SONGS THAT DEFINE THE DECADE: #4

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words: Ben Ross

Outkast – Hey Ya!

As one of the lead singles for OutKast’s championed 2003 double album; Speakerboxxx/The Love Below; Hey Ya! Is one of the most perfect pop songs ever written. Opening with upbeats of Andre 3000 counting ‘one two three’ before leading into the first verse, the general sense of a relentless, gung-ho pop song is instilled instantly, this combined with the electro/funk beats used throughout creates one of the happiest and uplifting pop songs of the last decade.

The casual lyrics and unusual arrangement and influence of a variety of genres combined together help to make Hey Ya! One of the most ‘mass appealing’ songs of the last decade, even if it did only peak at 3 in the UK charts. The mix of soul, new-wave, electro and hip hop work together seamlessly throughout the song, it is however the chorus where it shines through; the enchanting main line ‘ Hey Ya’ being repeated over and over is infectious, appealing and uncontainable. This all encompassing chorus is only outshone by the breakdown that occurs in the latter half of the song where Andre 300 declares ‘Shake it like a Polaroid picture’ over and over again, whilst at the same time name dropping celebrities such as; Beyonce and Lucy Liu before once again dropping into the main chorus, before finally fading out.

Hey Ya!’s crowning achievement through its appreciation of a multitude of genres is its inability to feel dated, even now, six years after its initial release it sounds as fresh as ever, and as original. I never tire listening to it, and easily sat and listened to it on repeat as I wrote this review, and each listen brought something new, something I hadn’t noticed before, making it feel as though I was discovering the song all over again. This song is without a shadow of a doubt the best pop song released in the last decade, and will be remembered for years to come.

mp3: Outkast – Hey Ya!

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