Music Review: Chris Brown "Don't Judge Me"

Chris Brown

Don’t Judge Me

Album: Fortune

Year: 2012

             Chris Brown avoids discussing his promiscuity  in the shady  “Don’t Judge Me.”

             Hushed synths open the single, setting a foreboding tone.  In the intro, his girlfriend has been bringing up his past lately. He tells her he doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s something that doesn’t need to be discussed. He questions her for even wanting to know. She gives him a stern look and he realizes he’s not going to get out of the conversation. (“I don't wanna go there/We should never go there (damn)/Why you wanna go there?/I guess I gotta go there.”) 

             In the pre-chorus, he says she’s acting jealous after getting a rounded up number of women he actually slept with. He admits there is some truth to the stories she’s been told by other people. However, he tells her he loves her and  it will be different with her. (“You're hearing rumours about me/And you can't stomach the thought/Of someone touching my body/When you're so close to my heart/I won't deny what they saying/Because most of it is true/But it was all before I fell for you.”)

           In the chorus, he asks her to not pay attention to the warnings she’s been getting to stay away from him. He remarks it could lead to an argument later on and she needs to keep quiet about it. Their relationship will remain a happy one as long as she doesn’t question any of his behavior again (“So please babe/So please don't judge me/And I won't judge you/Cause it could get ugly/Before it gets beautiful/Please don't judge me/And I won't judge you/And if you love me/Then let it be beautiful/Let it be beautiful, let it be beautiful/Let it be beautiful let it be beautiful.”)

          He ends the conversation, telling she’ll only throw  ir back in his face later. It’s happened to him before and he doesn’t need the criticism right now. He accuses of her of  wanting to know every grisly detail of who his partners were.(“Everything I say right now/Is gonna be used in another fight/And I've been through this so many times/Can we change the subject?/You gonna start asking me questions like/"Was she attractive? Was she an actress?"/Baby the fact is.”)

          In the second pre-chorus, he tries to shut her up with a compliment after she says  it doesn’t explain the current pictures she saw of him on a gossip site. It hurt her to see him kissing another girl and she wants to know what’s going on. (“You're hearing rumours about me/And saw some pictures online/Saying they got you so angry/Making you wish you were blind/Before we start talking crazy/Saying some things we'll regret/Can we just slow it down and press reset (damn)/You're beautiful.”)

The chorus is sung again.

  In the bridge, he tells her to let it go and think of the places he’ll be taking her soon. He says it’s not a jerk anymore and for her to see beyond his flaws. He assures he will be faithful to her. (“Just let the past/
Just be the past/And focus on things/That are gonna make us laugh/Take me as I am, not who I was/I'll promise I'll be, the one that you can trust.”)

       The chorus is sung again.

 At the end, he says the topic his closed and reminds her to not bring it up again. (“I don't wanna go there baby yeah/We should never go there .”)

Brown’s placating, tempered vocals threaten with a clenched jaw, giving a quiet warning not to ask where’s he has been. He weasals out of any explanation, placing the blame on the woman immediately, putting words into her mouth and not allowing her to speak. It’s the polite manner in which he delivers the lyrics which make him frightening. It’s as though he’s trying not to explode.

The disturbing “Don’t Judge Me” has red flags flying everywhere.