“I want a freak in the morning, a freak in the evening just like me!”
“Freak like Me” was the debut single from R&B singer Adina Howard. It was released in 1995 as the lead single from her debut album Do You Wanna Ride? The song, like Howard’s image can be best described as very sexual. The single reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
The song and Adina Howard’s hypersexual image are considered groundbreaking in the U.S. R&B/Hip Hop scene. The song portrayed a female singer as being aggressive rather than coy in her sexuality, but in a manner that was feminine unlike the female artists of before who dressed in men’s apparel to express their aggressive image. This new, hyper-sexual image paved the way for upcoming R&B/Hip Hop female artists at the time. It also allowed other female artists to feel comfortable releasing explicit lyrical content.
The song’s chorus is a lyrical interpolation of the verses found in Bootsy Collins’ “I’d Rather Be with You”. While the lyrics in “Freak like Me” are different from Bootsy’s song, they are sung in identical melody. The song’s drum beat is sampled from Sly & the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song.”
The video is classic ’90s style from the back up dancers to the house party. Enjoy the video above!
