My Prerogative
Encyclopedia
"My Prerogative" is a song by American recording artist Bobby Brown
from his second solo studio album, Don't Be Cruel
. It was released on October 11, 1988 as the second single from the album. After recording sessions for the album were completed, Brown and producer Gene Griffin travelled to New York City
, 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 departure from New Edition
. 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 a new jack swing
anthem, and contains many elements from Teddy Riley productions.
The song was positively received by critics and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single. It was also commercially successful, reaching number one in Billboard
s Hot 100
and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
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
, he was joined on stage by many popular rap artists and producers of the time.
"My Prerogative" has been covered and sampled by a number of artists from different genres, most notably by Britney Spears
. She released her cover in her first compilation, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
(2004). The cover was produced by Bloodshy & Avant
and was noted for aptly referring to Spears's relationship with the media at the time. It received mostly unfavorable reviews from critics, with one reviewer calling it "unnecessary". Although the song only appeared in component charts in the United States, Spears's cover surpassed Brown's version worldwide, peaking at the top of the charts in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway and reaching the top ten in another fourteen countries. The music video portrays Spears arriving at a Hollywood manor in which a party is taking place. In the end, it is revealed that the party is actually Spears's wedding.
, 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 to New York
to come up with it'". He travelled to the city with producer Gene Griffin. "My Prerogative" was written and co-produced by Brown, Griffin and Teddy Riley. It was recorded
at Axis Studios and mixed
at Soundworks, in New York. The track was mastered
at Future Disc Systems in Hollywood, California. 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 [a 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.
anthem, that merges hip hop
beats with elements of synthpop
and soul
. It features a triplet swing in the sixteenth note
, 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
choruses". The bassline
of the track was described by Cam'Ron Davis of CMJ New Music Monthly
as "truly sinister". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is composed in the key of A minor
, with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Brown's vocal range spans from the high-note of C4
to A5
.
said "My Prerogative" "sounds like gin-drenched, Roaring Twenties
swing". Arion Berger of Rolling Stone
called it "a grumpy and undeniably adult dance hit". "My Prerogative" was nominated for at the 30th Grammy Awards in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single by a Male, but lost to Michael Jackson
's "Man in the Mirror
". The following year, Spin listed the song at number seventy-two on the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" list. It ranked at number ninety-eight on VH1
's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". The track is often referred to as Brown's signature song
.
"My Prerogative" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the week of October 29, 1988 at number sixty-one. The following week, it climbed sixteen positions to number forty-five. On January 14, 1989, it peaked at the top position of the chart. The song also peaked at number one in Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
and at number seven in Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for sales over 500,000 copies. In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM
Singles Chart at position ninety-eight, on the issue dated December 23, 1989. In the United Kingdom, "My Prerogative" debuted at number eighty-seven on December 10, 1989. 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 seventeen, and stayed on the chart for two weeks. Across Europe, the song reached the top ten in Ireland and the Netherlands, and the top twenty in Germany and Sweden. In Australia and New Zealand, the track peaked at number forty and number three, respectively.
for "My Prerogative" was directed by Alek Keshishian
. It begins with Brown driving a car while his musicians start to perform the song on a stage. Shortly after, he descends to the stage in an elevator, wearing a black jumpsuit
and a headset. He dances flanked by two women, one of them playing a keytar
. J. D. Considine of Rolling Stone wrote in the review of Bobby
(1992), "As anyone who saw him swagger through the videos for 'My Prerogative' and 'Every Little Step
' 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
's "Cult of Personality
". It also charted at number nine on RPM video chart on July 21, 1990.
"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
of Run-DMC, LL Cool J
and Heavy D joined him onstage and freestyle rap
ped. Eric B., KRS-One
, L. A. Reid
, Babyface and Teddy Riley also joined him onstage, with the latter performing a keyboard
solo. Peter Watrous of The New York Times
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 at the 1997 Home Again Tour with New Edition
, 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
in Atlantic City. 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. During the performance, he tore open his orange dress shirt, singing bare-chested with a tie and a fur coat on. Brown also performed the song during his 2007 July shows in Australia.
