Meaning of “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill
“Doo Wop (That Thing)” is a song by American singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill of The Fuges fame. Hill uses the lyrics of the song to warn her fellow African-Americans who find themselves caught up in the struggles. In the song, the singer sends a stark warning to African American men who pay more attention to material things than their women and African American women who put all their efforts in trying to transform themselves in hard rocks when in actual fact they are precious gems.
She concludes by advising them not to allow “that thing” to lead to the destruction of their lives. Many have praised the lyrics of the song (most especially its chorus) for doing a great job in promoting equality between men and women.
Facts about “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
- “Doo Wop (That Thing)” was written and produced solely by Lauryn Hill.
- The song was officially released on 7th July, 1998 ass the first single from Hill’s critically and commercially successful debut solo album titled The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
- The song’s music video, which was shot in Manhattan, New York City, won as many as four awards at the MTV Video Music Awards of 1999, including the Video of the Year award.
- The song made history when it debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as it became the first debut single in the entire history of the Billboard Hot 100 to achieve that feat.
- In addition to peaking at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number 1 in both the UK Singles Chart and the UK R&B Chart.
- Having debuted at the number 1 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100, this song made Hill to become the second woman in the entire history of music to reach the number 1 spot with a song she wrote, recorded and produced by herself. The first female artist to accomplish this feat was American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson in 1988 with her hit single “Foolish Beat”.
- “Doo Wop” is Hill’s first and only song of her career to top the Billboard Hot 100.
- “Doo Wop” is the first single by a hip hop artist to debut at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The second rap artist to achieve this feat was American rapper Cardi B in 2017 with her hit single “Bodak Yellow“
Did “Doo Wop (That Thing)” win a Grammy Award?
Yes, it did. The song actually won two awards at the 1999 Grammy Awards. The awards are as follows: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.
Which artists have covered “Doo Wop”?
Several famous artists ranging from Rihanna to Ester Dean to Teyana Taylor have covered this song since it came out in 1998. Drake sampled this song in his 2014 track “Draft Day”.
What is the meaning of Doo Wop? Is it an English phrase?
Doo-wop is an actual word in the English language. It is a noun that refers to a type of popular music that began in the 1950s in the United States. It is considered a genre of R&B.
What genre of music is this song?
It belongs to the following genres: doo-wop, R&B and hip hop.
