Sexy Boy (Air song)

"Sexy Boy" is a single by French music duo Air that allowed the band, and French dance music more generally, to break through to British and American markets.[1]

"Sexy Boy"
Single by Air
from the album Moon Safari
Released9 February 1998
Recorded1997
GenreElectronica, synthpop, psychedelic
Length4:57
LabelCaroline
Songwriter(s)Air
Producer(s)Air
Air singles chronology
"Sexy Boy"
(1998)		 "Kelly Watch the Stars"
(1998)

Music video

The music video, directed by Mike Mills, shows the members of Air in New York City. They see a toy monkey on the street and immediately enter a fantasy in which the monkey is a giant and flies off to the Moon. Meanwhile, the members of Air are still in New York and other people see them playing with the toy monkey around the United Nations headquarters and in Central Park. The fantasy scenes are shown in colorful animation and the scenes in real life are shot in black-and-white live action. The music video went into rotation on JBTV.[2]

Track listings

US CD single[3]

  1. "Sexy Boy" (radio edit) – 3:51
  2. "Sexy Boy" (Sex Kino Mix by Beck) – 6:33
  3. "Sexy Boy" (Cassius Radio Mix) – 4:33
  4. "Sexy Boy" (Étienne de Crécy & the Flower Pistols remix) – 4:57
  5. "Jeanne" (with Françoise Hardy) – 4:24

UK CD single[4]

  1. "Sexy Boy" (radio edit) – 3:51
  2. "Sexy Boy" (Cassius Radio Mix) – 4:33
  3. "Sexy Boy" (Étienne de Crécy & the Flower Pistols remix) – 4:57
  4. "Jeanne" (with Françoise Hardy) – 4:24

French CD single[5]

  1. "Sexy Boy" (radio edit) – 3:51
  2. "New Star in the Sky" (Chanson Pour Soleil) – 5:38

Charts
Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 68
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[7] 11
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8] 32
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 20
France (SNEP)[10] 65
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[11] 27
Scotland (OCC)[12] 11
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 13
US Hot Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[14] 22

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Use in media

Covers

Former Chemlab vocalist Jared Louche covered "Sexy Boy" with The Aliens for his 1999 solo debut Covergirl.[17] The song was later covered by Franz Ferdinand and appears as a B-side to the single "Walk Away". "Sexy Boy" was also covered by German artist Nena on her 2007 cover album Cover Me. It was also covered by the French group Plastiscines on their 2014 album Back to the Start.

A newly scored orchestral version of the track was released in December 2010, under the artist "The Fallen Angels". The orchestra and choir arrangement was created by composer Roger Neill, who has been a long-time collaborator with Air since his extensive work on their 2001 album 10,000 Hz Legend. This version of the track is featured in a television advertising campaign for Lynx in the UK and Axe in the US and Europe.

References
  1. Mason, Stewart. "Air, Sexy Boy: song review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  2. "Billboard Video Monitor (Feb 21, 1998)". Google Books. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  3. "AIR French Band – Sexy Boy". Discogs. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  4. "AIR French Band – Sexy Boy (UK CD Single)". Discogs. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  5. "AIR French Band – Sexy Boy (French CD Single Track Listing)". Discogs. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  6. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  7. "Ultratop.be – Air – Sexy Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  8. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 9. 28 February 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. "Air: Sexy Boy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  10. "Lescharts.com – Air – Sexy Boy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  11. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (29.1–5.2. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 13 February 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  14. "Air Chart History: Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  15. "British single certifications – Air – Sexy Boy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  16. https://www.newsweek.com/sex-education-season-2-soundtrack-songs-ezra-furman-sound-track-playlist-netflix-1482728
  17. Steininger, Alex (July 30, 2020). "Jared Louche and the Aliens: Covergirl". In Music We Trust (26). Retrieved July 30, 2020.
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