Supermodel (You Better Work)
Encyclopedia
"Supermodel" is the title of a 1992 song (see 1992 in music
) by the dance music
singer and drag queen
RuPaul
. It was the third single
(but first major label single) from his album Supermodel of the World
. The single was an unexpected success during an era where grunge
was at the height of its popularity.
The song was a dance club
anthem that, though particularly popular with gay
audiences, found mainstream success due in part to RuPaul's accessible "nice drag queen" image. The song consists of RuPaul giving advice to a young black supermodel, and briefly several other models, largely consisting of "sashay, chante!", "work, turn to the left, work, now turn to the right", and "you better work". The music video
for the song, featuring RuPaul in various outfits prancing around town, became a staple on MTV
. Singer Kurt Cobain
of Nirvana
cited the song as one of his favorites of 1993 and the two were photographed together at the MTV Video Music Awards
that year.
"Supermodel" was a modest hit on the pop charts in both the US
(#45) and the UK
(#39). It also reached #2 on the US dance chart
. This song is RuPaul's highest charting pop hit in the US to date. (Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
later ranked the song at #62 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that "The joke's all on us poor, uptight suckers with just one type of clothes in our closets.")
The song features spoken word snippets by actress LaWanda Page
, who went on to appear in several music videos by RuPaul.
The single is most commonly found on compact disc coupled with the b-side "House of Love", which would go on to become a single itself. Various 12" vinyl releases were also pressed, including a limited edition picture disc in the United Kingdom
.
. This version reached #21 on the US dance chart.
US 9 Track Maxi-Single
AUS CD #1
AUS CD #2
by dance-pop
singer Taylor Dayne
on The Lizzie McGuire Movie
soundtrack in 2003.
2007 and 2008 reunion tour
, the song was chosen for Victoria Beckham
's solo section of the show.
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
) by the dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
singer and drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
. It was the third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
(but first major label single) from his album Supermodel of the World
Supermodel of the World
Supermodel of the World is the debut studio album by American drag queen RuPaul, released on June 8, 1993 by Tommy Boy Records.-Album information:...
. The single was an unexpected success during an era where grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
was at the height of its popularity.
The song was a dance club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
anthem that, though particularly popular with gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
audiences, found mainstream success due in part to RuPaul's accessible "nice drag queen" image. The song consists of RuPaul giving advice to a young black supermodel, and briefly several other models, largely consisting of "sashay, chante!", "work, turn to the left, work, now turn to the right", and "you better work". The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, featuring RuPaul in various outfits prancing around town, became a staple on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Singer Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
cited the song as one of his favorites of 1993 and the two were photographed together at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
that year.
"Supermodel" was a modest hit on the pop charts in both the US
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(#45) and the UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(#39). It also reached #2 on the US dance chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
. This song is RuPaul's highest charting pop hit in the US to date. (Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
later ranked the song at #62 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that "The joke's all on us poor, uptight suckers with just one type of clothes in our closets.")
The song features spoken word snippets by actress LaWanda Page
LaWanda Page
LaWanda Page , born Alberta Peal, was an American actress and comedienne best known for her portrayal of Aunt Esther in the 1970s TV sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life and career:...
, who went on to appear in several music videos by RuPaul.
The single is most commonly found on compact disc coupled with the b-side "House of Love", which would go on to become a single itself. Various 12" vinyl releases were also pressed, including a limited edition picture disc in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Track listing
(varies from country to country; this reflects the United States CD single, which sold the most copies)- Supermodel (You Better Work) (Ready to Wear Mix)
- Supermodel (You Better Work) (7" Mix)
- Supermodel (You Better Work) (Couture Mix)
- Supermodel (You Better Work) (La Wanda in Your Face)
- House of LoveHouse of Love (RuPaul song)"House of Love" is a song by RuPaul, released as her third major-label single, and fifth single overall.It was also released as the B-side to her dual-titled single "Supermodel " on some versions of the single....
(7" Radio Version) - House of Love (12" Version)
- House of Love (Dub)
Track Listings (2006 Version)
In 2006, RuPaul re-recorded the track with an 80's freestyle inspired backing track and released it as the leadoff single from her album ReWorkedReWorked
ReWorked is a remix album by singer and drag queen RuPaul. The album contains remixed tracks from his previous albums, including Red Hot, and Supermodel of the World.-Track listing:- US bonus tracks :...
. This version reached #21 on the US dance chart.
US 9 Track Maxi-Single
- "SuperModel" (El Lay Toya Jam) 3:55
- "SuperModel" (Craig C. Havenhurst Vocal) 9:29
- "SuperModel" (There, U Just Got Rocked Mix) 4:08
- "My Love Sees No Color" (Electrolight Popular Mix) 4:02
- "SuperModel" (Clean El Lay Toya Jam) 3:55
- "SuperModel" (Craig C. Encino Edit) 3:54
- "My Love Sees No Color" (Electrolight Stockholm Mix) 4:38
- "SuperModel" (Craig C. Neverland Dub) 9:25
- "SuperModel" (Jackopella) 3:45
AUS CD #1
- "SuperModel" (El Lay Toya Jam) 3:55
- "SuperModel" (Craig C. Neverland Instrumental) 9:27
- "Coming Out Of Hiding" (Trance Gender Mix) 3:25
- "My Love Sees No Color" (Electrolight Stockholm Mix) 4:40
AUS CD #2
- SuperModel (Craig C. Encino Edit) 3:55
- My Love Sees No Color (Electrolight Popular Mix) 4:03
- My Love Sees No Color (Matheos' Dancin' Belly Mix) 4:25
- My Love Sees No Color (Electrolight Stockholm Edit) 4:05*
- My Love Sees No Color (Electrolight Popular Extended Club Mix) 10:21
- My Love Sees No Color (Electrolight Stockholm Extended Club Mix) 11:04[ Södros Hemsida
- Supermodel (El Lay Toya Acappella) 3:56
-
- (Re)Mix is only a dub/edit
Chart performance
| Chart (1992-1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Dance/Urban Singles | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart | 39 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 45 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 2 |
Cover versions
The song was coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
singer Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne was born Leslie Wunderman on March 7, 1962 before later adopting her current stage name. She is an American pop vocalist, songwriter, and dance artist. Overall, she has had eighteen individual hit songs reach the top ten in Billboard magazine...
on The Lizzie McGuire Movie
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
The Lizzie McGuire Movie is a 2003 Walt Disney Pictures comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire which was released on May 2, 2003, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the first Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Jim Fall with...
soundtrack in 2003.
Appearances in other media
During the Spice GirlsSpice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
2007 and 2008 reunion tour
The Return of the Spice Girls
The Return of the Spice Girls was the second Europe-North America concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. This reunion tour visited five countries in both North America and Europe. This tour marked the group's first tour since 1999's Christmas in Spiceworld tour of the United Kingdom,...
, the song was chosen for Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
's solo section of the show.