"My Prerogative" is a song by American singer

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

from his second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, ''

Don't Be Cruel "Don't Be Cruel" is a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956.Victor (2008), ''The Elvis Encyclopedia'', p.115-116 It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in '' Rol ...

'' (1988). It was released on October 11, 1988, as the second single from the album. After recording sessions were completed, Brown and producer Gene Griffin traveled to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, since he felt something was "missing" from the record. "My Prerogative" was written by Brown as a response to the criticism he received for his firing from

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 198 ...

. He explained the song was about making decisions in one's life and not caring about other people's judgment. "My Prerogative" is often considered as

new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle, new jack swing was mos ...

. The song was positively received by critics and was nominated for a

Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...

in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single. It was also commercially successful, reaching number one in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

and

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

charts. "My Prerogative" also reached top ten positions in many countries, such as Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The music video for the song features Brown performing the song on stage with his band and dancers. The song was also performed at most of his concerts, usually as the last song of the set list. On the February 4, 1989, performance at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

, he was joined on stage by many popular

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

artists and producers of the time. "My Prerogative" has been covered and sampled by a number of artists from different genres, including

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

. She released her cover in her first compilation, '' Greatest Hits: My Prerogative'' (2004). The cover was produced by

Bloodshy & Avant Bloodshy & Avant are a Swedish songwriting and production duo consisting of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Pontus "Avant" Winnberg. They have worked with many prominent artists, including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Ms. Dynamite, Madonna, ...

and was noted for aptly referring to Spears's relationship with the media at the time. Although the song only appeared in component charts in the United States, Spears's cover surpassed Brown's version in some European countries, peaking at the top of the charts in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway and reaching the top ten in another fourteen countries.

Background

Brown had already completed recording sessions for ''Don't Be Cruel'' in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, but felt something was missing in the record. He said, "I felt my album was lacking a strong, aggressive song and I thought, 'Where better than

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

to come up with it'". He traveled to New York, met with

Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. " Tedd ...

- who presented him with the initial beat. "My Prerogative" was written and co-produced by Brown and Gene Griffin. It was recorded at Axis Studios and mixed at Soundworks, in New York. The track was

mastered Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...

at Future Disc Systems in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. During an interview with '' The Hour'' on March 17, 1989, Brown explained the theme behind the song, saying, "A lot of things had been said about Bobby Brown, why was he doing this solo career It's my way of expressing to people it's your prerogative to do as you want, but make sure what you do is the right thing". A CD single of remixes by Joe T. Vannelli was released on October 13, 1995, reaching number 17 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The radio edit from this was included on Brown's 1995 remix album, '' Two Can Play That Game''.

Composition

"My Prerogative" is considered a

anthem, that merges hip hop beats with elements of

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

. It features a triplet swing in the

sixteenth note Figure 1. A 16th note with stem facing up, a 16th note with stem facing down, and a 16th rest. Figure 2. Four 16th notes beamed together. In music, a 1/16, sixteenth note (American) or semiquaver (British) is a note played for half the dura ...

, as included in many of Riley's productions. Jake Brown said in his book ''Your body's calling me: music, love, sex & money'' (2003), that like most new jack swing songs from the late 1980s, it was composed by "punchy, street-savvy beats, with sexually energetic melodies and

poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug opi ...

choruses". The

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

of the track was described by Cam'Ron Davis of ''

CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...

'' as "truly sinister". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by

EMI Music Publishing EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by parent company Sony Corporation of America. In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pending ...

, the song is composed in the key of

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

, with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 120

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. Brown's vocal range spans from the high-note of C₄ to A₅.

Reception

Barry Michael Cooper of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' said "My Prerogative" "sounds like gin-drenched,

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

swing". Arion Berger of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' called it "a grumpy and undeniably adult dance hit". "My Prerogative" was nominated for at the 3rd Soul Train Music Awards in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single by a Male, but lost to

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's "

Man in the Mirror "Man in the Mirror" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released on February 6, 1988, as the fourth single from Jackson' ...

