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"Legend of a Cowgirl"
Coppola stares into space and smokes a cigarette. There is a dark-red wall behind her, and the photo is atop a blue background
Single by Imani Coppola
from the album Chupacabra
ReleasedAugust 12, 1997 (1997-08-12)
Genre
Length3:44[3]
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Michael Mangini
Imani Coppola singles chronology
"Legend of a Cowgirl"
(1997) 		"I'm a Tree"
(1997)

"Legend of a Cowgirl" is a song by American singer-songwriter and rapper Imani Coppola from her debut album, Chupacabra (1997). Upon its release, the song was successful, garnering favorable critical reception and peaking within the top 40 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The song also entered singles charts in Australia, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. The song remains Coppola's only solo top-40 hit in each of the countries, making her a one-hit-wonder (though she later re-appeared on the UK Singles Chart as part of the R&B-pop duo Little Jackie).

The song's success is largely credited to its music video, which depicted Coppola as a waitress at a diner, daydreaming about life as a cowgirl, alien, and rock star. The video became a hit on MTV, and received a nomination at Billboard's 1998 Music Video Awards, in the category of "Pop: Best New Artist Clip." The song and video have been included on retrospective "best-of" lists by VH1, Spin, and Billboard.

Background and composition

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Coppola wrote the song while she was in college. The lyrics were inspired by "love-life chatter" she overheard in her dorm room.[4] The song includes cowboy and Western-related metaphors for sex,[5] and is considered to embody female sexual independence.[6] The song samples Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" extensively.[7][2] Coppola disliked the song, calling it the worst song on Chupacabra.[8]

Critical reception

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Larry Flick, writing for Billboard, gave the song a positive review upon its release, describing it as "quirky and rife with novelty value" and also praising the chorus's memorability.[2] AllMusic's Bradley Torreano considered the song a highlight of its parent album, commenting that on the song, "her personality shines through."[9] Entertainment Weekly's review of Chupacabra, although critical of the album overall, praised "Legend of a Cowgirl," remarking that it "works the best equestrian metaphors for sex since Ginuwine's 'Pony'," going on to deem the song "as good as it gets on her debut album."[5] British magazine Music Week gave it four out of five, complimenting the song as a "slightly fey but genuinely catchy debut."[10] An editor, Alan Jones, added, "Attractively anchoring a lyrically and melodically unusual track to a sample from Donovan's seminal Sixties hit "Sunshine Superman", it presents Coppola as a less rocky Sheryl Crow, setting her voice against an instrumental track that is by turns influenced by hip hop and early Seventies acts like It's a Beautiful Day."[11] Ann Powers, writing for The New York Times, deemed the song "a sunny declaration of sexual independence that the Spice Girls would admire."[6]

Accolades

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In 1998, the music video earned a nomination at the Billboard's Music Video Awards, in the category of "Pop: Best New Artist Clip."[12] The video ultimately lost to Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn."[13]

The song and video have also received retrospective accolades. VH1 ranked the song at number 21 on their list of "40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '90s."[14] In 2014, Spin included the song on their list of "45 Hay-Ya! Moments in Rap and Country's Uncomfortable History," reflecting that "the Lilith-era '90s fostered a slew of quirky yet radio-ready woman-power anthems, and Imani Coppola's whiskey-swilling midnight marauder was one of the best."[15] In October 2017, the song ranked at number 55 on Billboard's list of the 100 Best Pop Songs of 1997.[1]

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 100 Best Pop Songs of 1997 55 [1]
Spin 45 Hay-Ya! Moments in Rap and Country's Uncomfortable History not ranked [15]
VH1 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s 21 [14]

