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Chris Brown announces tour, Rihanna has new single
2009-10-21
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown announced a month long "fan appreciation" tour on Tuesday -- the same day that ex-girlfriend Rihanna released a new single seen by some as evoking their stormy relationship. Both Rihanna's single "Russian Roulette" and Brown's tour announcement were firsts since their relationship came to a violent end in February. Brown, 20, was sentenced to five years probation and community service in August for a bloody attack on Rihanna, 21, on the eve of the Grammy Awards in February. He has since publicly apologized for the assault, but has remained largely out of the media spotlight. Brown's record company Jive said the "Kiss Kiss" singer would play small venues in 19 U.S. cities starting in Houston, Texas on November 14. Billed a "fan appreciation tour" it is intended to thank his followers for their support, Jive said. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a Los Angeles domestic violence intervention charity called the Jenesse Center, and an organization providing friendships and jobs for people with developmental disabilities called Best Buddies International. Brown's new single "I Can Transform Ya" was released in late September. Rihanna's first single from her upcoming album "Rated R", with rival label Def Jam Records, tells the story of a woman faced with a game of Russian roulette. "You can see it through my chest/That I'm terrified/But I'm not leaving/I know that I must pass this test/So just pull the trigger," part of the lyrics read. Rolling Stone.com described it as a "dark ballad" that ends with an ominous gunshot and "seems to find Rihanna singing about enduring a tumultuous relationship." Both Brown and Rihanna were among the fastest rising R&B artists in the United States before the assault, which led to Brown losing several commercial sponsorships and triggered a national debate about violent relationships. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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