". The following year, ''Spin'' listed the song at number 72 on the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" list. It ranked at number 98 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". The track is often referred to as Brown's

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

. "My Prerogative" debuted on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 during the week of October 22, 1988, at number 78. The following week, it jumped 17 positions to number 61, and the following week, it climbed another 16 positions to number 45. It entered the Top 40 during its fourth week (#33 on November 12, 1988), and on January 14, 1989, it peaked at the top position of the chart. "My Prerogative" ultimately spent 24 weeks on the Hot 100, 15 of which were in the Top 40. The song also peaked at number one in

Hot Black Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

(during the weeks of October 15 and 22, 1988), and at number seven in

Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

. It was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) for sales over 500,000 copies. In Canada, the song debuted on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Singles Chart at position 98, on the issue dated December 23, 1989. In the United Kingdom, "My Prerogative" debuted at number 87 on December 10, 1988. On February 18, 1989, the song peaked at number six and stayed in the position for two weeks. Following the release of the remixes single on October 14, 1995, "My Prerogative" re-entered the UK charts at number 17, and stayed on the chart for two weeks. By October 17, 2015, it had sold 275,000 units in the country. Across Europe, the song reached the top ten in Ireland and the Netherlands, and the top 20 in Germany and Sweden. In Australia and New Zealand, the track peaked at number 40 and number three, respectively.

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "My Prerogative" was directed by

Alek Keshishian Alek Keshishian ( hy, Ալեք Գևորգի Քեշիշեան, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-born American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the high ...

. It begins with Brown driving a car while his musicians start to perform the song on stage in front of a large crowd. Shortly after, he descends to the stage in an elevator, wearing a black

jumpsuit A jumpsuit is a one-piece garment with sleeves and legs and typically without integral coverings for feet, hands or head. The original jump suit is the functional one-piece garment used by parachuting, parachuters. The original skydivers' j ...

and a headset. He dances flanked by two women playing a

keytar The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboard ...

and a

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

. J. D. Considine of ''

'' wrote in the review of ''

Bobby Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...

'' (1992), "As anyone who saw him swagger through the videos for 'My Prerogative' and '

Every Little Step "Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album ''Don't Be Cruel'' it reached number three on ...

' can attest, Brown had a phenomenal ability to convey a sense of street toughness that was utterly without malice or menace, making him credible and likable". The music video was nominated at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Stage Performance in a Video, but lost to the music video of

Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band currently consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish (who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992). S ...

's "

Cult of Personality A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, Cristóbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create an id ...

". It also charted at number nine on ''RPM'' video chart on July 21, 1990.

Live performances

"My Prerogative" was performed during his tour in promotion for ''Don't Be Cruel'' as the last song of the night. Brown usually performed it wearing a black outfit, flanked with two male dancers wearing white clothes. On the February 4, 1989, show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Brown wore a red boxing robe with the words "King of the Stage" printed on the back. During the performance,

Joseph Simmons Joseph Ward Simmons (born November 14, 1964), better known by the stage name Run, Rev. Run or DJ Run, is an American rapper, producer, DJ and television personality. Simmons is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Ru ...

Run-DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

and

Heavy D Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heav ...

joined him onstage and

freestyle rap Freestyle is a style of improvisation, with or without instrumental beats (Mystrodamus), in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure and with no prior memorization.Kevin Fitzgerald (director), '' Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme' ...

ped.

Eric B. Louis Eric Barrier (born November 8, 1963) is an American rapper, producer and DJ for the golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. Eric B. & Rakim's album '' Paid in Full'' was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by MTV in 2006, and ...

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...