1995 Remix version
and covered
by many artists from different genres. It was sampled in Nice & Smooth
's "O-o-h Child" (1989), Public Enemy's "Pollywanacraka" (1990), Nice & Smooth's "Hip Hop Junkies" (1991) and LL Cool J
's "Doin It
" (1995). J.D. Considine of Rolling Stone noted that the hook
of Brown's 1992 single "Humpin' Around
" from Bobby, "bears a more than passing resemblance to the synth part from 'My Prerogative'". According to Entertainment Weekly
, American R&B group U.N.V.
sampled the melody for their 1993 single "Something's Goin' On". Jamaican reggae singer Beenie Man
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. English rock band Selfish Cunt
also covered the song for their 2004 studio album No Wicked Heart Shall Prosper, changing the name to "Bobby". On July 2007, American basketball player LeBron James
covered "My Prerogative" at the 15th ESPY Awards
at the Kodak Theatre
in Hollywood, California, wearing a wig and Hammer pants
. Vibe named the performance one of the "worst of the worst live performances of the year". Anoop Desai
, contestant of the eight season
of American Idol
, 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
. Graeme McRanor of The Vancouver Sun
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
covered the song at the All Points West Music & Arts Festival
in Jersey City
. The song was also featured on the films Love & Basketball (2000), Wild Hogs
(2007) and Sex Drive
(2008).
recorded a cover of "My Prerogative" with Swedish production team Bloodshy & Avant
, who produced her single "Toxic
" from her fourth studio album, In the Zone
(2003). Bloodshy & Avant recorded the song at Murlyn Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. Spears recorded the vocals at Teldex Studios in Berlin, Germany. On August 13, 2004, Spears's label Jive Records
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, 2004, however, it leaked in the Real Tapemasters Inc.'s mixtape
The Future of R&B on September 10, 2004. Spears's cover of "My Prerogative" is musically different from its original version, with the bass
and new jack swing
sound replaced with synthesizers and elements typical of Bloodshy & Avant productions. It was noted by Christy Lemire of msnbc.com
that the cover also contains elements of Bollywood music
. 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
commented the cover could be interpreted as a statement on Spears's life and the media reaction to some of her decisions at the time, including her engagement to American dancer Kevin Federline
.
said that the lyrics fit perfectly with Spears's 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
-styled production, Cameo
swagger, and Madonna
sultriness, but never seems to capture the gloss and glory of any of the aforementioned influences". Christy Lemire of msnbc.com called it "utterly unnecessary". Louis Pattison of the New Musical Express commented that "judging by the fuck-you sentiments" of the cover, Spears liked to play the role of "[the] pop brat careering off the rails". Sarah Hepola of Salon.com
wrote in an article about contemporary teen idol
s that the cover "became an anthem for teen-idol rebellion". American director Quentin Tarantino
included the song in a playlist that inspired him during production of his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds.
In the United States, "My Prerogative" charted in Billboards Top 40 Tracks
and Top 40 Mainstream at number twenty-two and thirty-four, respectively. "My Prerogative" has sold 374,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. On November 15, 2004, the song debuted at the Australian Singles Chart
at number seven. It received a gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for shipments over 35,000 units. The same week, it debuted at number seventeen in New Zealand. On November 7, 2004, the song debuted at number three in the United Kingdom, during a competitive week of new releases, only surpassed by Eminem
's "Just Lose It
" and Destiny's Child
's "Lose My Breath
". According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 115,000 copies there. The song also reached success throughout Europe, peaking at number one in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway, number two in Spain and number three in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark and Germany. It also reached top ten positions in Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
and was directed by Jake Nava
. According to Spears's 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 "[having] an element of old Hollywood glamour and mystery". The music video begins with Spears driving a Porsche 928
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's 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
kitchen, where a maid cuts the straps of her black wet dress. In the next scene, she walks into a study in which her husband at the time, Kevin Federline, is smoking and watching a black-and-white video of Spears on a projection screen
. According to Jennifer Vineyard from MTV
, the clip had the style of pornographic films from the 1940s and 1950s. Rolling Stone
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's 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.
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
from his second solo studio album, Don't Be Cruel
Don't Be Cruel (album)
Don't Be Cruel is the second album by American R&B singer Bobby Brown, released in 1988 on MCA Records. It includes four hit singles "Don't Be Cruel", "My Prerogative", "Roni" and "Every Little Step." All were #1 R&B singles except "Roni," which peaked at #2, while "My Prerogative" became Brown's...
