Bobby Brown said what he said, and Britney Spears fans are not having it. During a recent sit-down on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, the R&B icon made it crystal clear that he was not a fan of Britney’s 2004 cover of his classic 1988 hit “My Prerogative.”
In fact, he thinks she “butchered” it.
When Sharpe asked which artist had done the best job sampling or covering his music, Bobby didn’t mince words. “I don’t think they really did justice to any of the samples that they have done to my songs,” he said, adding, “Britney Spears butchered ‘My Prerogative.’ Teddy Riley produced it. But that was a butchering. I couldn’t take it.”
The retired NFL star then pointed out that the New Edition icon cleared the track, but Bobby pushed back, saying he only gave the green light because he expected Britney to “wow” him — which, clearly, she did not. Meanwhile, a source in the music industry told People that Bobby might just be stirring the pot for some press. And even if that’s true, the internet wasted no time clapping back.
Fans came to Britney’s defense, with many praising her synth-heavy rendition and calling it a “cultural reset.” Some even admitted they didn’t know the song wasn’t hers until much later. “Britney left no crumbs,” one user wrote. Another added, “I would also be mad if someone covered my song and made it so iconic people forgot I sang it first.”
A third person wrote, “Respect to Bobby, but that’s wild. ‘My Prerogative’ is iconic either way—Britney made it a whole new anthem. Sometimes the remix hits a different generation, and that’s part of the legacy.” One more person remarked, “Bobby Brown really said Britney Spears butchered Prerogative despite him clearing the song. I DISAGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY.”
“My Prerogative” dropped in 1988 as a direct response to the backlash Bobby faced after being ousted from the group New Edition. Upon its release, the RIAA certified Gold, New Jack Swing, masterpiece peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and US Hot Black Singles charts.
Britney Spears has yet to respond to Bobby Brown’s critique of her “My Prerogative” cover.
Revisit her version of the song and the original below.
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