, L. A. Reid,

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

and Teddy Riley also joined him onstage, with the latter performing a

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

solo. Peter Watrous of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' commented that, "The communal scene on stage mirrored the feeling in the audience; everybody seemed aware that this was a generation that had rewritten the rules of pop entertainment, and was justifiably proud of its achievement". Brown also performed the song on the 1996-97 Home Again reunion tour with

, during the second portion of the show in which he performed hits from his solo career. On November 10, 2005, he performed the song for the first time in eight years at a concert at

House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

. He wore a white suit and matching hat, and sang it as the last song of the evening. On January 17, 2006, he performed it at a New Edition show in Atlantic City's

Trump Taj Mahal The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly Trump Taj Mahal) is a casino and hotel on the List of boardwalks in the United States#Atlantic City, Boardwalk, owned by Hard Rock Cafe, Hard Rock International, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ...

. During the performance, he tore open his orange dress shirt, singing bare-chested with a tie and a fur coat on. Brown performed the song during his 2007 July shows in Australia.

Track listing

*CD single #"My Prerogative" (Edit) – 3:30 #"Girl Next Door" (Extended version) – 6:31 #"My Prerogative" (Extended remix) – 8:03 *7" single #"My Prerogative" (Edit) – 3:30 #"Girl Next Door" – 4:06 *12" single #"My Prerogative" (Extended remix) – 8:00 #"Girl Next Door" (Extended version) – 6:30 #"My Prerogative" (Instrumental) – 5:18 *12" remix #"My Prerogative" (Extended remix) – 8:00 #"My Prerogative" (Radio edit) – 5:35 #"My Prerogative" (Instrumental) – 5:18 #"My Prerogative" (Dub) – 5:52 *1995 remix #"My Prerogative" (Joe T. Vannelli Radio Mix) – 3:55 #"My Prerogative" (Joe T. Vannelli Corvette Mix) – 6:30 #"My Prerogative" (Joe T. Vannelli Light Mix) – 8:23 #"My Prerogative" (Joe T. Vannelli Dubby Mix) – 9:34 #"My Prerogative" – 4:49

Credits and personnel

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

, songwriting, co-production * Gene Griffin – songwriting, co-production *

– songwriting, background vocals, keyboards, mixing * Dennis Mitchell – engineering, mixing,

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

* Jim Hanneman – engineering, mixing, recording * Markell Riley –

drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These mus ...

* Aaron Hall – background vocals *

Bernard Belle Bernard Belle (November 12, 1964 – June 23, 2022) was an American composer, producer, and musician. After starting his career as an R&B guitarist, Belle became known as a songwriter for Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston and a producer of g ...

– background vocals * Lee Drakeford – background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Britney Spears version

Recording and production

In 2004, American singer

recorded a cover of "My Prerogative" with Swedish production team

, who produced her single "

Toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

" from her fourth studio album, ''

In the Zone ''In the Zone'' is the fourth studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 12, 2003, through Jive Records. With the conclusion of her Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and the end of her relationship wit ...

'' (2003). Bloodshy & Avant recorded the song at Murlyn Studios in

Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropoli ...

. Spears recorded the vocals at Teldex Studios in

Berlin, Germany Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent ...

during the European leg of her

The Onyx Hotel Tour The Onyx Hotel Tour (billed as The Onyx Hotel Tour 2004) was the fifth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It showcased her fourth studio album, ''In the Zone'' (2003), and visited North America and Europe. A tour to promote the ...

in 2004. On August 13, 2004, Spears' label

Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, an ...

announced through a press release that she had covered the song and was planning to release it on her first greatest hits compilation, titled '' Greatest Hits: My Prerogative''. The song was set to premiere on radio stations on September 14, however, it leaked via Real Tapemasters Inc.'s

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

''The Future of R&B'' on September 10.

Music and lyrics

"My Prerogative" is set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

and has a moderate

of 100 beats per minute. It is written in the key of

B♭ minor B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five flats. Its relative major is D-flat major and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent, A-sharp mi ...

and follows the chord progression of Bm–F–Bm throughout, making it in the

harmonic minor In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which also ...

scale. Spears' cover of the song is musically different from its original version, with the bass and

sound replaced with a

sound,

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

s and elements typical of Bloodshy & Avant productions. It was noted by Christy Lemire of ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...

