One-hit wonders hold a warm place in many people's hearts. Some songs are nostalgic, taking people back to a particular time and place. Whether you love or strongly dislike the artists that made a specific hit, it's undeniable that some tracks can take on a life of their own. Many songs will live on through meme culture, movies, and commercials even after an artist is no longer here.
For example, Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" became a cultural phenomenon after Terry Crews passionately sang the song in White Chicks. That scene lives in many people's heads rent-free. The term "one-hit wonder" often comes with a negative connotation. However, some artists are not complaining about the royalty checks or merely decided that the music business was no longer for them. Here is an update on what some of your favorite 2000s one-hit wonders are up to now.
10 Brooke Valentine - "Girlfight" (2005)
Girlfight by Brooke Valentine, Lil Jon, and Big Boi from Outkast went to #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. There was even an online game titled Brooke Valentine Presents Celebrity Girl Fight, in which Valentine fought women celebrity characters such as Ciara, Jennifer Lopez, and Paris Hilton. Valentine did come out with more music, but the efforts weren't commercially successful. In 2012, she gave birth to her first son named London. Valentine also appeared on season five of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood. She is now married to another LHHH cast member Marcus Black who had a child together.
9 Blu Cantrell - "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" (2001)
This R&B track was the ultimate revenge song. This track reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and was featured in the interactive dance game Just Dance 4. In 2003, Cantrell released a song with Jamaican dancehall recording artist Sean Paul, but it only reached #70 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2005, Cantrell could have renewed her contract but didn't because her mentor, L.A. Reid, resigned. Instead, she toured as a free agent, starred in the musical stage play Gossip, Lies and Secrets alongside Lisa Raye and RHOA star Kenya Moore. She also appeared in NBC's Celebrity Circus, being eliminated the second week. Cantrell has been teasing new music for years but never released her third album.
8 New Boyz - "You're A Jerk" (2009)
Technically, the rap duo Ben J and Legacy of New Boyz isn't a one-hit-wonder. Their highest-charting song was "Tie Me Down" with R&B and LHHH star Ray-J. This particular track reached #22 in 2010. However, the hip hop duo started a dance craze with their song, "You're A Jerk," which peaked at #24. They brought the "jerkin'" street dance to the mainstream.
Nicki Swift reported that the group might have broken up due to 2 On singer Tinashe, Ben J's then-girlfriend, negatively influencing Ben J, causing him to miss shows. In 2013, the group split to pursue solo careers. Ben J has a daughter, and one of his last interviews was involved him detailing killing someone who invaded his home. Legacy has a SoundCloud and did have a track called "Lately" featuring Doja Cat in 2015, but not much else is known.
7 Lumidee - "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh" (2003)
Every DJ and radio station has this song in rotation, and even in later years, people create mashups with Lumidee's hit 2003 song. It peaked at #3, and it seemed as if Lumidee would have a bright future. However, her only other song to hit the Hot Billboard 100 was 2007's "She's Like The Wind," which reached #43. In the same year, Lumidee also appeared in an episode of MTV's Cribs. Lumidee released a Christmas single called "Slay Ride" in 2019 and mentioned starting an independent label called Logy Music Entertainment, but Lumidee isn't very active on social media.
6 David Archuleta - "Crush" (2008)
David Archuleta's "Crush" was a heartfelt classic. It reached #2 in 2008. As of 2021, Archuleta has released new music. His latest song is called "Losin' Sleep." The runner-up of season seven of American Idol has concerts scheduled from 2021-2022. The 30-year-old isn't married and doesn't have any kids. Although, in 2020, Hollywood Mask reported that Archuleta was looking for a "religious, supportive, and virtuous" wife. It's also worth mentioning that Archuleta has been quite the philanthropist in the past decade or so. He's funded organizations that fight against poverty, bullying, and disaster relief.
5 Fountains Of Wayne - "Stacy's Mom" (2003)
The track "Stacy's Mom" was inescapable, especially if you watched VH1 in the early 2000s. This track went to #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, the rock band's only track. The group disbanded, although in interviews, they never officially said they did. However, band members spoke about their group in the past tense. Before 2013, the group continued to make music and tour. Chris Collingwood began a solo career in 2016. Unfortunately, Adam Schlesinger died of COVID-19 complications in 2020 at 52. The surviving trio performed an online concert to commemorate Schlesinger on April 22, 2020.
4 Asher Roth - "I Love College" (2009)
Asher Roth didn't mention once his love of taking classes in the 2009 hit "I Love College." He even rapped, "I can't tell you what I learned from school." Instead, he enjoyed the party life and pizza. The track went to #12 in 2009, and the 35-year-old has put out three studio albums, five mixtapes, and three EPs. His last EP, Rawther, came out in 2016. In 2020, Rother was a featured artist on the track "Way More Fun" with Lil Yachty. He is active on Instagram.
3 Daniel Powter - "Bad Day" (2005)
Ironically, a song about having a "bad day" made many people smile and sing along. Daniel Powter's track went all the way to #1. Powter never stopped making music or performing, but commercial success didn't seem to stick after "Bad Day." Powter got married and divorced, is the father of three children, and currently lives in Los Angeles.
2 O-Zone - "Dragostea Din Tei" (2004)
Everyone informally called this the "Maya Hee" song. The English translation of this Romanian song is "love under the lime tree." It became the first-ever song to hit #1 in The United States, originating from Romania. Even if people didn't understand the words, the track and music video was so fun. The song was interpolated in the track "Live Your Life" by Rihanna and T.I. and featured in Just Dance 2017. O-Zone split up in 2005 for personal reasons but reformed for two concerts in 2017. In 2019, the trio came together again for a New Year's Eve concert in Bucharest.
1 MIMS - "This Is Why I'm Hot" (2006)
"This Is Why I'm Hot" reached #1 as well, but back in 2006. This song from rapper Mims made anyone who listened to it feel confident. While the chorus was repetitious, it worked. As of 2021, Mims has an estimated net worth of anywhere between $10-$35 million. In 2018, MIMS released a book called Dope Era. While MIMS stands for "music is my savior," he left the music industry to enter the mobile tech scene with an app called RecordGram, a mobile recording studio where artists and producers could freely share their work. According to Forbes, in 2017, the app garnered $1 million.