Chris Brown’s ‘TODAY’ Interview: He Talks New Album ‘X,’ Rihanna, Frank Ocean, Drake

On Monday, April 1, after he premiered his new single “Fine China,” Chris Brown visited TODAY to discuss his new album X and relationships with his fans, fellow artists and the media. He said that while his year of domestic violence counseling helped him understand the impact of his 2009 assault on Rihanna, other sources of criticism will not deter him.

“The nation’s going to have their opinions,” Brown said to TODAY‘s Matt Lauer. “Anything I do, whether it be walk[ing] down on the street, I may be saying something to somebody. It’s not going to be always, ‘Chris is the greatest,’ you know? So I’m not going to focus my life on trying to please those people.” According to Brown, “those people” include Frank Ocean (see: their confrontation in Los Angeles) and Drake (Young Jeezy’s “R.I.P.” remix).

In 2011, following his Good Morning America interview, Brown reportedly stormed out from the set and smashed a chair into a window. However, in his recent round of media chats, the pop star has aimed to cast out two statements: X will harken back to music from Michael Jackson‘s earlier years (hence his “Quincy Jones approach”), while he himself has matured and can talk about his mistakes freely.

Watch his TODAY interview up above.