Released August 20, 1996 Recorded 1996 Length 5:25
4:13 (edit) | Format CD single Genre R&B
hip hop soul Label 550 | |
"Pony" is the debut single of American singer Ginuwine, released as a single from his first LP Ginuwine...The Bachelor in 1996. Ginuwine co-wrote the song with Swing Mob associates Static Major and Timbaland; the latter is also the producer. The song's lyrics describe a blatant sexual come-on: "If you're horny, let's do it / Ride it; my pony. My saddle's waiting"
Contents
Content
Timbaland's production was unique among R&B releases of the day: "Pony"'s instrumentation features a start-stop rhythm pattern similar to drum and bass music, a bassline and melody formed by vocoded vocal samples, and a cartoon slide whistle. Along with his concurrent work for Aaliyah's One in a Million LP, "Pony" and Ginuwine...the Bachelor marked the emergence of Timbaland as a successful R&B producer. The beat was also used for a remix of Jodeci's song "Freek'n You".
Commercial performance
The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for two weeks from November 16, 1996 to November 30, 1996 and reached number six on Billboard's Hot 100 on November 23, 1996.
Reviews
The song was well received by most music critics.
Music video
The official music video for the album version of the song was directed by Michael Lucero. The music video for the remix version of the song was directed by Christopher Erskin. The video depicts Ginuwine and his crew entering a Western bar as strangers and gradually gaining the favor of the craggly cowboy-patrons. The video was filmed at the Cowboy Palace saloon in Chatsworth, California.
Appearances in other media
In 2008, the song was featured on Grand Theft Auto IV's fictional soul and R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8.
The song was featured in the 2012 film Magic Mike which played when Channing Tatum's character performs a hip-hop theme striptease to the song and also appeared in its 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL.
Ginuwine plays a fictional version of himself on NBC's Parks and Recreation and performed the song in the season 6 finale in honor of Li'l Sebastian at the Pawnee-Eagleton Unity concert.
In 2015, Kevin McHale covered the song as Artie Abrams in the first part of the series finale of Fox television series Glee.
The song was featured in an episode of HBO's Getting On in season 3 when it is serenaded by Nurse Ortley (played by Niecy Nash) to the lead character Dawn Forchette (played by Alex Borstein) as she is undergoing dialysis.
The song was featured on an episode of American Dad!.
Carlos PenaVega danced an Magic Mike inspired rumba for famous dances week on the twenty first season of Dancing with the Stars.
In 2013, the song was featured in the second episode of A&E's Bates Motel.
The song was sampled in Rihanna's 2014 Single Jump, Rihanna also covered the song's chorus in the song as well.
Single track listing
Europe maxi-single
- "Pony" (Album Version) – 5:25
- "Pony" (Extended Mix) – 5:20
- "Pony" (Ride It Mix) – 5:05
- "Pony" (Mad Love Club Mix) – 4:32
- "Pony" (Mad Love Beat Mix) – 4:29
- "Pony" (Black Market Slowride Mix) – 4:31
US and Australian single
- "Pony" (Album Version) – 5:25
- "Pony" (Extended Mix) – 5:20
- "Pony" (Instrumental) – 5:18
- "Pony" (A Cappella) – 3:48
Pony (Jump on It)
British house duo Tough Love collaborated with Ginuwine and revamped the classic which was released officially on 7 August 2015 as their second single.