"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" is a song by
French house duo
Modjo, written and performed by vocalist Yann Destagnol and
producer Romain Tranchart. It was released on 19 June 2000 as the
lead single from
the duo's self-titled debut studio album (2001). It became a major worldwide success, topping at least 10 music charts, including the national charts of Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It also topped the US BillboardHot Dance Club Play chart in January 2001.
Content
"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" is written in the key of
B-flat minor and proceeds at a moderately fast tempo of 128 beats per minute, in
common time.[2] It features a guitar sample of the 1982 single "
Soup for One" performed by
Chic, as written by
Nile Rodgers and
Bernard Edwards.[3] Since 2011, Chic added the song to their concert setlist, which is performed as a mash-up song with "Soup for One".[citation needed]
The single includes the original version of the track, plus an acoustic version, both performed by Modjo. Remixes have been provided by
Harry Romero,
Roy Davis, Jr. and
Danny Tenaglia.[4]
Release
The song debuted at number one in the United Kingdom on 10 September 2000,[5] where it stayed for two weeks to become the sixteenth-best-selling single of 2000.[6] It also reached number one in seven other European countries and became a top-ten hit in several others, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.[7][8] In the United States, the song peaked at number 81 on the
Billboard Hot 100[9] and number one on the
Hot Dance Club Play chart.[10][11] As of 2017, the single has sold two million copies worldwide.[12]
Critical reception and legacy
A reviewer from Daily Record wrote that it is a "brilliant"
house track.[13] Australian music channel
Max placed the song at number 790 in their list of the "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2012.[14]Mixmag included "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" in their list of "The 30 Best Vocal House Anthems Ever" in 2018.[15]Insider put the song on their list of the "102 Songs Everyone Should Listen to in Their Lifetime" in 2019.[16]
In 2024, Norwegian DJ and producer
Kygo interpolated the chorus of the song in his single "For Life" featuring American singer
Zak Abel and guitarist
Nile Rodgers, whose 1982 song "
Soup for One" with his group
Chic was sampled in "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)".[17]
Music video
The accompanying
music video for the song was directed by François Nemeta and was filmed in June 2000 in various locations in
Quebec, Canada.[18][19]
The video starts off with a teenager with a shaved head who walks into a restaurant where his friends, a teenage couple, are waiting for him. The three pool all their money together, take it to a used car dealership, buy a car and drive it to a country fair. The three watch a band playing in a bar and then grab their instruments during a break. Their efforts aren't appreciated, and the teenager with the shaved head is hit with a bottle thrown from the crowd, after which they are chased out. They then sneak into a motel, where they proceed to shower and sleep. The next morning, they are chased out by the hotel manager, and drive until their car breaks down. The girl leads the boys into the woods, and they come across a cliff with a view of a city, which they gaze at in awe as the sun sets.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Release history
Release dates and formats for "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)"
"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" was covered by American singer
Austin Mahone featuring rapper
Pitbull under the shortened title "Lady". It was released on 10 February 2017 along with its lyrics video.[94]
^Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (European 12-inch vinyl disc). Modjo. Sound of Barclay. 2000. 587 844 1.{{
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^Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (UK CD single liner notes). Modjo. Sound of Barclay. 2000. 587 758-2.{{
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^Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (UK cassette single sleeve). Modjo. Sound of Barclay. 2000. 587 758-4.{{
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^Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (Australasian CD single liner notes). Modjo. Barclay. 2000. 561 913-2.{{
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^Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (US CD single liner notes). Modjo.
MCA Records. 2000. 314 587 900-2.{{
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^Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (Japanese CD single liner notes). Modjo. Barclay,
Universal Music Japan. 2000. UICO-5002.{{
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