Super Freak

This article is about the Rick James song. For "De Super Freek Show", the Belgian TV show, see Evi Hanssen. For "Super Freek", the song from the soundtrack of Observe and Report, see Observe and Report.
"Super Freak"
French 7-inch cover art
Single by Rick James
from the album Street Songs
B-side"Super Freak (instrumental)"
ReleasedAugust 1981[1]
Genre
Length
  • 3:24 (album/7" version)
  • 7:05 (12" version)
LabelGordy
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick James
Rick James singles chronology
"Give It to Me Baby"
(1981) 		"Super Freak"
(1981) 		"Ghetto Life"
(1981)
Music video
"Super Freak" on YouTube
Audio sample
"Super Freak"

"Super Freak" is a 1981 single produced and performed by American singer Rick James. The song, co-written by James and Alonzo Miller, was first released on James' fifth album, Street Songs (1981) and became one of James' signature songs. "Freak" is a slang term for the sexually adventurous, as described in the song's lyrics, "She's a very kinky girl / The kind you don't take home to mother". Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 477 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004,[7] number 481 in 2010, and number 153 in an updated list in 2021.[8] The song was nominated for the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammys.[9] The song has been sampled by MC Hammer in 1990, and by Nicki Minaj in 2022.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Super Freaky Bluegrass". Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 13. March 31, 2007. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ^ "New Dance Central Songs Hit Tomorrow from Missy Elliott and Rick James". IGN. February 14, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  4. ^ Piatkowksi, Peter (7 April 2021). "40 YEARS AGO RICK JAMES' 'STREET SONGS' SIGNALED A NEW IDENTITY FOR MOTOWN". PopMatters. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  5. ^ Lowenthal, Steve. "'Super Freak': The Story Behind Rick James' Punk-Funk Hit". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  6. ^ Molanphy, Chris (September 29, 2017). "The Great War Against the Single Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1-500)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 25, 2006.
  8. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  9. ^ "Grammy Awards 1982". Awards and Shows. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  10. ^ "Billboard Fans Choose Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl" as This Week's Favorite New Music". Yahoo. 14 August 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.