“Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” by Modjo
“Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” tells the story of a man who is expressing his affection for a lady while dancing under the moonlit sky. He also shares that he “feel(s) love for the first time” as he can’t get her “out of (his) mind”. Be it whatever age one is at, this is something that anyone would feel when struck by Cupid’s arrow, and here we have the narrator (Yann Destagnol) beautifully portraying that feeling. What undeniably makes it better is that the lady in question also shares the same feelings as Yann as she has that “look in (her) eyes”.
When was “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” released?
“Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” was released as a single on 31st July, 2000. It was one of the tracks found on Modjo’s only album titled, “Modjo”. The said album was launched on 18th September, 2001 by MCA Records.
Credits
Modjo’s own Yann Destagnol and Romain Tranchart co-wrote this track. That said, it should be noted that that very catchy guitar part of “Lady” was sampled from Chic’s 1982 hit “Soup for One”. And to pay tribute to “Soup for One“, during live performance, Modjo would often play both songs together.
It if for this reason the following members of Chic are also officially credited as the song’s co-writers:
- Nile Rodgers
- Bernard Edwards
“Lady” meets with Global Success!
Although the track was only placed on #81 on the US Billboard Hot 100, it managed to top the US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) chart. It also topped the official singles charts in nine European countries, including England.
| United Kingdom | #1 |
| Greece | #1 |
| Hungary | #1 |
| Ireland | #1 |
| Portugal | #1 |
| Romania | #1 |
| Scotland | #1 |
| Spain | #1 |
| Switzerland | #1 |
Lady’s success didn’t end in Europe. This hit went on to enjoy additional successes in several other territories, including Australia and New Zealand.
As of 2022, “Lady” holds platinum certification in the UK having sold over half a million units in this region alone. It also holds Gold certifications in both France and Germany for selling at least 250,000 copies in each of these countries. “Lady” holds the distinction of being Modjo’s biggest hit to date.
In an interview with Billboard on 3rd November 2017, Tranchart expressed his utter surprise the day he found out that “Lady” had sold two million copies of across the globe. He went on to reveal that they had initially expected to sell just about 50,000 copies and that too, in their “wildest dreams” upon the track’s release. Owing to that, its extraordinary global success was nothing short of a total surprise to he and Yann.
Famous Covers and Samples
Since Modjo dropped this hit in 2000, it has been covered and sampled by many a popular recording artists. Some of them include:
- Austin Mahone’s “Lady (ft. Pitbull)”, released in December, 2016.
- Daddy Yankee and French Montana’s “Boom Boom”, released in October, 2017
- Hunter’s “Lady”, released in March, 2021
Fans Reaction to “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)”
This timeless dance classic has definitely stood the test of time. Its simple lyrics and catchy beat is a staple on many playlists the world over. A lot of fans of this song have stated that it makes them remember their childhood and how life was better when they were younger.
