The song is written in B flat minor; there is also an acoustic version recorded in G minor. It features a guitar sample of "Soup for One" performed by Chic, as written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. In 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, as well as in 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 Songs chart. As of 2017 the single has sold 2 million copies worldwide.
Impact and legacy
Australian music channelMax placed the song at number 790 in their list of 1000 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2012. Mixmag included "Lady " in their list of The 30 best vocal house anthems ever in 2018. Insider put the song on their list of 102 songs everyone should listen to in their lifetime in 2019. The song was featured in the critically acclaimed 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V.
Music video
The music video was directed by François Nemeta and was filmed in June 2000 in various locations in Quebec, Canada. The video details the various shenanigans of three teenagers, one girl and two boys. The video starts off with the first teenager with a shaved head who walks into a restaurant where the other two are. The three then put all their money together. They make it to a dealership that sells used cars and they are able to purchase one, which they take on a ride to a country fair. The three watch a band playing 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 sing and dance while in the shower, all while still clothed. The next morning, they escape just as the hotel manager notices and gives chase before their car breaks down. The girl invites the boys to follow her into the woods and they come across a cliff with a view of the city, which they gaze into in amusement. The video ends after this scene.