. It was released on October 11, 1988 as the second single from the album. After recording sessions for the album were completed, Brown and producer Gene Griffin travelled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, 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 departure from New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
. 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 a new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
anthem, and contains many elements from Teddy Riley productions.
The song was positively received by critics and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single. It was also commercially successful, reaching number one in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
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
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, he was joined on stage by many popular rap artists and producers of the time.
"My Prerogative" has been covered and sampled by a number of artists from different genres, most notably by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. She released her cover in her first compilation, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is the first greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released on November 1, 2004 by Jive Records. The compilation was released in two different formats, a standard edition and a limited edition containing a bonus disc with remixes. A compilation DVD...
(2004). The cover was produced by Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
and was noted for aptly referring to Spears's relationship with the media at the time. It received mostly unfavorable reviews from critics, with one reviewer calling it "unnecessary". Although the song only appeared in component charts in the United States, Spears's cover surpassed Brown's version worldwide, peaking at the top of the charts in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway and reaching the top ten in another fourteen countries. The music video portrays Spears arriving at a Hollywood manor in which a party is taking place. In the end, it is revealed that the party is actually Spears's wedding.
Background
Brown had already completed recording sessions for Don't Be Cruel in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, 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 to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to come up with it'". He travelled to the city with producer Gene Griffin. "My Prerogative" was written and co-produced by Brown, Griffin and Teddy Riley. It was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
at Axis Studios and mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
at Soundworks, in New York. The track was mastered
Audio mastering
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 source from which all copies will be produced...
at Future Disc Systems in Hollywood, California. During an interview with The Hour
The Hour (newspaper)
The Hour is a daily newspaper published in Norwalk, Connecticut. It serves the municipalities of Norwalk, Wilton, Westport, Weston and Stamford. The newspaper was founded in 1871. It was published under the title The Evening Hour from 1895 into the 1900s, at which point it was renamed The Norwalk...
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 [a 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.
Composition
"My Prerogative" is considered a new jack swingNew jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
anthem, that merges hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
beats with elements of synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. It features a triplet swing in the sixteenth note
Sixteenth note
thumb|right|Figure 1. A sixteenth note with stem facing up, a sixteenth note with stem facing down, and a sixteenth rest.thumb|right|Figure 2. Four sixteenth notes beamed together....
, 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
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
choruses". The bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
of the track was described by Cam'Ron Davis of CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly was a monthly music magazine with interviews, reviews, and special features. Each issue included a compact disc with 15 to 24 songs by well established bands, unsigned bands, and everything in between...
as "truly sinister". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is composed in the key of A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
, with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Brown's vocal range spans from the high-note of C4
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
to A5
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
.
Reception
Barry Michael Cooper of SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
said "My Prerogative" "sounds like gin-drenched, Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
swing". Arion Berger of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called it "a grumpy and undeniably adult dance hit". "My Prerogative" was nominated for at the 30th Grammy Awards in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single by a Male, but lost to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
". The following year, Spin listed the song at number seventy-two on the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" list. It ranked at number ninety-eight on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". The track is often referred to as Brown's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
.
"My Prerogative" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the week of October 29, 1988 at number sixty-one. The following week, it climbed sixteen positions to number forty-five. On January 14, 1989, it peaked at the top position of the chart. The song also peaked at number one in Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and at number seven in Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for sales over 500,000 copies. In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Singles Chart at position ninety-eight, on the issue dated December 23, 1989. In the United Kingdom, "My Prerogative" debuted at number eighty-seven on December 10, 1989. 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 seventeen, and stayed on the chart for two weeks. Across Europe, the song reached the top ten in Ireland and the Netherlands, and the top twenty in Germany and Sweden. In Australia and New Zealand, the track peaked at number forty and number three, respectively.
Promotion
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "My Prerogative" was directed by Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian is a Lebanese-born Armenian film director. He is best known for his 1991 film Madonna: Truth or Dare, which for a time was the highest-grossing documentary of all time....
. It begins with Brown driving a car while his musicians start to perform the song on a stage. Shortly after, he descends to the stage in an elevator, wearing a black jumpsuit
Jumpsuit
Jumpsuit originally referred to the utilitarian one-piece garments used by parachuters/skydivers, but has come to be used as a common term for any one-piece garment with sleeves and legs.-Use:...
and a headset. He dances flanked by two women, one of them playing a keytar
Keytar
A keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard 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 compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
. J. D. Considine of Rolling Stone wrote in the review of Bobby
Bobby (album)
Bobby is the third studio album by American singer Bobby Brown, released in 1992 on MCA Records. It spawed five singles, including "Humpin' Around", "Get Away", and "Good Enough" . It was certified 5x Platinum. Remixed House versions of several singles, produced by English dance outfit K-Klass,...
