NEW YORK – Rihanna is known for making bold statements, with her often sexually charged music, her tattoos, even the hue of her hair.

But her latest decision – a musical pairing with the man who three years ago left her bloodied and bruised – has left some questioning her judgment.

On Monday, after days of teasing, Rihanna and Chris Brown debuted two songs featuring each other. Brown sings and raps on the remix of Rihanna’s sexually charged song “Birthday Cake,” and she appears on a new version of his upbeat tune “Turn up the Music.”

Fans have been split about the topic: Some support Rihanna and Brown’s collaborations, others condemn it. The topic was still trending on Twitter late Tuesday, with plenty of tweets criticizing Rihanna for embracing her former abuser.

Rihanna, 24, seemed to address the controversy Tuesday when she won best international female artist at the Brit Awards.

“At times when I feel misunderstood, my fans always remind me that it’s OK to be myself,” Rihanna said.

But Bill Werde, editorial director of the music magazine Billboard, says Rihanna’s decision to make music with Brown could disappoint some of her supporters.

“I think there are people out there that feel betrayed (by) Rihanna,” he said. “She has every right to be an individual ... she has every right to date who she wants to date and be with whoever she wants to be with. She’s a grown woman. But you just need to recognize that then, the fans have every right to feel how they’re going to feel about that.”

When rumors about the collaboration sparked last week, both stoked the talk about it. Brown, 22, tweeted: “Let them be mad!!!! We make music. Don’t like it, don’t listen!” On Tuesday, after weighing some of the negative feedback, he tweeted: “You are not GODS to judge us. U have no say! Positivity & LOVE! My fans make a difference.”

The release of the songs comes three years after Brown attacked his then-girlfriend on the eve of the Grammys, leaving her with a split lip, a black eye and other injuries.

Sandra Ramos, who founded the women’s shelter Strengthen Our Sisters in 1970, says she hasn’t seen many abusers change, and that victims – like Rihanna – get “caught up in this cycle.”

“She should be working on herself and not allowing herself to be near her addiction, her temptation, who’s this guy that purports to be charming when he is a batterer,” Ramos said. “He could have killed her.”

After Brown pleaded guilty to a felony charge, he saw his career take a dip before rebounding. He won his first Grammy this month, but he is still drawing criticism.

But now Rihanna may face criticism as well. Werde, who expects the songs to find success, says he doesn’t believe she’ll lose any of her endorsements, but he adds that image could change.

“This will be white-hot for a few minutes in the big scheme of things and then it will die down. But what’s going to be left behind is the complicated residue of who Rihanna is as a role model,” he said.