Rihanna is known for making bold statements, from her often emotionally charged music to her tattoos to even the hue of her hair. But her latest decision — a musical pairing with the man who three years ago left her bloodied and bruised — has left some questioning her judgment. On Monday, after days of teasing, Rihanna and Chris Brown debuted two songs featuring each other. Brown sings and raps on the remix of Rihanna's song “Birthday Cake,” and she appears on a new version of his upbeat tune “Turn up the Music.”Fans have been split on the topic. Some support Rihanna and Brown's collaborations, others condemn it. The topic was still trending on Twitter on late Tuesday, with plenty of tweets criticizing Rihanna for embracing her former abuser. Rihanna seemed to address the controversy Tuesday when she won best international female artist at the Brit Awards. “At times when I feel misunderstood, my fans always remind me that it's OK to be myself,” Rihanna said. But Bill Werde, editorial director of the music trade publication Billboard, says Rihanna's decision to make music with Brown could disappoint some of her supporters.
