Chris Brown brought his 20th anniversary tour—celebrating the self-titled album that launched his career—to downtown Phoenix on Thursday, Sept. 11.
The second act opened with a striking video montage of newspaper headlines recounting the legal troubles that have long made Brown one of music’s most controversial figures. A newscaster’s voice declared, “There’s speculation already by some that this really will end Chris Brown’s career”—a clear reference to the infamous 2009 assault case that led the then-19-year-old singer to plead guilty to felony assault against Rihanna.
Brown himself narrates part of the video, reflecting on that time: “It was hard. It was real hard. No radio would play my music. Nobody would really answer their phones. … Nobody really wanted to be associated with you. Nobody wanted to be around you.” He explains that he chose to focus on his craft while working to become a better human, without “trying to fit this picture that somebody needs me to be.”
As dramatic music swelled, the montage shifted to clips of Brown performing intercut with fans holding signs that read “We don’t judge U.” Moments later, he returned to the stage to the sound of police sirens to launch the act he calls The Fall with performances of “Angel Numbers” and “Ten Toes.”
Whatever temporary setbacks he endured following the events of 2009, Chris Brown remains as popular as ever—selling out arenas on his biggest tour to date!
