Right Said Fred, I’m Too Sexy | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 9^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “I’m Too Sexy” performed by Right Said Fred. 

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 9^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024) we dive into “I’m Too Sexy”,  the one hit wonder by Right Said Fred.

“I’m too sexy for my shirt / Too sexy for my shirt / So sexy it hurts.” If you’ve got it, flaunt it, right? Richard Fairbrass of Right Said Fred didn’t see the need to keep his shirt on, so, he took it off! Ah, to be shirtless! “I’m Too Sexy” appeared as the third track on the English band’s 1992 album, Up.  Both campy and infectious to the nth degree, the single spent three weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Right Said Fred would chart one other song on the pop charts, “Don’t Talk Just Kiss”, but it only experienced modest success, reaching no. 76.  You know what that means… “I’m Too Sexy” exemplifies one-hit-wonder status! The single was certified platinum by the RIAA. It’s parent album, Up, was certified gold.

Richard Fairbrass isn’t only too sexy for his shirt, however.  He’s too sexy for anywhere it seems! This over sexiness includes being “Too sexy for Milan / New York, and Japan,” “Too sexy for my car,” Too sexy for my cat,” and “Too sexy for my love.” Going back to the cat, specifically, Fairbrass adds, “Poor pussy, poor pussy cat.” Ooh-wee! Of course, there’s one more set of lyrics worth analyzing – the chorus! “I’m a model, you know what I mean / And I do my little turn on the catwalk.” Confidence isn’t a bad thing as long as you’re not too cocky or hedonistic! Obviously, the lyrics aren’t deep – cringe to the nth degree –  but also fun and silly.  The music video only amplifies the cringe, but that’s the intent. The instrumental is groovy to the nth degree – it screams dance floor! Notably, this Tommy D-produced joint samples three songs: “Third Stone from the Sun” (Jimi Hendrix), “Think (About It)” (Lyn Collins), and “Hot Pants (Bonus Beats)” (Bobby Byrd).  Even if “I’m Too Sexy” is that one-hit-wonder you roll your eyes at every time it comes on, you can’t deny it’s impact in pop culture.  Oh, and it’s been sampled in other songs by big-name artists such as Drake, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé.

Right Said Fred // Up // Gut Reaction, Ltd. // 1992

Right Said Fred, I’m Too Sexy: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 9 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Gut Reaction, Ltd.; Elias Souza from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]