Music video

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The song had an accompanying music video, directed by McG, who also directed videos for Korn, Cypress Hill, Sugar Ray and Barenaked Ladies among others.[16] The video depicts Coppola as a waitress at a diner, daydreaming about life as a biker chick and '60s singer and dancing on a counter.[4][17][18] According to Coppola, the video started as an idea she had for a movie about women who "love 'em and leave 'em and ride off into the sunset."[19] Of the filming, Coppola stated that "it was very uncomfortable 'cause we had no room and their penises and their bums are just flopping around," says Coppola. "It was like, 'Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to touch you!' But they were all gay, so it didn't really matter. They were cute though. It was a shame."[20]

Upon its release, the music video for "Legend of a Cowgirl" became a hit on MTV.[7][20][21][22] It spent two weeks at number 19 on the Billboard's MTV Video Monitor,[23][24] and also received play on The Box.[25][26]

Commercial performance

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In the United States, the song peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart. It remained Coppola's sole appearance on the Hot 100 until 2001, when she re-appeared alongside fellow one-hit wonders the Baha Men with "You All Dat," which achieved a peak of number 94 on the chart.[1][27] The song also peaked within the top 40 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40, where it reached number 21 and spent 14 weeks on the chart, and the Adult Top 40, where it peaked at number 24 and spent 20 weeks on the chart.[28] The single peaked at number 41 both on the US Hot Singles Sales chart and the Radio Songs chart, spending 16 and 13 weeks on the charts, respectively.[28]

The song also charted throughout Europe. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted on the UK Singles Chart dated February 28, 1998, at its peak of number 32.[29] It fell to number 47 the following week, and spent a total of three consecutive weeks on the chart; it remains her only UK chart entry.[30] In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number 80 on the singles chart dated January 31, 1998, and eventually peaked at number 65, spending one week at its peak and a total of eight weeks in the top 100.[31] On the German Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 99 on the chart dated March 16, 1998, and eventually achieved a peak of 94, spending a total of five weeks on the chart.[32] On Belgium's Ultratop (Flanders) singles chart, the song debuted at number 50 on the chart dated February 28, 1998, and fell off the following week.[33] The song also charted in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 20 and spent nine weeks on the chart.[34]

In Oceania, the song likewise appeared on the charts. The song was successful in New Zealand, debuting at number 43 on the New Zealand Singles chart dated February 1, 1998, and peaking at number 20, spending a total of 9 weeks in the top 50.[34] On the Australia Singles Chart, the song peaked at number 55.[35] The single placed at number 76 on Australia's Triple J Hottest 100 songs of 1997,[36] making Coppola one of only four solo female artists to appear on the listing that year.[37]

"Legend of a Cowgirl" remains Coppola's only charting solo song in every country except Australia (where follow-up "I'm a Tree" peaked at number 201),[38] effectively rendering Coppola a one-hit wonder.[1][39] However, Coppola achieved some success in 2008 with programmer Adam Pallin, as the pop/R&B duo Little Jackie, whose single "The World Should Revolve Around Me" was a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[40][41]

Track listing

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CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Legend of a Cowgirl"3:44
Total length:3:44

Credits

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Credits are adapted from the Chupacabra booklet and AllMusic.[42][43]

