Magic!, Rude | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 4^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “Rude” performed by Canadian pop band, Magic.

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  To be fair, it is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, it’s that ONE hit that earned them recognition. So, in the 4^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024) we dive into “Rude”,  the one hit wonder by Magic!.

“Knocked on your door with heart in my hand to ask you a question / ‘Cause I know that you’re an old-fashioned man.” Uh-oh, Nasri Atweh wants to pop the question on the reggae-pop cut, “Rude”, so he’s going to her father to receive his blessing.  Unfortunately, as we learn in the pre-chorus, her father says NO – “‘Tough luck, my friend, but the answer is no!” That response, of course, prompts the most memorable part of this no. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit by the band Atweh fronts, Magic!:

“Why you gotta be so rude?

Don’t you know I’m human too?

Why you gotta be so rude?

I’m gonna marry her anyway

(Marry that girl) Marry her anyway

(Marry that girl) Yeah, no matter what you say

(Marry that girl) And we’ll be a family

Why you gotta be so rude?”

I mean, agreed! Dad, why you gotta be so rude?  Anyways, in the second verse, a defiant Nasri continues to state him, and his girlfriend will make a life together despite the rudeness.  That’s part of the charm of the opening song from Don’t Kill the Magic, which is the sole charting hit by the band in the United States.  A novel song, at the time, “Rude” became annoying because it was overplayed, as many catchy, infectious songs are.  But, the inoffensive, reggae-pop joint has positive intentions, and, its positives earned it multiplatinum certification by the RIAA – eight times platinum, baby!  The power of love can’t be overstated, even if not everyone approves. “Rude” is  much more wholesome than many pop songs released at the same time – marriage as opposed to empty sex – and far more wholesome than the majority of music rolled out in the 2020s. If you can only strike gold once, I’d argue the Canadian band struck gold – conjured up that surefire magic – with “Rude”.

🎙 Magic! • 💿 Don’t Kill The Magic • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment International Limited • 🗓 2014

Magic!, Rude: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 4 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment International Limited; Elias Souza from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]