 14yr olds. Geez.
He already lost the woman he loves to the legal system. I see no reason for him to lose what he loves doing, his music.