While this generation’s chart belle’s begging for a ‘Soldier’ or ‘Rude Boy’, this week’s From The Vault salutes asked for just the opposite in her 1995 worldwide smash ‘Shy Guy’.
Jamaican singer Diana King released the mega-smash as her debut single and saw it go on to sell over 5 million copies. Yes, 5 million.
The tune, which is a fusion of R&B and Reggae, charted at #13 in the U.S. and was an even bigger hit in the rest of the globe reaching the 3rd position of the Australian charts and only missing the pole position of the British charts by one spot. ‘Guy’ was also chosen as the ‘Bad Boys’ OST’s lead single. Needless to say, the movie’s raging success helped elevate the song to even higher ground.
Two videos were issued for the song. The first, shot in black and white, saw a suited King prancing around the streets of NYC. But it is the visual that was commissioned for the ‘Bad Boy’ movie that is still making the rounds on music channels today. Featuring the ever-so-hilarious Will Smith and Martin Lawrence engaging in a dance-off of sorts, it served as an altogether better fit for the colorful track.
Unfortunately King has never managed to match the success of ‘Shy Guy’, despite serving up a laundry-list of worthy material. With Caribbean-tinged Pop making a comeback in recent years as seen with Rihanna, who knows, maybe she could strike lucky again? In the meantime let’s reminisce and appreciate the brilliance of this classic.
![Performances: We're STILL Rocking to "The GRAMMYs Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" [LL Cool J, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Latto, GloRilla, & More]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/queen-latifah-will-smith-ll-cool-j-recording-academy-cbs-hip-hop-tribute-2023-grammy-464x260.jpg "Performances: We're STILL Rocking to \"The GRAMMYs Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop\" [LL Cool J, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Latto, GloRilla, & More].")
As I constantly say on Twitter and to friends, the 1990s was the best time for music (and a lot of other things, TV shows, technology, music/radio, etc.) that I have lived during [Born in 1989]!
This song was the jam back in the day! Super catchy song that you wanted to sing when it came on the radio, even though you only knew what she was singing on the chorus! LOL!
I don’t deny that music was better in the 90s than it is now, but thats not to say music is terrible now. Still good, just def not as timeless (not many songs I could see my self REALLY wanting to hear come 2025-2030).
Could she have a come back, I HIGHLY DOUBT IT! People are hardly checking for artists who were huge in the 90s (Brandy, Monica, Mya, etc.), so what makes you think a 1-hit-wonder from more than a decade ago has a shot! ? ? ?
#iLoveThe90s!
as far as i see it there is no best are worse it,s just what times you like more,and what type of music you like,because in my opinion i love musics from both times old and new i rock the 80,s up and back music is music like i said it,s who you like.
Yes you are right, better and worse era’s/decades for music.
But with that being said, If I had to pick a decade that I have lived through and ONLY listen to music from that period of time for the rest of my life…
1990s > 2000s. That’s my opinion. Still as I said much more classic than the 2000s.
(Who knows, maybe its just a thing of time. Come 2020 I may be yearning for tons of 2001-2010 music. Never know!)
I jammed to thisback in the days ! I listen to the album once in a while, I just listened to it a few days ago ! And I was wondering when y’all were gonna do a post on her. Oh, the irony !
Used to love this as kid.
This is my S*** ya hear me?!!!
TGJ ALWAYS TRYING SHADE KING RIH…NO MATTER HOW MUCH THIS BLOG HATES HER RIHANNA STILL GONNA SLAY…ANYWAYS I LOVED THIS SONG BUT SHE WONT MAKE A COMEBACK…
I LOVE USHER, HE LOOKS SO GOOD ON THIS PIC 🙂
i still love this track,lord have mercy mercy…mercy.