Don't Judge Me
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"Don't Judge Me" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown on his fifth studio album, '' Fortune'' (2012). It was written by Brown and produced by The Messengers. The song was sent to
urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban conte ...
radio stations in the United States on August 14, 2012, as the fifth and final single from the album. "Don't Judge Me" is a
midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, with lyrics in which Brown asks his lover to forgive him "for his past indiscretions" and "move on with the future." The lyrics reportedly referred to Brown's former relationships with aspiring American model and fashion designer
Karrueche Tran Karrueche Tran ( ; born May 17, 1988) is an American actress and model. From 2013 to 2016, she starred as Vivian Johnson in the web series '' The Bay''. For producing the series, she won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Her return to ''The Bay'' for i ...
and Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. "Don't Judge Me" received positive reviews from music critics; some complimented the song and considered it a highlight on ''Fortune,'' while others criticized its production. In the United States, "Don't Judge Me" reached number 10 on the
R&B Songs Hot R&B Songs is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular R&B songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations, digital download sales and streaming data. It was establis ...
chart, number 18 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, and number 67 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It also appeared on the singles chart in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was directed by
Colin Tilley Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos. Tilley directed, pro ...
and Brown. In the video, Brown goes on a "suicide mission" into outer space to save the world from an alien ship invading Earth. The video received a positive reception from most critics, particularly for its presentation.


Development and release

"Don't Judge Me" was written by Chris Brown and was produced by The Messengers. The
audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic ...
was completed by
Jaycen Joshua Jaycen Joshua is a mix engineer and music producer who owns the revered Canton House Studios in Studio City, California. Joshua started his mix career in 2005 when he became partners with his mentor Dave Pensado and formed The Penua Project. Joshu ...
, with assistance from Trehy Harris. Amber "Sevyn" Streeter sang
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
. The song was supposed to have a guest appearance from
Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...
, however, because of a feud between him and Brown, his verse was eventually removed from the song. "Don't Judge Me" was leaked on the Internet on June 26, 2012, three days before the official release date of ''Fortune''. The artwork for the song debuted online on July 28, 2012; it features Brown, wearing a "white dress shirt and skinny black tie", striking a pose in front of a blue backdrop. "Don't Judge Me" was sent to
urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban conte ...
radio stations in the United States on August 14, 2012, as the fifth single from the album. On November 2, 2012, the song was released as an
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
in Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand, featuring the album version and three remixes. The single version of "Don't Judge Me" was released on
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s in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, and Sweden on November 23, 2012. A remix extended play, featuring the album version, music video and three remixes, was released in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland on November 23, 2012. In the United States, a remix extended play, featuring the single version and five remixes, was released on November 27, 2012.


Composition and lyrics

"Don't Judge Me" is a
midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
that runs for three minutes and fifteen seconds, with
instrumentation Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making. Instrumentation can refer to ...
provided by drums. Amy Sciarretto of ''PopCrush'' noted that "Don't Judge Me" features "a slow, sensuous romp", which she found reminiscent of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
. Lyrically, Brown asks his lover to forgive him "for his past indiscretions" and "move on with the future." In the song, Brown encourages his lover that there is nothing going on between him and his ex-girlfriend as he sings, "You're hearing rumors 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." He later declares "that he is a changed man who can now be trusted" as shown in the lines, "Take me as I am / Not who I was / I'll promise I'll be / The one that you can trust." During the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, Brown sings "So please don't judge me / and I won't judge you / because it could get ugly / before it gets beautiful." Mesfin Fekadu of the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
noted that Brown "sings in his signature semi-high pitch", and critics speculated that the lyrics were about Brown's former relationships with aspiring American model and fashion designer Karrueche Tran and Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Holly Frith of Entertainment Wise noted that Rihanna "may be the inspiration" for the lyrics. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s Maura Johnston described "Don't Judge Me" as "a tender love song," while Andrew Hampp of '' Billboard'' magazine referred to it as a "take me as I am" type of ballad. Hazel Robinson of ''California Literary Review'' noted that "Don't Judge Me" is similar to Brown's 2009 song, "Changed Man."


Music video


Background and synopsis

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Don't Judge Me" was directed by
Colin Tilley Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos. Tilley directed, pro ...
and Brown, and was filmed in August 2012. On August 29, 2012 Brown released an image from the shoot, showing himself seated on the floor of an abandoned room in an unbuttoned jacket. On September 11, 2012 Brown released a similar image, tweeting, "'Don't Judge Me' video coming soon!". The video premiered on
Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software a ...
on September 27, 2012. It begins with Brown walking through the desert, while intercut scenes of himself sitting in front of a couch (with his girlfriend, played by
Runa Lucienne Runa Alyse Lucienne (born August 6, 1994) is a Guyanese and American model, actress, and social media influencer with over 3.35 million followers across social media. Beginning her career in her late-teens, Lucienne has appeared in numerous telev ...
, sleeping behind him) are shown. As the chorus begins for the first time, Brown is seen catching a ride from an army truck. He eventually arrives at an army base to prepare for a "suicide mission", which involves him riding a spacecraft into
outer space Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
to save the world from an alien ship invading Earth. A news reporter at the base (Brown's girlfriend) runs to him with the question, "People are saying this is a suicide mission, why are you doing this?" Brown replies, "I'm doing a service for my country and my planet. If that means saving the people I love and I care about, then that's what I'll do." As the spacecraft takes off, tears run down Brown's face before the spacecraft crashes into the alien ship, killing him. Brown and his girlfriend are then shown, hugging on the couch.