'' that the cover also contains elements of

Bollywood music Hindi film songs, more formally known as Hindi Geet or filmi songs and informally known as Bollywood music, are songs featured in Hindi films. Derived from the song-and-dance routines common in Indian films, Bollywood songs, along with danc ...

. At the beginning of the song, Spears says in a breathy voice the lines "People can take everything away from you / But they can never take away your truth / But the question is, can you handle mine?". The rest of the lyrics do not deviate much from the original version, instead they are changed to fit a woman's perspective. Jennifer Vineyard of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

commented the cover could be interpreted as a statement on Spears' life and the media reaction to some of her decisions at the time, including her engagement to American dancer

Kevin Federline Kevin Earl Federline (born March 21, 1978), often referred to, and also known as K-Fed, is an American dancer, rapper, actor, model, wrestler and DJ. He is known for his two-year marriage to American singer Britney Spears, for whom he was previou ...

Critical reception

The cover received mixed to unfavorable reviews from contemporary critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called the cover "a useless remake, which seems to exist solely for its video". Spence D. of ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' said that the lyrics fit perfectly with Spears' relationship with the media at the time. He also added: "As for her interpretation, it's an interesting chameleonic diversion that comes off like a mash-up between vintage

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

-styled production, Cameo swagger, and

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

sultriness, but never seems to capture the gloss and glory of any of the aforementioned influences". Lemire called it "utterly unnecessary". Louis Pattison of the ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' commented that "judging by the fuck-you sentiments" of the cover, Spears liked to play the role of " hepop brat careering off the rails". Sarah Hepola of

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

wrote in an article about contemporary

teen idol A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia East Asia possess ...

s that the cover "became an anthem for teen-idol rebellion".

Commercial performance

In the United States, "My Prerogative" failed to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 but charted on the

Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks was a chart from ''Billboard'' magazine. It debuted in the issue dated December 5, 1998 to preserve the notion of Hot 100 Airplay when it expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and cou ...

and

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

at numbers 22 and 34, respectively. By 2011, "My Prerogative" had sold 374,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. On November 15, 2004, the song debuted on the

Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

at number seven. It received a gold certification from the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA) for shipments over 35,000 units. The same week, it debuted at number 17 in New Zealand. On November 7, "My Prerogative" debuted at number three in the United Kingdom, during a competitive week of new releases, being surpassed by

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's "

Just Lose It "Just Lose It" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fifth studio album, ''Encore'' (2004). It was released on September 28, 2004, as the lead single from ''Encore'', and was later included on his greatest hits compilation album, '' Cur ...

" and

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

's "

Lose My Breath "Lose My Breath" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their fourth and last studio album '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004). It was written by Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jer ...

". According to the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

(OCC), the song has sold 130,000 copies in the UK. The song also achieved commercial success throughout Europe, peaking at number one in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway, number two in Spain and number three in Belgium (both Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark and Germany. It also reached the top ten in Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Music video

The music video for "My Prerogative" was filmed in August 2004 at The Paramour Mansion in

Silver Lake, Los Angeles Silver Lake is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Originally home to a small community called Ivanhoe in honor of Sir Walter Scott. In 1907, the Los Angeles Water Department built the ...

and was directed by

Jake Nava Jake Nava is a British director, mostly known for his work in music videos for Beyoncé, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Britney Spears and The Rolling Stones. He also directs TV commercials, notably for Guinness and Levi Strauss & Co. Early life and ed ...

. It premiered on MTV's ''

TRL TRL or trl may refer to: Arts * Temporary Residence Limited, a record label * ''Total Request Live'', a former MTV show * TRL Awards (''Total Request Live''), an Italian music award Libraries * Tampines Regional Library, a regional library in Ta ...

