With ‘What Would You Do?’ Chris Brown is testing whether there’s no such thing as bad publicity

Believers in the axiom that there’s no such thing as bad publicity will be heartened to know that the embattled pop star Chris Brown dropped a new song called “What Would You Do?” on Thursday.

Less than 24 hours earlier, Brown was holed up in his Tarzana home with police and press surrounding him, helicopters overhead. A night at home had allegedly turned into another potential parole violation after a visitor accused Brown of threatening her with a gun.

“I’ve got some questions, questions,” sings Brown to open his new song, a house-music banger that few but die-hards would care much about were it not for that cop stuff a day prior. “I need some answers, answers ... from you.”

He’s not the only one.

After consulting with his legal team, Brown, 27, surrendered to the authorities, was arrested and soon thereafter released on $250,000 bond. It was his latest in a series of run-ins with the police, the first of which occurred when Brown assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.

During the Tarzana standoff, Brown posted a number of videos, since taken down, in which he defended himself. As reported in an earlier Times story, Brown, taking drags from a cigarette, said in one clip, “Good luck. When you get the warrant or whatever you need to do, you’re going to walk right up in here and you’re going to see nothing, you idiots. I’m tired of ... dealing with y’all.”

Whether Thursday’s track release was planned or improvised to divert attention isn’t known, but thematically the song’s message contains a certain amount of incidental spin. In the chorus, Brown wonders, “What do you do -- fighting for your life and no one’s on your side?”

If the comments that accompany the “What Would You Do?” stream on Soundcloud are any indication, Brown’s certainly got some backup. His devoted fan base seems to love the track. Wrote one: “YOU KEEP PUSHING BREEZY!!! DON’T EVER QUIT! They want you give up, they want you 6 ft under because you represent the light in the darkness, you’re a conqueror!”

Brown has not been charged in Wednesday’s incident.

There’s a lot of terrible music out there. For tips on the stuff that’s not, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter: @liledit

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