# Lady (Hear Me Tonight)

"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" is a song by French house duo Modjo, written and performed by vocalist Yann Destagnol and producer Romain Tranchart. It was released on 19 June 2000 as the lead single from their only album, Modjo (2001). The song contains a sample of Chic's "Soup for One" (1982). "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" became a major worldwide success, topping at least 10 music charts, including the national charts of Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It also topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in January 2001.

## Background

Romain Tranchart and Yann Destal, the members of Modjo, were attendees of the American School of Modern Music in Paris, France when they signed a record deal with UMG. Until signing the deal, they had not agreed on their band name, and "Lady" was only the "third or fourth" song they had written.

## Content

"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" is written in the key of B-flat minor and proceeds at a moderately fast tempo of 128 beats per minute, in common time. It features a guitar sample of the 1982 single "Soup for One" performed by Chic, as written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Since 2011, Chic added the song to their concert setlist, which is performed as a mash-up song with "Soup for One".
The single includes the original version of the track, plus an acoustic version, both performed by Modjo. Remixes have been provided by Harry Romero, Roy Davis, Jr. and Danny Tenaglia.

## Release

The song debuted at number one in the United Kingdom on 10 September 2000, where it stayed for two weeks to become the sixteenth-best-selling single of 2000. It also reached number one in seven other European countries and became a top-ten hit in several others, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. In the United States, the song peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. As of 2017, the single has sold two million copies worldwide.

## Critical reception and legacy

A reviewer from Daily Record wrote that it is a "brilliant" house track. Australian music channel Max placed the song at number 790 in their list of the "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2012. Mixmag included "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" in their list of "The 30 Best Vocal House Anthems Ever" in 2018. Insider put the song on their list of the "102 Songs Everyone Should Listen to in Their Lifetime" in 2019.
In 2024, Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo interpolated the chorus of the song in his single "For Life" featuring British singer Zak Abel and American musician Nile Rodgers, whose 1982 song "Soup for One" with his group Chic was sampled in "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)".

## Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by François Nemeta and was filmed in June 2000 in various locations in Quebec, Canada.
The video starts off with a teenager with a shaved head who walks into a restaurant where his friends, a teenage couple, are waiting for him. The three pool all their money together, take it to a used car dealership, buy a car and drive it to a country fair. The three watch a band playing in a bar and then grab their instruments during a break. Their efforts aren't appreciated, and the teenager with the shaved head is hit with a bottle thrown from the crowd, after which they are chased out. They then sneak into a motel, where they proceed to shower and sleep. The next morning, they are chased out by the hotel manager, and drive until their car breaks down. The girl leads the boys into the woods, and they come across a cliff with a view of a city, which they gaze at in awe as the sun sets.

## Certifications

Sales and certifications for "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | Gold | 35,000$^^$ |
| Belgium (BEA) | Gold | 25,000$^*$ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) Physical | Gold | 4,000$^^$ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) Digital | Gold | 45,000$^‡$ |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 250,000$^*$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 250,000$^^$ |
| Italy (FIMI) sales since 2009 | Platinum | 100,000$^‡$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Gold | 5,000$^*$ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Gold | 30,000$^‡$ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Platinum | 50,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) 2000 release | Platinum | 600,000$^‡$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) 2013 release | Platinum | 600,000$^‡$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" :
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
| France | 19 June 2000 | CD | Sound of Barclay |
| United Kingdom | 4 September 2000 | 12-inch vinylCDcassette | Sound of Barclay |
| Japan | 20 December 2000 | CD | BarclayUniversal Music Japan |

## Austin Mahone version

"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" was covered by American singer Austin Mahone featuring rapper Pitbull under the shortened title "Lady". It was released on 10 February 2017 along with its lyrics video.

### Background

The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs. This earned Mahone's first number one single in the US. On New Year's Eve, Mahone performed "Lady" on Pitbull's New Year's Revolution.

### Charts
#### Weekly charts

| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 20 |
| Japan (Dance Hits 20) | 15 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 1 |

#### Year-end charts

| Chart (2017) | Position |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 47 |