"Freak Like Me" is an R&B hit by the Michigan singer Adina Howard from her debut album Do You Wanna Ride?. It is her highest-charting success; she made the US Billboard Hot 100 just one other time - with a 1996 cover of Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" which made it to #32.
Modern audiences might look at this and think "great, another 'get-your-freaky-on' copycat!" No, actually, this was 1995, and Adina Howard is credited with starting the whole "freaky" genre, with female R&B vocalists singing overtly sexual lyrics. Amongst others, she paved the way for artists such as Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. Howard drew fire from feminists in her day for this album, including the cover art which features her can in a shiny-tight pair of shorts. And, oh, yeah, a car. If you think this song is pretty blunt, you should see the rest of the album, which includes songs such as "You Got Me Humpin'" and "Horny For Your Love." But need we remind everyone, this is actually kind of empowering and equalizing when you come to think of it; how long have men been singing blatantly sexual lyrics without raising an eyebrow?
Using a G-Funk sound popularized by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, Howard digs into some of their influences here, reviving George Clinton's refrain "It's all about the dog in me." She also samples "I'd Rather Be With You" by Bootsy's Rubber Band, which was written by Clinton and Bootsy Collins.
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.