"Shy Guy" is a song by Jamaican recording artist and songwriter

Diana King Diana King (born 8 November 1970) is a Jamaican singer-songwriter who performs a mixture and fusion of reggae, reggae fusion and dancehall. They are best known for their hit 1995 single " Shy Guy" and their remake of " I Say a Little Prayer ...

for the movie soundtrack album '' Bad Boys''. It also appeared on King's debut studio album, ''

Tougher Than Love ''Tougher Than Love'' is the debut studio album by Jamaican-American singer-songwriter Diana King. It was released by the Work Group on April 25, 1995. The album reached the top ten in Finland, Japan, and Norway as well as on the UK R&B Albums ...

'' (1995). The song was written by King, Kingsley Gardner and Andy Marvel, who produced the song as well. It was released by

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

worldwide in March 1995 as the lead single from ''Tougher Than Love''. The song contains a sample from "

School Boy Crush "School Boy Crush" is a song from Average White Band's 1975 album, '' Cut the Cake''. It has been heavily sampled in hip hop, rap and R&B songs such as: #" Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" by TLC #" Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong)" by Floetry #" Wat ...

" by

Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) was a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They were best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their alb ...

. The chorus (Mercy, mercy, mercy..) is derived from lines in Charlie Chaplin's 1989 dancehall classic "Cool the Violence". The song received positive reviews from music critics, with many saying it was a definite highlight of the album and calling it one of the best

reggae fusion Reggae fusion is a Music_genre#Subtypes, fusion genre of reggae that mixes reggae and/or dancehall with other genres, such as pop music, pop, rock music, rock, hip hop music, hip-hop/rap, Contemporary R&B, R&B, jazz, funk, soul music, soul, disco ...

songs of its time.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

said the song was a highlight of both the soundtrack and King's debut album. "Shy Guy" also received chart success. The song peaked at number thirteen in the United States and went to number two in the United Kingdom. It topped the charts in Finland, Sweden and Zimbabwe and became a top-five hit in several other countries, including Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway. Two music videos were produced for the song, directed by

Marcus Nispel Marcus Nispel (born 26 May 1963) is a German film director and Film producer, producer, best known for several high-profile American remakes such as ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (2003). He has also di ...

and

Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget high-concept action films with fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special eff ...

Critical reception

Devon Jackson from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' named "Shy Guy" a standout on the '' Bad Boys'' soundtrack, complimenting it as "a seamless merging of

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American jazz and soul singer. She is known for her soulful ballads, particularly from the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career in the late 1970s with the funk ban ...

and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

." Dave Sholin from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The ...

'' stated that King's artistry "will be discovered by the masses who hear this song via the airwaves and the soundtrack of the new

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

and

Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on '' Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor and comedian. Lawrence began his career doing comedy shows, including in '' The Improv''. After his first acting role in t ...

film, ''Bad Boys''. Hot tune, hot movie and a lot of airplay—that'll work!" Bianca Gracie from ''

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

'' ranked it one of the 50 Best Pop Singles of 1995, noting that "the breezy mid-tempo dance tune features sassy lyrics that are peppered with patois inflections that urge women everywhere to realize they deserve more than what these f*ck boys are offering." A reviewer from ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...

'' said that "Miss xKing provides prospect for the no-hopers. Move over fly guys, Diana wants a shy guy. Within the context of a mix of

ragga Raggamuffin music (or simply ragga) is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music with heavy use of sampling. Wayne Smith's " Under Mi Sleng Teng", produced by King Jammy in 1985 on a ...

and

swingbeat New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry L ...

, she

hey Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...

joyfully sing and rap about the timid type." Stephen Meade from ''The Network Forty'' wrote that "reggae flava with ultra-smooth vocals lead us to a hook we can't forget." Rune Slyngstad from Norwegian ''

Nordlandsposten ''Nordlandsposten'' was a daily newspaper published in Bodø Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. History and profile ''Nordlandsposten'' was first published in 1862. The paper had a conservative stance. In 2002, its circulation was 15,448 co ...

'' described the song as "pulsating and catchy".

