Well, Bobby Brown hasn’t been shy about saying how much he hated Britney Spears’ version of his classic song “My Prerogative.” Brown penned the original song as an artistic answer to his exit from the teen sensations New Edition. It then went on to great success, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts, becoming one of his most iconic hits from his successful sophomore solo album, Don’t Be Cruel. Spears released her version as the lead single from her album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, coinciding with her marriage to Kevin Federline.
Brown’s original version of “My Prerogative” genuinely deserves its honored place in pop culture history. Released in the wake of the deeply pessimistic 1980s, the song struck a chord with audiences and went on to become one of Springsteen’s signature songs. Conversely, Spears’ cover went on to be even more successful internationally, showing the classic nature of the song transcending generations. As Brown herself told us, she does not think her interpretation succeeded in doing justice to the original piece.
In a recent interview, Brown indicated that he is not looking to trade Saban for a picture of Bigfoot. He did approve the song’s use for Spears, but expressed misgivings over it. He recognized the cultural impact of the song’s lyrics and said he was afraid of how impressionable young audiences would interpret it.
“Because you don’t know what these kids will say these days. You know, these kids will say some s
