blast from the past: cleopatra comin' atcha.

Cleopatra's single for "Cleopatra's Theme" (1998) was the first CD that I tried to play off as being purchased ironically. My sister and I thought the music video was hilarious, so I bought this single for $1.99 in order to hop on my bed and make fun of the three braid-headed sisters. I wouldn't admit it back then, but deep inside...I loved this song. And I still love it to this day.

You see, Ms. Cleopatra Madonna Higgins actually had a huge voice for a 16 year old. Even if it was incredibly screechy and she wasn't singing about anything important, the sista had SOUL. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought this...as Madonna signed them to her record label, Maverick, and brought their music from the UK to the US. While Cleopatra scored four top five hits in a row and had their own sit-com overseas, their music failed to perform as well in the states. They weren't a complete failure though. They toured with the likes of Jessica Simpson, Next, and Brian McKnight. Later they became spokeswomen for Covergirl, as well as staples of the Disney Channel's music video line-up.

But enough about history...What really makes me love this song? Obviously, I am a sucker for self-referential songs. (This is evident in the fact that I love Kelis' mediocre single "Bossy" simply because she states, "That's right, I brought all the boys to the yard".) In "Cleopatra's Theme", the confident statement that their own group is "gonna blow the roof" is a main selling point for me. I mean, the fact that their first single is a theme song about themselves?...That's sheer brilliance! Subliminal self-promotion was clearly the future of music, and Cleopatra must have just been way ahead of the times. America wasn't ready for that until we heard Mike Jones.

WATCH: Their 2005 performance on ITV's Hit Me Baby One More Time

DOWNLOAD: CLEOPATRA- Cleopatra's Theme

NOTE: I no longer own the single. It was destroyed when I used it as a frisbee after my friend made fun of me for owning it. I was 13 at the time, so peer pressure was at an all-time high.

BUY Comin' Atcha!

BLOGWATCH: Head over to Republicum for a rarity by The Knife. Check out Beyonce's new single "Deja Vu" at Stars are Blind. Lastly, get a great remix of Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" at childish gambino.