Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. XXVIII--Outkast: Hey Ya!

The Beautiful Girl had a birthday this week (can't say which one, but suffice it to say I wish I was still that young) and while tonight's tune bears no resemblance to us and isn't romantic in the traditional sense, it was the first new release (at the time) that I remember us both liking.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning it ain't.

Released in 2003 by Outkast on the double/split/separate solo/whatever you want to call it album Speakerboxx/The Love Below (Speakerboxx was Big Boi, The Love Below was Andre 3000),  "Hey Ya!" went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks (and I believe it's the first song featured in Friday Night Jukebox to reach # 1--most definitely with a bullet!).  It also won a Grammy and has been featured in numerous best songs of the 2000s lists.  And deservedly so.

I remember the first time I heard it thinking "What the hell is this?" (in that good "holy shit, this is amazing," kind of way), and flipping through radio stations in the days ahead trying to hear it again and again.  The song itself is hard to describe--it's a little bit funk, a little bit rock, a little bit pop, a little bit gospel--and somehow Andre 3000 managed to squeeze an acoustic guitar in there as well.  His vocals alternate between vibrant, questioning, playful, and exultant.  And--emaycee favorite!--the chorus is repeated often.  "Hey Ya!" is one of those singles that is a true marvel for not only its originality but also for its spontaneity.

Fun Fact:  Back in the day when I was still managing a Camelot Music store, Outkast did an in store appearance at one of the stores I ran.  While both Big Boi and Andre 3000 were thoroughly baked. they were most welcoming, kind, and above all, humble in their greetings of the myriad of young folks that came to see them.  Bravo, gentlemen!

For those wondering, no, I have never shaken "...it like a Polaroid picture."  And you wouldn't have wanted to see it even if I had....

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Girl!

Enjoy:

Peace,
emaycee