Charts

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Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States August 12, 1997 CD Columbia [3]
August 18, 1997 Modern rock radio [54]
August 19, 1997 Contemporary hit radio [55]
Japan October 22, 1997 CD Sony [56]
United Kingdom February 16, 1998
  • CD
  • cassette
 Columbia [57]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Unteberger, Andrew. "The 100 Greatest Pop Songs of 1997: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Flick, Larry (August 16, 1997). "Reviews & Previews: Singles". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 33. p. 62. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Legend of a Cowgirl [CD5/Cassette Single]". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Amber, Jeannine (March 1998). "Imani Coppola: Career Cowgirl". Vibe. 6 (2): 60. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Diehl, Matt. "Chupacabra Lead Performer: Imani Coppola". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Powers, Ann. "Critic's Choice: Pop CD's — Take a Little Sass, Add Sunshine". The New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Loose canon" by Steve Smith Archived September 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Time Out. November 8, 2007.]
  8. ^ "Coppola's Goat of Many Colors 'Chupacabra' Album Proves Chirpy "Legend of a Cowgirl" Isn't a One-Hit Wonder". Daily News. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  9. ^ Torreano, Bradley. "Review: "Chupacabra" – Imani Coppola". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  10. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 7, 1998. p. 12. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  11. ^ Jones, Alan (February 7, 1998). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 12. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  12. ^ Hay, Carla (October 17, 1998). "Imbruglia Leads Billboard Vid Nominees". Billboard. p. 103. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  13. ^ Hay, Carla (November 21, 1998). "Marilyn Manson, 'Nsync Lead Billboard Music Video Awards". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 47. p. 88. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  14. ^ a b "VH1's 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '90s". Top One Hit Wonders. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  15. ^ a b "45 Hay-Ya! Moments in Rap and Country's Uncomfortable History:1997: Imani Coppola – "Legend of a Cowgirl"". Spin. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  16. ^ "A Band Apart Congratulates..." Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 45. November 7, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Gardner, Elysa. "She's a Rainbow". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  18. ^ Mumbi Moody, Nekesa. "Imani Coppola: Eclectic talents, eclectic album". South Coast Today. Gatehouse Media. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  19. ^ Lilith Fair. "Imani Coppola" 1998. Archived September 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ a b Toronto Sun. "Singer/violinist Imani strikes gold without even trying" by Jane Stevenson. December 11, 1997.
  21. ^ "All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop" By Vladimir Bogdanov. Published 2003 by Backbeat Books
  22. ^ Galindo, Brian. "18 Forgotten '90s One-Hit Wonders". BuzzFeed. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  23. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. November 1, 1997. p. 91. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  24. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 45. November 8, 1997. p. 90. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  25. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 2. January 10, 1998. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  26. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 3. January 17, 1998. p. 76. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  27. ^ a b "Imani Coppola Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  28. ^ a b "Chart Search: Imani Coppola". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  29. ^ "Imani Coppola: Singles Chart History". Official Charts. Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  31. ^ "Imani Coppola – Legend of a Cowgirl". Dutch Charts. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  32. ^ a b "Imani Coppola – Legend of a Cowgirl" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  33. ^ "Chart History: Imani Coppola – Legend of a Cowgirl". Ultratop. Ultratop & Hung Medien. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  34. ^ a b c "Imani Coppola – Legend of a Cowgirl". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  35. ^ a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  36. ^ "Hottest 100 1997". Triple J. ABC. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  37. ^ Williams, Tom. "The Most Popular Hottest 100 of All Time is Being Replayed This Month". Music Feeds. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  38. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-06-05". Imgur. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  39. ^ Galindo, Brian. "18 Forgotten '90s One-Hit Wonders". BuzzFeed. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  40. ^ "Little Jackie chart history". Official Charts. Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  41. ^ Sexton, Pail. "The Verve Storms To No. 1 U.K. Debut". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  42. ^ Coppola, Imani (1997). Chupacabra (Album booklet). Imani Coppola. Columbia Records. p. 1.
  43. ^ "Credits: "Legend of a Cowgirl" [CD5]". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  44. ^ "Imani Coppola – Legend of a Cowgirl" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  45. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3389." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  46. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (9.10. 97 – 16.10. 97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). October 10, 1997. p. 22. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  47. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 9, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  48. ^ "Imani Coppola – Legend of a Cowgirl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  49. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  50. ^ "Imani Coppola Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  51. ^ "Imani Coppola Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  52. ^ "Best of '97: Top 40/Mainstream Singles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. December 26, 1997. p. 38.
  53. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 55.
  54. ^ "Upcoming New Releases". Hits. Vol. 11, no. 556. August 15, 1997. p. 40.
  55. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1210. August 15, 1997. p. 44.
  56. ^ "レジェンド・オブ・ア・カウガール | イマーニ・コッポラ" [Legend of a Cowgirl | Imani Coppola] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  57. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 14, 1998. p. 39.
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