Doo Wop (That Thing) (1998)

"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released to radio as her solo debut and lead single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 10, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. No commercial release was originally intended for the single in the US, but limited-quantity physical formats were issued two months later, on October 27.

"Doo Wop (That Thing)" became Hill's first and only US Billboard Hot 100 number one hit. It marked the first US number one written, produced and recorded by one sole woman since Debbie Gibson's "Lost in Your Eyes" (1989). It debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first hip hop song by a soloist to debut at number one, and the first debut single to premiere atop the chart. It also marked the first song by a female rapper to peak at number one on the Hot 100, and remained the only solo song by a female rapper to debut at number one for more than two decades, until "Super Freaky Girl" by Nicki Minaj debuted atop of the chart in 2022. The song reached number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and surpassed 50 million audience listeners on radio, which was a record at the time for a hip hop song.

Critically acclaimed, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" was named the best single of the year by Rolling Stone. It went on to win Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards (1999). According to Apple Music, it is one of the most streamed songs of the 1990s. The song was included in the list of "Songs of the Century", by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the list of the 300 most important songs of the 20th century by NPR. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" was ranked number 49 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2021). In 2023, Billboard named it one of the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time". It has been covered by Amy Winehouse, the cast of Glee, and Rihanna, in addition to being sampled by Drake and Kanye West.

The accompanying music video for "Doo Wop (That Thing)" won Hill four awards at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, including the top prize Video of the Year (a first for a rapper). VH1 and Slant have both ranked it as one of the 100 greatest music videos.

Background

The hip hop and R&B song is a warning from Lauryn Hill to African-American men and women caught in "the struggle". Both the women who "[try to] be a hard rock when they really are a gem", and the men who are "more concerned with his rims, and his Timbs, than his women", are admonished by Hill, who warns them not to allow "that thing" to ruin their lives. The chorus seems to promote egalitarianism between the sexes, but the overall message of the lyrics has been described as conservative.

In terms of production value, Hill borrows heavily from elements of soul music and doo-wop, lending credence to the song's title. In its official album and single release, several of the song's lyrics are censored, though the original words can be found in the liners. The only noted semi-official release of the uncensored version is in a 12-inch promo labelled as "(Album Version)" (different from the 5:21 version) at 4 minutes in length.

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the tenth song in the chart's history to debut atop the chart. The track became the first single since Debbie Gibson's 1989 single "Lost in Your Eyes" to reach number one in the US, that was written, produced and recorded by one sole woman. Hill joined Roberta Flack, Linda Goldstein, and Sinéad O'Connor as the only women at the time to solely produce a number one single, and joined the latter three women along with Valerie Simpson and Ellie Greenwich as the sixth woman overall to produce a number one single.

It marked the first number one single by a female rapper, as well as the first rap single by a woman to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; Additionally, it was the first and only solo hip hop song to debut at number one, until "Not Afraid" by Eminem debuted atop the chart in 2010. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" also became the first debut single to enter atop the Hot 100 chart. Furthermore, it became the third rap single by a solo woman to reach the top 10 and was the first solo single by a woman rapper to debut within the top 40.