(1992), "As anyone who saw him swagger through the videos for 'My Prerogative' and 'Every Little Step
Every Little Step
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by R&B singer Bobby Brown, released by the MCA Records label. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel, it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Hot Black Singles chart, and #6 on the UK Singles Chart...
' 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
1989 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1989 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1989, honoring the best music videos from April 2, 1988, to June 1, 1989. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles....
for Best Stage Performance in a Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance in a Video was first awarded at the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. The last of this award was given out in 1989.- See also :* MTV Europe Music Award for Best Live Act...
, but lost to the music video of Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
's "Cult of Personality
Cult of Personality (song)
"Cult of Personality" is a song by funk metal band Living Colour. It was the first single from their debut album, Vivid, released in 1988. "Cult of Personality" reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. It also won the Grammy award for "Best Hard Rock...
". It also charted at number nine on RPM video chart on July 21, 1990.
"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 Simmons
Joseph Ward Simmons , known by the stage name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C., and a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. He is the younger brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons, Jr...
of Run-DMC, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
and Heavy D joined him onstage and freestyle rap
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
ped. Eric B., KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, L. A. Reid
L. A. Reid
Antonio "L.A." Reid is a three-time Grammy Award-winning US record executive, songwriter, and record producer. Best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records, he is responsible for signing and helping bring Mariah Carey, Pink, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, Toni Braxton, TLC,...
, Babyface and Teddy Riley also joined him onstage, with the latter performing a keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
solo. Peter Watrous of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
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 at the 1997 Home Again Tour with New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
, 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
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Atlantic City. 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. During the performance, he tore open his orange dress shirt, singing bare-chested with a tie and a fur coat on. Brown also 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
- Bobby Brown – lead vocals, songwriting, co-productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Gene Griffin – songwriting, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, co-production - Teddy Riley – background vocals, keyboards, mixing, co-production
- Dennis Mitchell – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixing, recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording... - Jim Hanneman – engineering, mixing, recording
- Markell Riley – drum programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
- Aaron Hall – background vocals
- Bernard Bill – background vocals
- Lee Drakeford – background vocals
Charts and succession
Original version| Charts (1988/1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
40 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
98 |
| Dutch Top 40 MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
7 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
15 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
9 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
1995 Remix version
| Charts (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 17 |
Cover versions
"My Prerogative" was sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by many artists from different genres. It was sampled in Nice & Smooth
Nice & Smooth
Nice & Smooth was an East Coast hip hop duo from New York that consists of Greg Nice and Smooth B . The duo released four albums from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s...
's "O-o-h Child" (1989), Public Enemy's "Pollywanacraka" (1990), Nice & Smooth's "Hip Hop Junkies" (1991) and LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
's "Doin It
Doin It
"Doin It" is the second single from LL Cool J's sixth album, Mr. Smith, and was released on February 20, 1996 for Def Jam Recordings. Based around a sample of Grace Jones' "My Jamaican Guy", it also featured LeShaun, production from Rashad "Ringo" Smith and LL Cool J, with Erick Sermon producing...
" (1995). J.D. Considine of Rolling Stone noted that the hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
of Brown's 1992 single "Humpin' Around
Humpin' Around
"Humpin' Around" is the title of a number-one R&B single by singer Bobby Brown. The hit song spent two weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.-Music video:...
" from Bobby, "bears a more than passing resemblance to the synth part from 'My Prerogative'". According to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, American R&B group U.N.V.
U.N.V.
-History:U.N.V. or, Universal Nubian Voices, was a male quartet that came onto the scene in 1993 out of Lansing, Michigan with their debut album, Something's Goin On. The group was composed of brothers John Powe and Shawn Powe, and members John Clay and Demetrius Peete.U.N.V. actually had its start...
sampled the melody for their 1993 single "Something's Goin' On". Jamaican reggae singer Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
covered "My Prerogative" for his 1998 studio album Many Moods of Moses. American singer Rod Michael
Rod Michael
Rod Michael Koch better known as just Rod Michael is an American pop singer. He signed with BMG Deutschland GmbH in 2001....
covered the song for his 2004 studio album, The Next Episode. English rock band Selfish Cunt
Selfish Cunt
Selfish Cunt is a rock band based in London, England. The band was formed in early 2003 by Martin Tomlinson and Patrick Constable, and is noted for provocative lyrics, aggressive stage shows, and electronic-influenced rock. Their mix of electric guitar and electronic drum machines is accompanied by...
also covered the song for their 2004 studio album No Wicked Heart Shall Prosper, changing the name to "Bobby". On July 2007, American basketball player LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
covered "My Prerogative" at the 15th ESPY Awards
ESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
at the Kodak Theatre
Kodak Theatre
The Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland shopping mall and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles...
in Hollywood, California, wearing a wig and Hammer pants
Hammer pants
Hammer Pants—inspired by harem pants, which originated in India and are often mistakenly referred to as “parachute pants”—are baggy pants tapered at the ankle perfect for breakdancing. They were popularized in the 1980s and 1990s by rapper MC Hammer....
. Vibe named the performance one of the "worst of the worst live performances of the year". Anoop Desai
Anoop Desai
Anoop Desai is an American singer-songwriter best known for his time as a contestant on the eighth season of American Idol. Motivated by the death of his friend Eve Carson, Desai auditioned for American Idol. Desai made American Idol history by being the first ever 13th finalist on American Idol...
, contestant of the eight season
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, 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
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...
. Graeme McRanor of The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
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
The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...
covered the song at the All Points West Music & Arts Festival
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 is hosted by Goldenvoice/AEG Live events, the same company that hosts the similar annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival...
in Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. The song was also featured on the films Love & Basketball (2000), Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs is a 2007 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, though preview film screenings were held in select areas on February 24, 2007.-Plot:Doug...
(2007) and Sex Drive
Sex Drive (film)
Sex Drive is a 2008 sex comedy film about a high school graduate who goes on a cross-country road trip to hook up with a girl he met online. It is based on the novel All the Way, by Andy Behrens. The film was directed by Sean Anders, and stars Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew, and Katrina...
(2008).
Background and composition
In 2004, Britney SpearsBritney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
recorded a cover of "My Prerogative" with Swedish production team Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
, who produced her single "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" from her fourth studio album, In the Zone
In the Zone
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 16, 2003, by Jive Records. Following the end of the Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and her break-up with Justin Timberlake, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her...
(2003). Bloodshy & Avant recorded the song at Murlyn Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. Spears recorded the vocals at Teldex Studios in Berlin, Germany. On August 13, 2004, Spears's label Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
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
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is the first greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released on November 1, 2004 by Jive Records. The compilation was released in two different formats, a standard edition and a limited edition containing a bonus disc with remixes. A compilation DVD...
. The song was set to premiere on radio stations on September 14, 2004, however, it leaked in the Real Tapemasters Inc.'s mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
The Future of R&B on September 10, 2004. Spears's cover of "My Prerogative" is musically different from its original version, with the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
sound replaced with synthesizers and elements typical of Bloodshy & Avant productions. It was noted by Christy Lemire of msnbc.com
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
that the cover also contains elements of Bollywood music
Bollywood songs
Bollywood songs, more formally known as Hindi movie songs, are songs featured in Bollywood films, often performed in item numbers.The language of Hindi movie songs, generally termed Hindi, can be complex. Some songs are saturated with Urdu and Persian terms and it is not uncommon to hear use of...
. 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
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
commented the cover could be interpreted as a statement on Spears's life and the media reaction to some of her decisions at the time, including her engagement to American dancer Kevin Federline
Kevin Federline
Kevin Earl Federline is an American dancer, rapper, fashion model, and actor. Previously engaged to actress Shar Jackson, Federline is best known for his two-year marriage to pop singer Britney Spears...
.
Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called the cover "a useless remake, which seems to exist solely for its video". Spence D. of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said that the lyrics fit perfectly with Spears's 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
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
between vintage Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
-styled production, Cameo
Cameo (band)
Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
swagger, and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
sultriness, but never seems to capture the gloss and glory of any of the aforementioned influences". Christy Lemire of msnbc.com called it "utterly unnecessary". Louis Pattison of the New Musical Express commented that "judging by the fuck-you sentiments" of the cover, Spears liked to play the role of "[the] pop brat careering off the rails". Sarah Hepola of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
wrote in an article about contemporary teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
s that the cover "became an anthem for teen-idol rebellion". American director Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
included the song in a playlist that inspired him during production of his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds.
