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Boombastic (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Boombastic
| cover = Boombastic Shaggy.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Shaggy
| album = Boombastic
| B-side = "In the Summertime" (remix)
| released =
| recorded = 1994
| studio =
| genre =
*Reggae fusion
*pop
| length = 3:52
| label = Virgin
| writer =
*Orville Burrell
*Robert Livingston
*King Floyd III
| producer = Shaggy
| prev_title = In the Summertime
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title = Why You Treat Me So Bad
| next_year = 1996
| misc =
}}
"'Boombastic'" is a song by Jamaican musical artist Shaggy, released on June 5, 1995 as the second single from his third studio album, 'Boombastic' (1995). After being used in an ad for Levi's, it achieved commercial success in many countries, including Ireland, UK, Sweden, New Zealand, and Australia, where it topped the singles charts. It spent a week at number one on the US 'Billboard' R&B chart, and a similar stint atop the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number three on the 'Billboard' Hot 100. A remix featuring Sting International, which features a sample of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", was released in January 1996. The latter is featured on some versions of the 'Boombastic' album as a bonus track.
Critical reception
AllMusic editor David Jeffries viewed the song as "pivotal". Larry Flick from 'Billboard' noted that it "jerks about with a hypnotic groove that owes as much to hip hop and rave/pop as it does to traditional island music. Shaggy's toasting is quite friendly to mainstream pop ears, and he masterfully twists and bends the chorus. Primed for immediate picking by jeep listeners, smoking track comes in two radical versions that are designed to lure both street kids and their more mature counterparts." A reviewer from 'Music Week' rated the song four out of five, stating that being used in the latest Levi's ad, it's "guaranteeing the Shagster another UK smash with this slo-mo pop ragga which samples Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On." James Hamilton from the magazine's 'RM' Dance Update described it as "gruffy twiddly-diddled". John Kilgo from 'The Network Forty' declared it a "reggae/rap masterpiece".
Gerald Martinez from 'New Sunday Times' stated that "with sparse, hypnotic backing, Shaggy's boastful rapping carries the song." A reviewer from 'People Magazine' opined that the album "is more like the real reggae thing", and "the raw title song is the style's most uncompromising Top 10 trip yet." Al Weisel from 'Rolling Stone' viewed it as "a stripped-clown dub masterpiece, a percussive cacophony of samples, sound effects and a clanging piano. Shaggy's baritone growl oozes a sexuality that recalls both the dance-hall swagger of Shabba Ranks and theatrical self-deprecation of ska king Prince Buster."Weisel, Al (September 7, 1995). "Recordings". 'Rolling Stone'. Mark Sutherland from 'Smash Hits' gave "Boombastic" two out of five, calling it a "gruff, grinding ragga-lite" track. David Sinclair from 'The Times' described it as "an entertaining tribute to the singer's boundless sex appeal", noting Shaggy's "mischievous glee, the Rs rolling off his tongue like the purr of a big cat." He added, "Set to a plonking, one-note piano riff and minimalist reggae beat, Boombastic is one of those feelgood dance records that seems to conjure a special magic out of thin air. Like the hero in the ad, it will be flying out of shops everywhere."Sinclair, David (September 16, 1995). "Pop Single; Recordings". 'The Times'.
Retrospective response
Bill Lamb from About.com said Shaggy "exhibits oodles of personal charm alongside the funky grooves" of "Boombastic", picking it as one of the best songs from 1990s. Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger said the musician is "the benevolent monarch of this world, giving a comical, flirtatious, crowd-tickling performance, his army of mechanical instruments dancing in and out of his phrasing. His main trick here is using his voice like a yo-yo, winding his vowels out on "rohhhhhh-" before he flicks the word back "-mantic!"."
Music video
A music video was produced to promote the single and was later published on Shaggy's official YouTube channel in March 2009. It features him performing in and outside an old house, surrounded by dancing females and flickering lights. The video has amassed more than 162,3 million views as of October 2021.
Track listings
;United Kingdom
* 'CD single'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic/release/887184 Shaggy Boombastic (CD) at Discogs]. Discogs.com.
# "Boombastic" (7" Original Edit) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (StoneBridge Vocal Remix) 5:59
* 'Maxi single'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic/release/1372956 Shaggy Boombastic (CD) at Discogs]. Discogs.com.
# "Boombastic" (7" Original Edit) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (StoneBridge Vocal Remix) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (Wag Ya Tail Remix) 4:19
# "Boombastic" (Firefox & 4Tree BassBoom Remix) 6:32
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 5:59
# "Boombastic" (Boom the Dancehall Dub) 6:05
* 'Cassette'
# "Boombastic" (7" Original Edit) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (StoneBridge Vocal Remix) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (Firefox & 4Tree BassBoom Remix) 6:32
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 5:59
* '7" vinyl'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic/master/83427 Shaggy Boombastic at Discogs]. Discogs.com (May 29, 2009).
# "Boombastic" (7" Original Edit) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 5:59
* '12" vinyl'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic/release/171447 Shaggy Boombastic (Vinyl) at Discogs]. Discogs.com.
# "Boombastic" (LP Version) 4:08
# "Boombastic" (StoneBridge Vocal Remix) 3:52
# "Boombastic" (Wag Ya Tail Remix) 4:19
# "Boombastic" (Firefox & 4Tree BassBoom Remix) 6:32
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 5:59
# "Boombastic" (Boom the Dancehall Dub) 6:05
* '12" vinyl Jungle Mixes'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic-Jungle-Mixes/release/557039 Shaggy Boombastic (Jungle Mixes) (Vinyl) at Discogs]. Discogs.com (May 29, 2009).
# "Boombastic" (Firefox & 4Tree BassBoom Remix) 6:32
# "Boombastic" (Boom the Dancehall Dub) 6:05
;United States
* 'CD single'
# "Boombastic" (LP Version) 4:08
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 4:16
# "Boombastic" (Firefox & 4Tree BassBoom Remix) 6:32
# "In the Summertime" 4:00
# "Gal Yu a Pepper" 4:16
* 'Cassette'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic-Summertime/release/1974783 Shaggy Boombastic / Summer Time (Cassette) at Discogs]. Discogs.com.
# "Boombastic" (LP Version) 4:08
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 4:16
# "In the Summertime" 4:00
# "Gal Yu a Pepper" 4:16
* '12" vinyl'[http://www.discogs.com/Shaggy-Boombastic/release/101325 Shaggy Boombastic (Vinyl) at Discogs]. Discogs.com.
# "Boombastic" (LP Version) 4:08
# "Boombastic" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) 4:16
# "Boombastic" (Boom the Dancehall Dub) 6:05
# "In the Summertime" 4:00
# "Gal Yu a Pepper" 4:16
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
In popular culture
The song was featured in the 2006 animated film 'Barnyard', sung by the character "Biggie Cheese". Alongside its corresponding scene, the song subsequently became an internet meme about a decade later. The song was also used in the 2007 film 'Mr. Bean's Holiday'.
References
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