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As if Normani isn’t already at odds with social media over the whereabouts of her debut album. The previous Fifth Concord member has as soon as once more disgruntled followers much more on Tuesday, when she cameoed within the music video for Chris Brown’s newest single “WE (We Embrace).”
The steamy five-minute video, which has already amassed 1.2 million views on YouTube, exhibits Normani arriving at Brown’s mansion at evening, the place they do some sexually-charged slow-dancing below purple strobe lights. In one other scene, the musicians kiss and embrace underwater.
Reactions rolled in rapidly on Twitter, the place customers appeared divided on the artists’ collaboration. Whereas some followers lauded Normani’s dancing expertise and chemistry with Brown, the “Wild Aspect” singer additionally acquired a substantialquantityofwarmth from customers disillusioned in her option to work with Brown, given his storied previous(and current) of abuse allegations and accusations of colorism.
“No person on Normani’s group ought to have to inform her to not work with Chris Brown once we all had functioning brains when the abuse occurred and he’s had a popularity since,” wrote one Twitter person, whose tweet has since gone viral. “It’s not about her being protected. It’s about her supporting him. Normani is grown and didn’t care, that’s it.”
“I really like my ladies @ChloeBailey &@Normani however them working with a KNOWN continued abuser, ie Chris Brown, is so very disappointing,” one other tweeted, referencing Chloe Bailey’s upcoming collaboration with the singer (and rapper the Recreation). “The place is the solidarity with home violence victims? That man has CONTINUED to abuse a number of ladies, kicks darkskin ladies outta golf equipment, and so forth. Sigh.”
Different followers additionally thought of Normani teaming up with Brown disrespectful, on condition that she was the first-ever ambassador for his ex-girlfriend Rihanna’s—whom he infamously assaulted in 2009— lingerie model SavageXFenty.
Along with the detrimental suggestions, a clip of Normani saying she “may change” Brown throughout an (undated) interview started circulating on Twitter after the video’s launch.
That’s simply one of many a number of interviews during which Normani espoused her love for Brown—like her 2016 Bombshell Magazine cowl story and a 2014 look with Fifth Concord on Ryan Seacrest’s radio present, during which she gushed in regards to the musician.
Anybody who’s adopted Brown’s profession or seen headlines in regards to the musician know that his home abuse of Rihanna is removed from the one stain on his popularity—though his legion of supporters on-line want to imagine in any other case. As just lately as this previous January, a lady filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to Brown, alleging he had raped her on a yacht. Final June, the LAPD investigated Brown on battery prices, after a lady accused the musician of slapping her so laborious that her weave fell out. He was not charged resulting from “inadequate proof.” Brown has since printed textual content messages between him and the lady that he claims show the 2 had a consensual encounter. He additionally notably acquired a five-year restraining order from his ex-girlfriend, mannequin and actress Karrueche Tran, again in 2017, after threatening her following their breakup. And in 2016, he was arrested for threatening a lady inside his house with a gun.
Understandably, in a post-#MeToo world, Normani cozying as much as a person with abuse allegations the size of a CVS receipt will not be one of the best look. Nor does it really feel like a obligatory transfer for her profession, on condition that the freshman pop singer has been in a position to stay within the zeitgeist regardless of an album rollout that has now spanned virtually three years. Normani doesn’t want a co-sign from a musician who, regardless of his decade-spanning profession, is arguably much less related than her within the 12 months 2022.
Worse, followers have framed the cameo for example of the singer (and her group) taking pictures herself within the foot as soon as once more. Earlier than this newest controversy, the “Motivation” was defending herself in opposition to Twitter customers who have been mocking a snippet she posted of upcoming music. And her newest single, titled “Truthful,” barely made a blip on folks’s radars.
Whereas her cameo with Chris Brownhas seemingly remoted numerous Normani’s supporters—and it’s laborious to image how she will be able to transfer on from this incident with no formal apology— possibly the backlash would be the motivation (wink, wink) that she and her group must do higher.