OPINION: Nearly two decades later, a track from Fantasia’s 2006 album feels as fresh and relevant as ever. Here’s how it happened and why it’s gone viral again.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
In early November 2024, a video of University of South Carolina football coach, Shane Beamer, went viral. After South Carolina’s 44-20 win over Texas A&M University, Coach Beamer decided to have his players serenade his wife for her birthday in the locker room. And what song did his football players belt out enthusiastically at the top of their lungs? None other than singer Fantasia’s 2006 hit, “When I See U,” a song that hit the top of the R&B charts way back yonder in 2007, but seems to be number one in the hearts and minds of people everywhere in this, the year of our lord, two-thousand and twenty-four.
To quote Kanye West, “HOW SWAY?”
How does a song that was a bop in a time before America had its first Black president become super popular almost two decades later? Well, the obvious answer is social media, and TikTok in particular. In fact, a simple search of “Fantasia When I See You” on the platform pulls over 24 million videos. TWENTY FOUR MILLION. There are videos of basketball players singing the song and folks in their homes doing covers. There are newscasters and dances. Folks have remade their own versions. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Despite social media deciding “When I See U” needed to get its full flowers and glory, what is it about this song in particular that has adults, children and maybe even animals singing (and/or screaming) the lyrics at the top of their lungs?
Take a look at that video of the football team serenading the coach’s wife. The coach has heard that song enough times to know that his players love it. The coach knew they loved it so much that if he played it out of nowhere, enough of his players would not only know the words but participate fully in sharing it with the world—and his wife. But look at that joy; as soon as the players heard those opening chords, they took flight. I have no idea if Coach Beamer’s wife knows that song but it matters not. Everybody else in that room did.
And they all know it because “When I See U” is an undeniable bop. It’s a jam. It’s sunshine on a wedding day. It’s the cop not showing up when you show up in court to contest a speeding ticket. It’s finding an extra order of fries in your bag when you only ordered one. It’s beautiful. It jams and Fantasia jams on it. “When I See U” is a song about being nervously in love with somebody. It’s cute. It’s about a crush. It’s the modern-era version of The Temptations “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” easily one of the greatest songs of all time. It’s another song whose opening chords also cause all who know it to lose their mind and become Temptations for a few minutes too.
When I hear Fantasia sing with that outstandingly beautiful one-of-one voice of hers, I get excited. The song is the perfect mesh of beats, rhymes, and life. It’s hip-hop in R&B form over a beat that rappers like Fabolous used to turn into monster rap jams.
Plus, let’s examine this right quick: who HASN’T felt like the lyrics to this song? Who hasn’t been caught up on a person who has all of your attention and you want to talk to them but you’re afraid to do so. For me, that was three of my four years in college. And true story, we’re all probably that person for somebody else, too. We’ve been there and done that. It is the plot of so many romantic comedies in three minutes and thirty-six seconds, and who doesn’t love romantic comedies? (If someone doesn’t love them, tell me so I can never speak to those people again.) I’m married and I love the idea of “new love” in moves I’ve watched 100 times already.
Most importantly “When I See U” is just so doggone fun to sing. There are a few songs that are absolutely perfect for karaoke. “Return of The Mack,” anything by Luther Vandross, Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” SWV’s catalog, etc. all come to mind. Fantasia’s “When I See U” is absolutely top-10 on that list. And since so many people know the words, it works for large gatherings of Black people like church, concerts, family reunions, funerals, and cookouts.
There really is no bad time to play this song. Just the other night, I had a bunch of people over my house for some reason or another, and the person running music put on “When I See U” and every person, young and old, sang the words in unison and joy. (No matter when you read that sentence, it will be true; there are ALWAYS people over at my house.)
I don’t know who decided that the 2020s needed Fantasia’s hit as much as the 2000s did, but that person is a national hero. In a world with so much chaos, I’m glad we have Fantasia, her voice, and her music to make it just a little bit better.
“When I See U” today, “When I See U” tomorrow, “When I See U” forever.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).
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