'' on September 16, 2004, and on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

's ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

'' on January 18, 2005. According to Spears' mother Lynne, the video was "about capturing gorgeous close-ups and very subtle movement" since Spears could not do any choreography due to her knee injury at the " Outrageous" music video shoot. She also described the video as " avingan element of old Hollywood glamour and mystery". The music video begins with Spears driving a

Porsche 928 The Porsche 928 is a luxury grand tourer produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 until 1995. Originally intended to replace the company's iconic 911, the 928 combined the power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort ...

at high speed in the Hollywood Hills. She crashes through a fence and lands into a pool inside a manor where a party is taking place. She emerges from the water and crawls in top of the car to sing the first verse. Spears' brother, Bryan, makes a cameo in these scenes. After she leaves the pool, she enters the manor and passes couples making out around her. She appears in a

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

kitchen, where a maid cuts the straps of her black wet dress. In the next scene, she walks into a study in which her then-fiancé, Kevin Federline, is smoking and watching a black-and-white video of Spears on a

projection screen A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed, as in a movie theater; painted on the ...

. According to Jennifer Vineyard from

, the clip had the style of

pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...

s from the 1940s and 1950s. ''

'' in their article "Britney Spears: The Complete Video Guide", compared it to Madonna's performances of her 1984 single " Like a Virgin". She then entered a dressing room with mirrors, wearing lingerie, high heels, stockings and a short fur jacket. She proceeds to a bedroom, in which a black dress is laid out on the comforter. She puts on the new dress and the camera cuts to the party outside where people gathered waiting. During the song's bridge, it is revealed that the party is actually Spears' wedding, as she starts walking towards the aisle and Federline waits next to a priest. The video ends with a shot of the black-and-white video and Spears looking into the camera. The black-and-white footage was released as an alternate version of the music video in the 2004 DVD '' Greatest Hits: My Prerogative''.

Track listings and formats

European, Australian and Japanese maxi CD single # "My Prerogative" – 3:36 # "My Prerogative" (instrumental) – 3:36 # "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Vocal Mix) – 7:21 # "My Prerogative" (Armand Van Helden Remix Edit) – 7:37 # "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Dub) – 7:19 UK CD single # "My Prerogative" – 3:37 # "Chris Cox Megamix" – 5:16 UK DVD single # "My Prerogative" (music video) – 3:47 # "My Prerogative" (photo gallery) – 3:34 UK promotional 12-inch vinyl # "My Prerogative" (Armand Van Helden Remix) – 7:49 # "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Vocal Mix) – 7:19 # "Chris Cox Megamix" – 5:16 # "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Dub) – 7:19 Digital EP # "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Vocal Mix) – 7:19 # "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Radio Edit) – 4:20 # "My Prerogative" (Armand Van Helden Remix) – 7:38 # "My Prerogative" (Armand Van Helden Dub) – 7:36 * 2-track digital download # "My Prerogative" – 3:35 # "I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)" – 3:22

Credits and personnel

– lead vocals, background vocals * Bloodshy & Avant – production, arrangements, all instruments, programming, vocal editing * Steve Lunt – A&R, arrangements * Nicklas Flyckt – mixing * Tobias Lehmann – engineering * Uwe Lietzow – recording * Henrik Jonback – guitar * BlackCell – background vocals * Emma Holmgren – background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

Other versions

"My Prerogative" has been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

and

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

by many artists from different genres. J.D. Considine of ''Rolling Stone'' noted that the

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

of Brown's 1992 single "

Humpin' Around "Humpin' Around" is a song by American singer Bobby Brown. It is rumored that the song was originally titled "Fuckin' Around", with the name later changed to make it more radio friendly, and to avoid potential censorship. The song contains an int ...

