Bobby Brown isn't holding back vocally in a music moment that feels more needle scratch than remix revival, at least on Britney Spears' 2004 rendition of his signature song "My Prerogative."
The R&B icon didn't mince words in a recent interview on the podcast Club Shay Shay with host Shannon Sharpe. Brown was frank when discussing Britney's 2020 interpretation of his 1988 anthem, calling it a "butchering." You heard that correctly: no sugar-coating, no industry diplomacy, just the genuine truth straight from the man who made the song a smash.
"I don't know if they did justice to any of the samples that they done to my songs," Brown said, sounding very sad. "My Prerogative was butchered by Britney Spears. It was produced by Teddy Riley, but that was a butchering I just couldn't take."
That's a bold claim, especially when you consider that Teddy Riley, one of the architects of New Jack Swing, was working behind the boards on Britney's version. That pairing, on its own, should convince most that the remake has golden potential.
I only cleared it because it was Britney Spears, and I thought she'd do a good job," he admitted. "Teddy Riley is doing it, too, so you know... but I thought it was a butchering."
That's a hard pill to swallow, especially for fans who grew up with Britney's smoky-eyed music video and sultry, synth-heavy interpretation of the classic track. Her version, released in 2004, at the height of her pop reign, was intended to be a bold, personal statement, a reclamation of her autonomy amid tabloid-fueled chaos. But, to Brown, the intended message was mistranslated.
For anyone who considers My Prerogative sacred, though, Brown's response may be predictable. His original version was guttural, defiant, and undeniably his. And when an artist makes that personal statement on a record, seeing it reinterpreted by someone else, no matter how famous I am, is no small thing.
And yet, Brown's honesty reminds us that behind every music clearance is a human artist with expectations. Even in an industry based on remixes, covers, and reinvention, some originals hit too close to home. So, whether you're team Britney or Team Bobby, the discourse surrounding this pop culture showdown is just starting.
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