A modern take on Patti Labelle’s Lady Marmalade.
The song was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, and was inspired by Crewe’s experiences in New Orleans and the sex workers in the area. A sex worker named Lady Marmalade shows up to a man named Joe, flirts with him and takes him home. Joe drinks wine and he screams French words while she is in the Boudoir.
The song was recorded for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack and was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for 5 weeks! “Lady Marmalade” was the ninth song to reach number one by two different musical acts in America. The song also won the Grammy Award for best pop collaboration with vocals in 2002 and won video of the year at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards! It is one of the few songs to top the Hot 100 in both its original iteration and reworked form; the latter’s lyrics were altered slightly to fit the movie’s premise.
Lil’ Kim, Mya, Christina Aguilera, and Pink joined together in their slinkiest outfits, delivered a powerhouse performance, and then mayhem seemed to break loose. Producer Missy Elliott joined the quartet on stage, and then the legendary Patti Labelle, from the group who recorded the original version, appeared in an impossibly huge red dress to redefine the word diva and finish it all off in the most diva-esque style possible! Probably the best stage entrance of the decade? You decide.
Maybe it was the burlesque-inspired outfits, or perhaps it was the girl power emanating from the ladies on stage, but this rendition of “Lady Marmalade” inspired groups of best friends to lip sync to this jam for decades to come!
Check out the performance below:
