Rihanna, Chris Brown crank up debate

NEW YORK -- Rihanna is known for making bold statements, from her often sexually 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 sexually charged song "Birthday Cake," and she appears on a new version of his upbeat tune "Turn up the Music."

Fans have been split about the topic: Some support Rihanna's and Brown's collaborations, others condemn it. The topic was still trending on Twitter late Tuesday.

Rihanna, 24, 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 Billboard, said Rihanna's decision to make music with Brown could disappoint some. "I think there are people out there that feel betrayed (by) Rihanna," he said. "She has every right to be an individual ... she has every right to date who she wants to date and be with whoever she wants to be with. She's a grown woman. But you just need to recognize that then the fans have every right to feel how they're going to feel about that."

Emails to Brown's and Rihanna's record labels asking for more information on the songs went unreturned Tuesday, and while Rihanna's representative had no comment, Brown's publicist did not return a request for comment.

When rumors about the collaboration sparked last week, both stoked the talk about it. Brown, 22, tweeted: "Let them be mad!!!! We make music. Don't like it, don't listen!" On Tuesday, after weighing some of the negative feedback, he tweeted: "You are not GODS to judge us. U have no say! Positivity & LOVE! My fans make a difference."

The release of the songs comes three years after Brown attacked his then-girlfriend on the eve of the Grammys, leaving her with a split lip, a black eye and other injuries.

Later that year, when she addressed the assault in an interview with ABC, she went into detail about how Brown punched and bit her during an argument that turned violent. She said Brown had "no soul in his eyes" and she had no idea how the beating would end. She also warned other women facing domestic violence to not let themselves become blinded by love.