Nick Lachey, What’s Left of Me | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 30th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “What’s Left of Me” performed by Nick Lachey. 

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.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 30^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we dive into “What’s Left of Me”,  the one-hit wonder by Nick Lachey.

“‘Cause I want you, and I feel you / Crawling underneath my skin / Like a hunger, like a burning / To find a place I’ve never been.” “What’s Left of Me” by Nick Lachey was an aughts bop. As much as this gem from his sophomore album, What’s Left of Me, caught my ears, it was that Rolling Stone photo that caught my eyes 👀 🥵 😮‍💨 😍.  In the article, named Nick Lachey: King of Pain, he discusses the end of his marriage with Jessica Simpson, which “What’s Left of Me” addresses. But, let’s put the heaviness aside for a moment and focus on that sexy photo 🤤! Nick knew what he was doing, especially since his debut album, Soul-O, was a big-ole flop.  Lachey redeemed himself with a gold-certified sophomore album and a gold, top-10 single. “What’s Left of Me” peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  He charted one additional solo single (“I Can’t Hate You Anymore”) that went nowhere (no. 87).  Because “I Can’t Hate You Anymore” and his guest appearance on “Where You Are” (credited to ex-wife, Simpson) failed to crack the top 40, Mr. Lachey is a one-hit-wonder. Again, a hot, one-hit wonder 😉.  “What’s Left of Me” was penned by Lachey, Lindy Robbins, Jess Cates, and producer, Emanuel Kiriakou.

“I don’t wanna waste another day / Stuck in the shadow of my mistakes.” The aftermath of divorce and heartbreak is written all over “What’s Left of Me,” evidenced by the excerpt from the first verse. There’s more in the second: “I’ve been dying inside / Little by little.” Don’t die, Nick! At the end of the verse, he asserts, “Running from myself until / You gave me a reason for standing still.” Deep. Insightful. Introspective.  Besides dramatic, reflective lyrics, Nick Lachey brings tuneful melodies to life in the verses and chorus.  His voice is beautiful and expressive.  Rather than record bubblegum pop or ‘white-boy’ R&B 🤭, Nick chooses more mature, adult contemporary pop.  The backdrop includes piano, strings, and light, tasteful synths.  Adding to the sophisticated nature of this ballad are the key changes.  The verse is F major, while the chorus is G major.  While modulating up a step isn’t far-fetched, “What’s Left of Me” doesn’t modulate traditionally, making a common key change sound less common. As a solo artist, Lachey cemented his musical legacy with “What’s Left of Me”. Even heartthrobs only get one chance, sometimes. At least he had more hits during his 98º days (*cues up “I Do (Cherish You)”)!

Nick Lachey // What’s Left of Me // Zomba Recording LLC // 2006

Nick Lachey, What’s Left of Me: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 30 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Zomba Recording LLC; Elias Souza from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]