Shaggy’s ‘Hey Sexy Lady’ Hits 100 Million Streams On Spotify

Shaggy‘s 2002 hit Hey Sexy Lady with Brian & Tony Gold surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify on Friday (August 25).

This marks the fifth time the Grammy Award-winner has achieved this milestone on the platform as a lead performer, joining the ranks of his other hits: It Wasn’t Me with RikRok, Angel with Rayvon, Boombastic, and I Need Your Love with Mohombi, Faydee, and Costi.

The track, the first single from Shaggy’s sixth studio album, Lucky Day, is set against the backdrop of Christopher Birch’s Sexy Lady Explosion riddim. It exemplifies Shaggy’s ability to blend laid-back island vibes with a globally relatable narrative. That juxtaposition was even mirrored in the song’s official music video, currently at 217 million views on YouTube, in which his charismatic presence met a dynamic visual narrative that’s part spy caper, part romantic escapade. 

The song’s chorus – a jubilant declaration of “Hey sexy lady, I like your flow,” serves as an infectious earworm that embeds itself into the collective musical memory, almost as effectively as Shaggy rhythmically delivers his verses. Backed by a fusion of Reggae elements and, at the time, modern production techniques, the track struck the perfect balance between nostalgia and contemporary appeal.

While Birch’s Sexy Lady Explosion riddim spawned over a dozen other songs, including T.O.K’s hit She’s Hot, Tanto Metro & Devonte’s Hey Girl, Wayne Marshall’s Marshall Town, and Degree’s Bounce Somebody, Hey Sexy Lady was the only track to gain international chart traction.

It reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 97 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Beyond its streaming success, Hey Sexy Lady has racked up quite the presence in entertainment spaces, gracing the soundtracks of films such as Kangaroo Jack, Along Came Polly (2004), and She’s The Man (2006). It even featured in a commercial starring retired NBA player Carmelo Anthony.

It’s currently certified Platinum in Canada and Australia.

Another version of Hey Sexy Lady, featuring additional verses from Sean Paul and Will Smith, has also captivated listeners, accumulating nearly 20 million streams on Spotify.