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Chris Brown, Karrueche Tran Split

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Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran celebrate New Year's Eve at Pure Nightclub on December 31, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Chris Brown is officially back on the market.

After a complicated year-long romance, the "Don't Wake Me Up" singer, 23, and aspiring model Karrueche Tran have ended their romance.

"I have decided to be single to focus on my career," Brown tells Us Weekly. "I love Karrueche very much but I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna. I'd rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives."

Related: PHOTOS: Rihanna and Chris' romance

Indeed, Tran, 23, entered the public spotlight in February of this year –after Us Weekly broke news that Brown was secretly hooking up with his most famous ex-girlfriend Rihanna, 24. "She definitely chased Chris, and it worked! He was really into her in the beginning," a source told Us at the time of the couple.

As reports of Brown and Rihanna's secret trysts continued to emerge throughout 2012, the two women frequently swapped insults over Twitter; according to sources, Tran has long been aware of Brown's cheating.

Related: PHOTOS: Stars who've survived abuse

Things came to a head last month, when Brown (who assaulted Rihanna in February 2009) kissed Rihanna on the lips in front of a huge crowd at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.

The photographed smooch "totally pissed off" Tran, a source told Us.

"She felt the kiss was a public slap in the face . . . Seeing him with Rihanna at such a public event made her very angry." (Rihanna also opened up about Brown in an emotional Aug. 19 interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah's Next Chapter, calling the singer "the love of my life."

This past week, Rihanna and Brown were spotting making out at an NYC club — and having an affectionate date at a Wednesday Jay-Z concert in Brooklyn.

Of the announced split, a pal says: "Chris really wants to be free to pursue Rihanna now that she wants him back. They will be together, trust me. I always told you he'd go back to Rihanna in a heartbeat when she was ready."

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