I'm not sure if they were made to by the label or radio stations or chose to for mass market appeal.

it depends on the edit.

the original and the one they played live on video is "nasty" I believe the radio edit is "natural"

yes, that's a very important job of the PPO. but my understanding is as the staff's highest-ranked microbiologist control of potential alien lifeform risks to earth is also in their purview.

now my knowledge of orbital mechanics comes entirely from video games, but couldn't you use a partial aerobrake?

one tactic I often use is to plan a trajectory that has a periapsis that is barely in the atmosphere, just brushing it such that there is only a tiny bit of drag from very thin atmosphere. this acts to lower my periapsis just a bit, the effect being exaggerated by the fact the relative orbital velocity is at maximum at periapsis and minimum at apoapsis. over a few successive orbits I can bleed a significant amount of velocity with minimal heat and stress. I never used this to attempt a rendezvous, though I want to try now, but I do use it to bleed enough speed that a drogue chute is viable to go the rest of the way

NASA has a specialist for that actually, with the most badass job title in history of "planetary protection officer".