Hey Ya!

"Hey Ya!" is a famous song by the American hip hop duo Outkast.

It was written and produced by the group's member, André 3000. The song was released on August 25, 2003. It served as the second single from their fifth album, titled *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below*. This track became a massive commercial success across the globe. It reached number one in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Sweden. Music critics have consistently ranked it as one of the greatest songs of the 2000s.

The recording process required intense focus and many repetitions. André 3000 began recording in December 2002 at Stankonia Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. He used an acoustic guitar for accompaniment during the early stages. He drew inspiration from various bands, including the Ramones, the Buzzcocks, the Hives, and the Smiths. André recorded the introduction, the first verse, the hook, and the vocals during the same period. He completed several dozen takes to get the sound right. Later, session musician Kevin Kendricks performed the bassline on a synthesizer. André also worked with Pete Novak at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles. There, they experimented with sound effects like a vocoder, which is a device used to alter a voice. They performed 30 to 40 takes for every single line of the song.

Musically, the song is built with a very specific structure. It is written in the key of G major. The song moves at a fast tempo of 159 beats per minute. Each six-measure phrase uses a change of meter on the fourth measure. This creates a phrase with 22 quarter note beats. The song follows a I–IV–V–VI chord progression. G major and C major chords are played for one and two measures, respectively. André 3000 also uses a deceptive cadence. This occurs after a measure of the dominant D major chord. It leads into two measures of an E major chord. André's vocal range is quite wide, spanning more than an octave and a half from B3 to G5.

The lyrics offer a surprising contrast to the energetic music. The song describes a protagonist dealing with doubts in a romantic relationship. The singer asks if people stay together simply because of tradition. André 3000 explained that the song celebrates how men and women relate in the 2000s. He believed being happy is more important than meeting the world's expectations. The chorus features the phrase "Hey ya!" repeated eight times. This is accompanied by a synthesizer performing the bassline. During the second verse, the singer wonders if love is the exception to the rule that nothing lasts forever.

There are several distinct sections and clever lyrical references within the track. A call-and-response section features André asking, "What's cooler than being cool?" The response, "Ice cold," is an overdubbed version of his own vocals. This phrase refers to one of his stage names. He also calls to the "ladies," with a response provided by Rabeka Tuinei. The song's breakdown includes the famous line, "shake it like a Polaroid picture." This refers to a technique where people shake instant photos to help them dry. The lyrics also mention Beyoncé and actress Lucy Liu. This was a reference to the song "Independent Women Part I" from the film *Charlie's Angels*. André noted he wrote the line because that music video was playing on his television at the time.

"Hey Ya!" earned numerous prestigious awards and high rankings. It won Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. It also won Favorite Song at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. In 2003, it topped the Pazz & Jop list with 322 mentions from music critics. It was the first song on Apple's iTunes to reach one million downloads. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipping one million copies in 2005. In 2021, *Rolling Stone* ranked it number 10 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It was also named the best song of the millennium by the website Grantland.

The song's impact extended into different industries and media. The "Polaroid picture" lyric helped temporarily revitalize the Polaroid Corporation. The company even held parties for Outkast and used the song to bolster its public image. However, the company eventually declared bankruptcy again in 2008. The song also appeared in popular culture through the manga series *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure*. In part seven, titled "Steel Ball Run," a character's ability is named after the song. The music video, directed by Bryan Barber, was inspired by the Beatles' appearance on *The Ed Sullivan Show*. It remains a significant piece of musical history that connects hip hop, pop, and rock elements.