Chlöe Bailey—one-half of the R&B duo Chlöe x Halle—recently released a duet with Chris Brown titled “How Does It Feel.” The release proved controversial, given Brown’s reputation following an assault trial with Rihanna in 2009.
Videos by American Songwriter
Fans of the singer took to Twitter in droves to express their distaste for the singer’s collaboration with Brown. Now, in a new interview with Audacy’s V-103’s podcast, Bailey backed up her decision to duet with the “Under the Influence” artist.
“I always just wanna let the music speak for itself and to be honest, no matter what I do people always find things to say about it, so I’m used to it,” Bailey said on the podcast. “I just choose to ignore it. People have every right to their opinions, freedom of speech, and it’s up to me to choose what I give my attention and energy to.”
[RELATED: Kelly Rowland Reaffirms Support For Chris Brown: “Everyone Deserves Grace”]
Elsewhere in an interview with Cosmopolitan, Bailey reiterated those remarks.
“I always want to let the music speak for itself,” she said in the profile. “I have the best fans in the world. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I want to make them happy, and I just let the music speak for itself. Like in regular life, I have to use music to articulate things that I can’t verbally.”
“How Does It Feel” features on Bailey’s debut solo album, In Pieces. The singer shared the project last month, marking her first full-length release without her sister, Halle. Halle is currently promoting her feature film debut in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. The film is set for release on May 26.
Chlöe x Halle last shared a collaborative project in 2021 with a cover of Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind.” Their last full-length album, Ungodly Hour, arrived in 2020 (with a deluxe version in 2021).
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE
