My Prerogative

"My Prerogative" is a song by American singer 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 due to his involvement as one of the song's session musicians.

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.

Bobby Brown

Robert "Bobby" Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. Brown started his career as one of the frontmen of the R&B and pop group New Edition, from its inception as The Bricks in 1982 until his forced exit from the group in 1986 following a period of misbehavior and rebellious behavior on his part. Starting a solo career, he became a hit success with his second album in 1988, Don't Be Cruel, which spawned a number of hit singles including the self-penned "My Prerogative", which became his signature hit. Brown had a string of top ten hits on various Billboard charts between 1986 and 1993. Brown is noted as a pioneer of new jack swing, a fusion of R&B.

From 1992 to 2007 Brown was married to the pop singer Whitney Houston, with whom he had a child, Bobbi Kristina Brown (1993–2015). The couple starred in the reality show Being Bobby Brown. Houston died in 2012.

Early life

Brown was born in Boston, Massachusetts, as one of six children to Carole Elizabeth (née Williams) and Herbert James Brown. Herbert was a construction worker and Carole was a substitute teacher. Brown grew up in Roxbury's Orchard Park Projects. Brown's first taste of being onstage occurred at age three when one of his childhood idols, James Brown, performed in Boston. This performance had sparked a dream of becoming a singer. Brown joined the church choir, where he recognized and developed his singing abilities.

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears's first and second studio albums, ...Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), became international successes, with the former becoming the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist. Title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" broke international sales records. In 2001, Spears released her self-titled third studio album, Britney, and played the starring role in the film Crossroads (2002). She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003), which yielded the worldwide success of the "Toxic" single.

In 2007, Spears's much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released later that year, and spawned hits such as "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". Her erratic behavior and hospitalizations continued through the following year, at which point she was placed under a still ongoing conservatorship. Spears's sixth studio album, Circus (2008), included global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer". Its supporting tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears was one of the highest-grossing global concert tours in 2009.

New Directions

New Directions may refer to:

See also