" from ''Bobby'', "bears a more than passing resemblance to the synth part from 'My Prerogative'". According to ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'', American R&B group

U.N.V. U.N.V. (or Universal Nubian Voices) was an R&B group based out of Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of brothers John Powe and Shawn Powe, and members John Clay and Demetrius Peete. They are best known for their 1993 summer hit single, "Somet ...

sampled the melody for their 1993 single "Something's Goin' On". Jamaican reggae singer

Beenie Man Anthony Moses Davis (born 22 August 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay. Biography Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Mus ...

covered "My Prerogative" for his 1998 studio album ''Many Moods of Moses''. American singer Rod Michael covered the song for his 2004 studio album, ''The Next Episode''. Irish girl group Fab! used the song's main melody line for their 1999 song "Something's Gonna Have to Change". English rock band

Selfish Cunt Selfish Cunt were a rock band based in London, England. The band was formed in early 2003 by Martin Tomlinson and Patrick Constable, and was noted for provocative lyrics, aggressive stage shows, and electronic-influenced rock. Their mix of elec ...

also covered the song for their 2004 studio album ''No Wicked Heart Shall Prosper'', changing the name to "Bobby". In July 2007, American basketball player

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...

covered "My Prerogative" at the

ESPY Awards An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

, wearing a wig and Hammer pants. ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' named the performance one of the "worst of the worst live performances of the year".

Anoop Desai Anoop Manoj Desai (born December 20, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and actor best known for his time as a contestant on the eighth season of ''American Idol''. Desai was the first ever 13th finalist on ''American Idol'' and was the se ...

, contestant of the eight season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'', covered the song for his wildcard round performance. It earned him the last spot in the finals, marking the first time the show ever had thirteen contestants. Desai also performed the song during the

American Idols Live! Tour 2009 The American Idols Live! Tour 2009 was a summer concert tour in the United States and Canada that featured the top 10 contestants of the eighth season of American Idol. The 52 date tour started on July 5, 2009 in Portland, Oregon and ended on Se ...

. Graeme McRanor of ''

The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published si ...

'' said in the concert review that "My Prerogative" "really shouldn't be covered by any artist, ever again". On July 31, 2009, American hip hop group

The Pharcyde The Pharcyde (currently known as The Far Side) is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown ...

covered the song at the

All Points West Music & Arts Festival The All Points West Music & Arts Festival was an annual music and arts festival held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. First held in August 2008, it was hosted by Goldenvoice/AEG Live events, the same company that hosts the simila ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Love & Basketball ''Love & Basketball'' is a 2000 American romantic sports drama film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood in her feature film directorial debut. The film is produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kit and stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It tells ...

'' (2000), ''

Wild Hogs ''Wild Hogs'' is a 2007 American biker road comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007. It was the las ...

'' (2007) and ''

Sex Drive Libido (; colloquial: sex drive) is a person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, the sex hormones and associated neurotransmitters that act upo ...

'' (2008). The song was performed in the 2013 ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'' episode " Guilty Pleasures" by

Jake Puckerman ''Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing in the show choir competition circuit, while its membe ...

(

Jacob Artist Jacob Artist (born October 17, 1992) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his roles as Jake Puckerman on the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'' and as Brandon Fletcher on the ABC drama-thriller series '' Quantico'' ...

). During the premiere episode of ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'',

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

wide receiver

Antonio Brown Antonio Tavaris Brown Sr. (born July 10, 1988), nicknamed "AB", is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent, and an American rapper. Raised in Liberty City, Miami, Brown attended Miami Norland High School. He played college fo ...

covered "My Prerogative", incognito as a character known as "the Hippo". After losing to an unrevealed "Peacock" character (who was later revealed to be

Donny Osmond Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gol ...

), and subsequently being eliminated from the pool of contestants, Brown was required to reveal his identity.

Notes

References

* * * {{Authority control 1988 singles 1988 songs 1995 singles 2004 singles Bobby Brown songs Britney Spears songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Jive Records singles Music videos directed by Alek Keshishian Music videos directed by Jake Nava New jack swing songs Number-one singles in Finland Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Italy Song recordings produced by Bloodshy & Avant Songs written by Bobby Brown Songs written by Teddy Riley