NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 29: Alicia Keys is seen performing during the Christmas Tree Lighting at the Rockefeller Plaza pre-tape on November 29, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
The world looked so different 20 years ago; everyone was more optimistic about the future than they are today. Although the music industry lost R&B star Aaliyah, the music released that year had a buoyant spirit. Apple launched iTunes Music Store and a third-generation iPod, which featured the touch wheel, in 2003. Those inventions by Apple changed the way the world consumes music, at the time the industry was under siege with illegal downloads. It was also the year of the famous kiss at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards between Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguiler, which Jennifer Lopez recently said she was to have been a part of.
Here are 10 songs from 2003 that are still bangers today.
Crazy In Love, Beyoncé
Before she gave us BeyChella, reportedly earned $24 million for a one-hour show, and before she became Mrs Carter, Beyoncé was the breakout star of chart-topping girl group Destiny’s Child. The song Crazy In Love laid the foundation for her solo career, being the lead single for her debut album Dangerously In Love. The song was the second time Beyonce and Jay-Z collaborated, 03 Bonnie & Clyde, in 2002 being the start of The Carter’s many music collaborations.
Umoya, Skwatta Kamp:
South Africa’s biggest hip-hop group to date, released this classic song from their second album Mkhukhu Funkshen. The song was a hit, reaching gold status in just a year of its release, a first for a South African hip-hop group.
Get Busy, Sean Paul:
The second single from Paul’s breakthrough record, Dutty Rock, it was also that album’s biggest hit, bringing dancehall to the mainstream in a major way. Get Busy was a party anthem. Paul and his sexy dancers made us feel like we could “wind it” as well. The king of collaborations, San Paul was killing it in this era as a solo artist and a sought-after featured vocalist.
Miss You, Aaliyah:
The song was written by Ginuwine, Johnta Austin and Teddy Bishop, originally created for Ginuwine’s second studio album 100% Ginuwine (1999). While Aaliyah was recording her third studio album, she asked Austin and Bishop to play her a couple of tracks they produced with other artists, including Miss You, which included Ginuwine’s vocals. Aaliyah asked Ginuwineif she could record the song, he agreed and Aaliyah re-recorded the whole song. She reportedly wanted to put the song on her album but her record label, Blackground Records, felt it was not a smash hit. The song was left unused until her death, when it was included on the posthumous compilation album, I Care 4 U (2002). Rapper Jay-Z also used the song’s instrumental, releasing a remixed version as a tribute to the late singer.
Hey Ya! Outkast:
Released from their double album, with each member contributing half, Big Boi’s Speakerboxx, and Andre’s The Love Below. Hey Ya! was the first single from Andre half of the album, The Love Below. Andre is the only male voice. He recorded each line over and over, and by the time it was edited, it sounded like other people were singing with him.
In Da Club, 50 Cent:
This club banger was the first song 50 Cent recorded with Dr Dre. It was created for Eminem’s group D-12 with the intention of using it on the 8 Mile soundtrack. It never came together for D-12, but after 50 Cent signed with Dre’s record label Shady/Aftermath, he was brought into the studio and offered the track. In Da Club became an unofficial birthday song and a hip-hop classic. Fiddy re-enacted the upside down intro to the video at the Superbowl alongside Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar in 2022.
Cry Me A River, Justin Timberlake
It’s hard to talk about this song and not mention pop sensation Britney Spears. We all know by now Timberlake wrote the song about his defunct relationship with Spears. The song was the second single from his debut album Justified, on which he worked with producer Timbaland. The two are friends and Timbaland has produced all of Timberlake’s records.
Milkshake, Kelis:
This is the infamous song Kelis accused Beyoncé of sampling for her album Renaissance without permission. But the song remains a pop classic, recorded while the singer-turned-chef was married to rapper Nas. It’s sexy and suggestive, and the Neptunes produced beat is funky and futuristic. Kelis has said that Milkshake means whatever you want it to mean. Your “milkshake” is your sensual energy and vibe; what makes you stand out from other girls.
If I Ain’t Got You, Alicia Keys:
The first thing that comes to mind is the video featuring rapper and actor Method Man. The song is about the fragility of life and love. Keys wrote the song on a plane, right after she heard about Aaliyah’s death. “It was such a sad time and no one wanted to believe it. It just made everything crystal clear to me — what matters, and what doesn’t,” she said.
Beautiful, Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell Williams and Uncle Charlie Wilson: A step away from Snoop the gangster to Snoop who smokes and makes crossover hits. This is another song with a memorable video, shot in Escadaria Selarón, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the video is bursting with bikini-clad Brazilian women being admired by Pharell and Snoop. The song won three Grammys at the 2004 awards.