A new parental / consumer advisory was spotted in a HMV store in London, Chris Brown’s latest album comes with a special warning label: WARNING: Do not buy this album! This man beats women.
The Warning Label
But unlike the usual cautionary labels that come with albums that have explicit themes or language, this warning underscores the singer’s violent past. “WARNING: Do not buy this album! This man beats women,” the stickers read.
Those Behind the Label
On Thursday, Twitter user@piercepenniless posted a photograph of Brown’s album “Fortune” adorned with the domestic violence warning stickers:
The photo was reportedly snapped in an HMV store in London. According to Gigwise, the labels are believed to be “the work of anti-domestic violence campaigners.”
HMV has yet to release a statement regarding the warning, neither has it confirmed or denied being aware of the being placed on the album.
More Negative Reactions to This Release
This is not the first time that Brown (and his new album) has come under fire. In July, music critics lambasted Brown for his history of violence after “Fortune”‘s release, with music journalist Chloe Papas calling it a “repugnant record that we can only hope will be [the singer’s] last.”
In her review, dubbed by some as “best album review you will ever read,” Papas argued that it would be categorically unreasonable for someone to buy Brown’s album:
Regardless of whether Chris Brown has any musical talent (he doesn’t) or whether this album is any good (it isn’t), the man recently brutally assaulted a woman, and is still regularly invited back to award shows and worshipped by ‘Breezy’ fans worldwide. Which is, frankly, disgusting. And for those of you out there saying you need to separate the music and the man: screw you, don’t encourage his actions. Final words: don’t buy this album.
Reasons Behind the Warning Label
The 23-year-old R&B singer infamously assaulted ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. He has also more recently made headlines for his involvement in
other violent incidents.
Brown found himself embroiled in another controversy this week when he revealed a new tattoo on his neck that appears to show a woman’s beaten, bruised face. Both Brown and his tattoo artist have insisted, however, that the new ink is not a depiction of Rihanna’s battered face, as some have said, but rather a that of a Mexican sugar skull.
Brown Attempts to Clean Up His Image
With all this negative backlash in the air, Brown is reportedly attempting to clean up his image. According to MTV, the singer visited domestic abuse victims at a charity festival in Los Angeles this week. “It’s in my heart to show my fans, my friends and family and the families at Jenesse [a domestic violence intervention program in L.A.] who stood by me they were right to give me another chance. I’m working hard to make them proud,” he said.
How the Album is Doing
According to the Washington Post, Brown’s “Fortune” “debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 135,000 first week sales.” However, as of Thursday, the newspaper reported that the album “has only sold 284,000 copies” since it was released in July.