In the United States, "My Prerogative" charted in Billboards Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was...
and Top 40 Mainstream at number twenty-two and thirty-four, respectively. "My Prerogative" has sold 374,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. On November 15, 2004, the song debuted at the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
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 singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number seven. It received a gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) for shipments over 35,000 units. The same week, it debuted at number seventeen in New Zealand. On November 7, 2004, the song debuted at number three in the United Kingdom, during a competitive week of new releases, only surpassed by Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's "Just Lose It
Just Lose It
"Just Lose It" is the first single from Eminem's fifth studio album Encore and was later included on his 2005 compilation album, Curtain Call: The Hits. The song caused controversy as its lyrics and music video parodies Michael Jackson, who was being accused of child molestation at the time. The...
" and Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
's "Lose My Breath
Lose My Breath
"Lose My Breath" is an R&B song performed by the American group Destiny's Child. It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Sean Garrett, and Shawn Corey "Jay-Z" Carter for Destiny's Child's fourth studio album, Destiny...
". According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 115,000 copies there. The song also reached success throughout Europe, peaking at number one in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway, number two in Spain and number three in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark and Germany. It also reached top ten positions 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 MansionCanfield-Moreno Estate
The Canfield-Moreno Estate, also known as The Paramour Mansion, or The Crestmount, is a historic residence and estate, and a present day recording studio, located in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, California...
in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
and was directed by Jake Nava
Jake Nava
Jake Nava was born on 17 August and grew up in northern London. He currently lives in eastern London.He graduated from the University of WestministerJake Nava is an English-born music video and film director.-Filmography:MUSIC VIDEOS...
. According to Spears's 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
Outrageous
"Outrageous" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on July 13, 2004 by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. It was written and produced by R. Kelly...
" music video shoot. She also described the video as "[having] an element of old Hollywood glamour and mystery". The music video begins with Spears driving a Porsche 928
Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 was a sports-GT car sold by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 to 1995. Originally intended to replace the company's iconic 911, the 928 attempted to combine the power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort, and equipment of a luxury sedan to create what some...
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's 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
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
kitchen, where a maid cuts the straps of her black wet dress. In the next scene, she walks into a study in which her husband at the time, Kevin Federline, is smoking and watching a black-and-white video of Spears on a projection screen
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 wall; or semi-permanent or mobile, as in a conference room...
. According to Jennifer Vineyard from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, the clip had the style of pornographic films from the 1940s and 1950s. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
in their article "Britney Spears: The Complete Video Guide", compared it to Madonna's performances of her 1984 single "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
". 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's 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 listing
- CD single
- "My Prerogative" – 3:34
- "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Vocal Mix) – 7:19
- Japanese digital download
- "My Prerogative" – 3:34
- "I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)"I've Just Begun " is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her first greatest hits album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative . The song was produced by Bloodshy & Avant and originally recorded for In the Zone. It was released as a digital download on August 17, 2004, prior to...
" – 5:16
- Maxi single
- "My Prerogative" – 3:34
- "My Prerogative" (Instrumental) – 3:34
- "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Vocal Mix) – 7:19
- "My Prerogative" (Armand Van Helden Remix) – 7:34
- "My Prerogative" (X-Press 2 Dub) – 7:19
Credits and personnel
- Britney Spears – lead and background vocals
- Bloodshy & Avant – production, arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s, all instrumentsMulti-instrumentalistA multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, programming, vocal editing - Steven Lunt – arrangements
- Nicklas Flyckt – mixing
- Tobias Lehmann – engineering
- Uwe Lietzow – recording
- Henrik Jonback – guitar
- BlackCell – background vocals
- Emma Holmgren – background vocals
Charts
| Charts (2004/2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts 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 singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
7 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
7 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
3 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
3 |
| Czech Airplay Chart | 4 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
3 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
10 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 1 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
18 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
3 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
5 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Japanese Singles Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
98 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
17 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
1 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
6 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| Norway IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Gold |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2004) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 93 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
81 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
74 |