Chart performance

"Shy Guy" was released as the lead single on both King's album and the soundtrack of '' Bad Boys''. The song received charting success worldwide. The song debuted at number thirty-five on the

Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...

and later peaked at number three, staying at the position for three consecutive weeks. The song later debuted at number twenty-eight on the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The M ...

. After seventeen weeks, it peaked at number three for one week. The song peaked at number thirteen on the US ''Billboard''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

and number twenty-one on the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

chart. It was

certified gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), selling over 500,000 copies in the US. The song also had success in Europe. It debuted at number six on the

Swiss Singles Chart The Swiss Hitparade () is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland. The Swiss charts include: * Singles Top 75 (released since 1968) * Singles T ...

, then peaked at number five for three consecutive weeks. It debuted at number thirty on the

Austrian Singles Chart Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

, and rose to number six for one week. The song later debuted at number twenty-seven on the

French Singles Chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...

and rose to peak at number four, staying there for two consecutive weeks. The song was

certified silver Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in France, selling over 125,000 copies there. The song reached number one on two charts. It debuted at number twenty-seven in Sweden before rising to number one for one week, while in Finland, the song remained at number one for four non-consecutive weeks. It also peaked at number two in Norway, staying there for seven consecutive weeks. The song debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart, then peaked at number two. It was

certified Silver Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in the United Kingdom.

Music videos

Two music videos were made: one in black and white, directed by German film director and producer

, for the ''Tougher Than Love'' album; the other, directed by American film director and producer

, for the ''Bad Boys'' soundtrack with

and

appearing in it. That video features King dancing and singing to the song in a very cold-looking environment, but through the chorus they are seen dancing on a

runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...

looking stage.

Track listings

* CD single # "Shy Guy" (radio edit) — 3:39 # "Shy Guy" (Darpe mix) — 3:41 * 7-inch single # "Shy Guy" (radio edit) — 3:39 # "Shy Guy" (Darpe mix) — 3:41 * CD maxi and 12-inch single # "Shy Guy" (radio edit) — 3:39 # "Shy Guy" (Darpe mix) — 3:41 # "Shy Guy" (RandB mix) — 3:36 # "Shy Guy" (dancehall mix) — 5:00 # "Shy Guy" (dancehall dub) — 4:54

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Covers and samples

In 1998, a cover version of the song called ''Jeito Sexy'' became the first hit of Brazilian band

Fat Family Fat Family is a Brazilian vocal band from Sorocaba. As the name suggests, all members are overweight people and are members of the same family. They have so far released three albums by EMI Music. Sidney Cipriano (aka Sidney Sinay) died on Febru ...

Aswad Aswad are a British reggae group, noted for adding strong R&B and soul influences to the reggae sound. They have been performing since the mid-1970s, having released a total of 21 albums. Their UK hit singles include the number one "Don't Tu ...

and former

Eternal Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to: * Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state * Immortality or eternal life * God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism Comics, film and television * ...

singer Easther Bennett recorded a version of the song in 2002. In December 2008,

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. She was born in Washington D.C. and studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Her ca ...

recorded a cover version of "Shy Guy" with the words in English rather than in the

patois ''Patois'' (, same or ) is speech or language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. As such, ''patois'' can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects or vernaculars, but not commonly to jargon or sl ...

that King's version was recorded in. This was included on Mýa's 2008 Japan-only album ''

Sugar & Spice ''Sugar & Spice'' is a 2001 American teen black comedy film directed by Francine McDougall, written by Lona Williams under the alias of "Mandy Nelson", and starring Marla Sokoloff, Marley Shelton, Melissa George, Mena Suvari, Rachel Blanchard, ...

'' but was not released as a single. In 2016, Belgian singer Unicq released her own bilingual French / English version under the title "Mercy (Shy Guy)". The single reached number 76 on the

SNEP SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...

chart, the French official singles chart. The chorus of the 2016 song "Don't Hurt Me" by

DJ Mustard A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

and

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

contains an interpolation of "Shy Guy".

References

{{Authority control 1995 singles 1995 songs Bad Boys (franchise) Black-and-white music videos Diana King songs European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Music videos directed by Marcus Nispel Music videos directed by Michael Bay Number-one singles in Finland Number-one singles in Sweden Number-one singles in Zimbabwe Songs written by Andy Marvel Songs written for films