"Super Freak" | ||||
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![]() French 7-inch cover art | ||||
Single by Rick James | ||||
from the album Street Songs | ||||
B-side | "Super Freak (instrumental)" | |||
Released | August 1981 [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Gordy | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Rick James | |||
Rick James singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Super Freak" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"Super Freak" |
"Super Freak" is a 1981 single produced and performed by American singer Rick James. The song,co-written by James and Alonzo Miller,was first released on James' fifth album, Street Songs (1981) and became one of James' signature songs. "Freak" is a slang term for the sexually adventurous,as described in the song's lyrics,"She's a very kinky girl / The kind you don't take home to mother". Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 477 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, [7] number 481 in 2010,and number 153 in an updated list in 2021. [8] The song was nominated for the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammys. [9] The song has been sampled by MC Hammer in 1990,and by Nicki Minaj in 2022. [10]
"Super Freak" was recorded with other tracks for the Street Songs album during December 1980 –January 1981 at the Record Plant,in Sausalito,California and Motown / Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios,Hollywood,California. It features background vocals from James' Motown labelmates the Temptations—whose bass singer,Melvin Franklin,was one of James's idols—and Canadian singer Taborah Johnson. The bass was played by Oscar Olston. The tenor saxophone solo is by Stone City Band member Daniel LeMelle. James' improvised lyrics were later toned down by Los Angeles DJ Alonzo Miller,who received co-writing credit. James apparently was not particularly excited about the song,but reputedly wanted to have something on the album that "white folks could dance to." [11]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [23] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [25] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Superfreak" | ||||
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![]() | ||||
Single by Beatfreakz | ||||
Released | 2006 | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | House | |||
Length | 3:25 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Beatfreakz | |||
Beatfreakz singles chronology | ||||
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In 2006, Dutch music group Beatfreakz covered the song as "Superfreak" and released it as a single. This cover reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Finland and Hungary.
Dutch CD single [26]
UK 12-inch single [27]
| UK CD1 [28]
UK CD2 [29]
|
Credits are lifted from the Dutch and UK CD1 liner notes. [26] [28]
Studios
Personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Netherlands | 2006 | CD | Spinnin' | [26] |
United Kingdom | 9 October 2006 |
| Data | [50] |
The predominant riff of the song was most popularly sampled in 1990 by MC Hammer in "U Can't Touch This". [51] The song would then be sampled by American musical group Black Eyed Peas in their 2020 single “Vida Loca", and was later sampled by Nicki Minaj in her 2022 single, "Super Freaky Girl". [10] Minaj previously appeared in the remix of Big Sean's "Dance (A$$)" (2011), which sampled "U Can't Touch This". [52]
The Chorus of the song appears in the scene in Transformers 2 where Sam, the protagonist, is driving his Camaro. [53]
"Somebody's Watching Me" is a song recorded and written by American singer Rockwell, released by the Motown label in December 1983, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name. It features guest vocals by Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson and Norman Dozier. The song became a major commercial success internationally, topping the charts in Belgium, France, and Spain, and reaching the top 5 in Canada, West Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. In the UK, it reached No. 6 and is Rockwell's only top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Rolling Stone magazine called the song "an international and enduring smash hit that, more than 30 years later, remains the perennial paranoia-rock anthem and Halloween mix go-to song."
"U Can't Touch This" is a song co-written, produced, and performed by American rapper MC Hammer. It was released as the third single from his third album, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em (1990), and has been considered his signature song. Along with Hammer, Rick James shares songwriting credits with Alonzo Miller, as the song samples the prominent opening riff of James' 1981 single "Super Freak". The song has been used and referred to in many television shows, films, commercials, and other forms of media. It has also received multiple awards and recognition.
"Move Your Feet" is a song by Danish pop duo Junior Senior from their debut studio album, D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat (2002). The song, originally released in June 2002 in the duo's native Denmark, was issued worldwide in 2003 and became Junior Senior's biggest hit, reaching No. 4 in Denmark, No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and No. 20 in Australia. A music video for the song, directed by British art collective Shynola, was created using low-resolution pixel art. The song was sampled in Nicki Minaj's 2024 song "Everybody".
"Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single released by American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in October 1988. The song reached the top 50 in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top 40 hit, peaking at number 48. It did, however, give her a second chart entry on the US Adult Contemporary charts, peaking at number 19 in early 1989. Given the commercial decline Chapman suffered following the release of her second album Crossroads, "Baby Can I Hold You" also became her last top 50 hit until 1996's "Give Me One Reason". In July 1990, the song reached number one in Portugal. Chapman re-released the song in 2001, in support of her first greatest hits album Collection.
"Lil Freak" is a song by American singer Usher, taken from his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond. Featuring guest vocals by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, the song was written by her, Usher, Ester Dean, Blac Elvis and Polow da Don, the latter two producing the track. Its hook is based on a manipulated sample of American soul musician Stevie Wonder's 1973 hit, "Living for the City". "Lil Freak" was released as the second single from the album in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2010.
The discography of Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj consists of five studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, 136 singles, and 20 promotional singles.
"Super Bass" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj from the deluxe version of her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It was sent to American rhythmic radio stations as the album's fifth single on April 5, 2011. The song was written by Minaj alongside Ester Dean, Roahn Hylton, and producers Kane Beatz and JMIKE. According to Minaj, the song's lyrics detail the story of a playful romance between her and a potential suitor. The pop rap track contains electronic influences, while Minaj raps over a hip hop beat. An accompanying music video for the single was shot in March 2011 by director Sanaa Hamri and shows Minaj playfully taunting a group of men; while making use of multiple props colored bubblegum pink.
"Turn Me On" is a song by French DJ David Guetta from his fifth studio album Nothing but the Beat. Vocals are provided by rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, whose second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded features the song as a bonus song on its deluxe version. It was written by Ester Dean, David Guetta and Giorgio Tuinfort, with a rap written by Minaj.
"Starships" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. It was released on February 14, 2012, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by Nicki Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Wayne Hector, and it was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk.
"Pound the Alarm" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on June 12, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the fourth single from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by RedOne, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Achraf Jannusi, with co-writing credits from Minaj, and production was handled by RedOne, Falk, and Yacoub. Despite the song not winning the poll where Minaj and her label asked fans to pick the next single from her album, the label went ahead and released "Pound the Alarm" due to a large number of airplay requests for the song.
"Beauty and a Beat" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber from his third studio album Believe (2012). It features rapper Nicki Minaj, who co-wrote it with Savan Kotecha, Max Martin and Zedd. It was also produced by the latter two with a heavy drum machine and "rushing" synthesizers. Lyrically, it speaks about Bieber wanting to take his love interest to a club, where they can "party like it's 3012". It is the only song from Believe that Bieber did not co-write. The song became the third official single from the album.
"Freaks" is a song by American hip hop recording artist French Montana and features Nicki Minaj. It was released on February 14, 2013, as the second single from his debut studio album Excuse My French (2013). The song was produced by Rico Love and Earl & E from Division 1.
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"Anaconda" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on August 4, 2014, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Republic as the second single from her third studio album, The Pinkprint (2014). The song was produced by Polow da Don, DJ Spydr, and Da Internz, and prominently samples "Baby Got Back" (1992) by Sir Mix-a-Lot. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Minaj's highest-charting single at the time. The song also peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, top forty in Austria, France and Portugal and top fifty in Czech Republic.
"Hey Mama" is a song recorded by French record producer David Guetta featuring Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, American singer Bebe Rexha and co-production by Dutch record producer Afrojack. The song was released on 16 March 2015, as the fourth single from Guetta's sixth studio album, Listen (2014). It was produced by David Guetta, Afrojack, and Giorgio Tuinfort, who also wrote the song with Rexha, Minaj, Ester Dean, and Sean Douglas. American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax is also credited as a writer, as the track samples his recording of "Rosie", a field holler sung by an Afro-American chain gang at the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
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"The Light Is Coming" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande, featuring American rapper Nicki Minaj, released on June 20, 2018 as a promotional single of Grande's fourth studio album Sweetener. Nicki Minaj wrote her intro while Ariana Grande co-wrote the song with its producer Pharrell Williams. The track debuted at number 95 and peaked at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
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