Chris Brown is fully aware of the reputation that precedes him but his past doesn’t necessarily dictate his future, the singer shares in the new issue of Billboard magazine. In the cover story, Brown opens up about his past mistakes and looking towards the future.  

"I realize that what I do for a living opens my life to public scrutiny and that I have a responsibility to everyone because of that exposure," he shared. "I can say that I am only human and I have made mistakes. I can say that I try to live my life in the most true, honest way that I can. I am not perfect, no one is.”

Brown, 25, has had one rocky year so far, from spending his birthday in jail, to pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault earlier this week. Those incidents have taken their toll. “No one is harder on me than me,” he admitted. “No one can please everyone. No one can live in the past and expect to grow. I have been moving forward and hope that I am not defined by just a few moments in my life but all of the moments that will make up my life."

The road to public redemption might be closer than Brown thinks. X, his sixth studio release, will provide a needed distraction from all the legal headlines trailing him recently.

The album, which releases Sept. 16, features the platinum hit “Loyal,” and his latest single, “New Flame.”

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