Reception

JusMusic of ''Singersroom'' magazine praised the video, writing "This is definitely art at its finest!" A writer for '' Rap-Up'' described the video as "cinematic" and "emotional," while ''Billboard''s Erika Ramirez called it an "emotional visual." Jasmine Grant of ''Juicy'' magazine noted that the video has a "futuristic soldier at war theme." Colin Greten of MTV's Rapfix agreed, writing that it "has a futuristic look and feel," and that fans would also cry as Brown "makes the ultimate sacrifice" to save the world. A reviewer on ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' compared Brown's character in the video to actor
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
in the 1998 film ''
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
'', and wrote that "it's certainly memorable, and sure to send Chris Brown's fans – and huge army of critics – into a fresh flutter of support."
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
's Sam Lansky wrote that "Brown is just as likable and subtle as ever in the video." He continued: "It's impressive to see that Breezy ..continues to find opportunities to depict himself as a hero", when he makes headlines for the wrong reasons. A writer for ''
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'' magazine stated that the video is "a mini disaster movie, complete with over-acting and melodramatic slow-motion shots."


Critical reception

"Don't Judge Me" generated positive reviews from music critics. Trent Fitzgerald of PopCrush and Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press viewed it as one of the standout tracks on ''Fortune.'' Amy Sciarretto (also writing for PopCrush), noted that the song "demonstrates that ensitiveside we don't often see" from Brown. Jamel Coles, in the UAB ''Kaleidoscope'' described "Don't Judge Me" as an "emotional track" and wrote, "when hearing songs like this, you can't knock his ability to make good music." Jasmine Grant of ''Juicy'' magazine viewed the song as a "heartfelt ballad," and Maura Johnston of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that it sounds like "a
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rant against haters." Melissa Ruggieri of ''
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'' described "Don't Judge Me" as a "lilting ballad" and noted that Brown is "semi-serious" in the song. A reviewer on
4Music 4Music is a British music television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. The original incarnation was launched on 15 August 2008, and until 29 June 2022, showed a mix of music and entertainment programming. I ...
called the song "undeniably emotional" and wrote, "we're wondering is if this is a heart-wrenching plea to Rihanna?" Sharon O'Connell of '' Time Out'' magazine commented on the song's title: "it's a little late for that." The ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...
'' Thomas Conner called it a "bland, breathy ballad." In his review of ''Fortune,'' Nick Levine of
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...
wrote that the song was one of the reasons why the album felt "cripplingly pointless." Scott Kara of ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspaper ...
'' described "Don't Judge Me" as "weak and wincing," and stated that the lyrics are "the words of someone who still doesn't quite grasp the extent of what he has done in the past."


Chart performance

In the United States, "Don't Judge Me" debuted at number 85 on the ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart dated September 1, 2012. It peaked at number 18 in the January 26, 2013 issue. On the ''Billboard''
R&B Songs Hot R&B Songs is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular R&B songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations, digital download sales and streaming data. It was establis ...
chart, the song debuted at number 13 in the October 20, 2012 issue. The following week it rose to number 12, and peaked at number 10 in the November 17, 2012 issue. "Don't Judge Me" peaked at number one on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart dated November 3, 2012, before it debuted at number 95 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart dated November 17, 2012. The song peaked at number 67 in the January 5, 2013 issue. On October 13, 2012, "Don't Judge Me" debuted at numbers 84 and 17 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and
UK R&B Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
respectively. The following week, it rose to number 42 on the UK Singles Chart and number eight on the UK R&B Chart. The song peaked at number seven on the UK R&B Chart dated October 27, 2012. In Belgium, "Don't Judge Me" peaked at number two on the
Ultratip Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
Flanders chart, and number 25 on the Ultratip Wallonia chart. On the
French Singles Chart French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
, it debuted at number 168 on October 13, 2012, and peaked at number 22 on January 12, 2013. In Hungary, "Don't Judge Me" debuted and peaked at number 10 on November 26, 2012. On December 7, 2012, the song debuted on the Austria Singles Chart at number 66. In Australia, "Don't Judge Me" debuted at number 44 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated December 10, 2012. The following week, it ascended to number 42.


Formats and track listings

*;Digital download #"Please Don't Judge Me" – 3:15 *;Digital Remix EP #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:28 #"Don't Judge Me" – 5:07 #"Don't Judge Me" – 4:00 #"Don't Judge Me" – 4:22 #"Don't Judge Me" – 4:51 *;Digital EP #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:59 #"Don't Judge Me" – 4:00 #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:29 #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:20 *;US Digital Remix EP #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:28 #"Don't Judge Me" – 5:07 #"Don't Judge Me" – 4:22 #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:38 #"Don't Judge Me" – 3:38 #"Please Don't Judge Me" – 3:15


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes for ''Fortune'' *Nasri Atweh –
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
, producer *Chris Brown – lead vocals, songwriter *Iain Findley – assistant
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
*Trehy Harris – assistant mixer *Jaycen Joshua – mixer *The Messengers – producer *Adam Messinger – songwriter, producer *Mark Pellizzer – songwriter *Brian Springer – recorder *Amber "Sevyn" Streeter – background vocals


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links

* * * {{authority control 2012 singles 2012 songs 2010s ballads Chris Brown songs Contemporary R&B ballads Songs written by Adam Messinger Songs written by Nasri (musician) Music videos directed by Colin Tilley Songs written by Chris Brown RCA Records singles Songs written by Mark "Pelli" Pellizzer