Peak
2
Weeks
19
Score
3,705
Chart Year
1987
A music video, directed by Brian Grant was released in March 1987 to promote the song.[4] Grant previously made videos for Whitney Houston, Peter Gabriel and Tina Turner.
Contrary to popular belief, the catchphrase "Hasta la vista, baby" did not originate from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day - it originated as a lyric from this song, released four years prior to T2. Watley says the phrase just came to her. "I wanted to say 'go away, see ya,' and I do have Latino friends, so it was maybe something that stuck with me, that attitude of 'hasta la vista,'" she said in a Songfacts interview. "Arnold Schwarzenegger obviously liked the line, because he then made it even more famous. But it has just the right amount of attitude and sassiness to go with what the song is about, and that's a send-off, like, 'Hasta la vista, baby... bye.'" Jody Watley was indeed looking for a new love when she wrote this song, having recently gone through a breakup. "It was one of the easiest songs I wrote because the lyrics were straight off the top of my head," she told Songfacts. "I sat down with my recorder and sang: Gave you love, you did me wrong Didn't know what to do But baby, I'm strong... It was a breakup song, but I definitely wanted to, as a woman and a writer, not be weak about it. I wanted it to be very empowering for girls and women. I love the line, 'Baby I'm strong, I'm gonna get over you. A new love I'm gonna choose.' That's the strength that I love." This was Jody Watley's first single, launching a solo career that earned her the Grammy for Best New Artist. She started out as a Soul Train dancer, and in 1977 joined Shalamar, a group signed to Soul Train Records. Shalamar did very well, landing hit after hit on the R&B chart and several songs that made the pop charts as well, including "The Second Time Around" and "A Night To Remember." But Watley used mostly as a dancer and backup singer, when she wanted to write songs and sing leads. Frustrated, she left in 1983 while the group was still red hot. She moved to London and ended up singing on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - she and members of Kool & the Gang were the only Americans on the song. She released two singles with Mercury Records, but they didn't pan out and she ended up at MCA, where label executive Jheryl Busby gave her lots of support and creative freedom. "Looking For A New Love" went to #1 on the R&B chart and spent four weeks at #2 on the Hot 100, first behind "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew and then "With Or Without You" by U2. Four more singles from the album followed, all chart hits: "Still a Thrill," "Don't You Want Me," "Some Kind of Lover," and "Most of All." Watley wrote the lyrics and melody, and the track came from Andre Cymone, known for his work with Prince. Cymone, à la Prince, played all the instruments, giving the song a fresh, funky sound that meshed with Watley's voice. He produced the song with David Z, another Prince associate. Watley and Simone got romantically involved and were married from 1991 to 1994. In 1992, they had a son named Arie. The music video was directed by Brian Grant, who did the MTV classics "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John), "How Will I Know" (Whitney Houston), and "Saved By Zero" (The Fixx). Watley was very fashionable, and Grant took advantage by presenting her in several different outfits. It earned two MTV Video Music Award nominations: Best Female Video and Best New Artist in a Video. Don Cornelius, who chose Watley for Shalimar, gave her a very nice introduction when she returned to Soul Train for the first time as a solo artist to perform this song. "She has now embarked on what promises to be an exciting solo career," he said. This song was a #1 hit on the Dance chart when it was first released in 1987, then a 2005 remix took it back to the top spot.
You gave me love, you did me wrong Didn't know what to do But baby, I'm strong, gonna get over you A new boy I'm gonna choose, you'll see My love was true, still you threw it all away Now other guys will have me, they'll appreciate my love Tell me, how does it feel You know that I needed you You know that you meant the world to me You know I had to have you Now I'm gonna find somebody new I'm looking for a new love, baby A new love, yeah yeah yeah I'm looking for a new love, baby A new love, yeah yeah yeah Was she hot, did she turn you out? Curiosity rules my brain Was she worth my heart? It's torn all apart Are you going back again? Tell me My love was true, still you threw it all away But now you're like the rest, unworthy of my best Hasta la vista, baby You know that I needed you You know that you meant the world to me You know I had to have you Now I'm gonna find somebody new I'm looking for a new love, baby A new love, yeah yeah yeah I'm looking for a new love, baby A new love, yeah yeah yeah I'm looking for a new love, baby A new love, yeah yeah yeah I'm looking for a new love, baby A new love, yeah yeah yeah Other guys will have me, they'll appreciate my love Tell me, how does it feel Now you're like the rest, unworthy of my best Hasta la vista, baby I'm looking for a new love baby, a new love I'm looking for a new love baby, a new love I'm looking for a new love baby, a new love
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 7, 1987 | 82 | 44 |
| 2 | Mar 14, 1987 | 57 | 69 |
| 3 | Mar 21, 1987 | 35 | 91 |
| 4 | Mar 28, 1987 | 26 | 100 |
| 5 | Apr 4, 1987 | 18 | 108 |
| 6 | Apr 11, 1987 | 12 | 114 |
| 7 | Apr 18, 1987 | 6 | 120 |
| 8 | Apr 25, 1987 | 4 | 122 |
| 9 | May 2, 1987 | 2 | 124 |
| 10 | May 9, 1987 | 2 | 124 |
| 11 | May 16, 1987 | 2 | 124 |
| 12 | May 23, 1987 | 2 | 124 |
| 13 | May 30, 1987 | 12 | 114 |
| 14 | Jun 6, 1987 | 18 | 108 |
| 15 | Jun 13, 1987 | 27 | 99 |
| 16 | Jun 20, 1987 | 40 | 86 |
| 17 | Jun 27, 1987 | 53 | 73 |
| 18 | Jul 4, 1987 | 71 | 55 |
| 19 | Jul 11, 1987 | 95 | 31 |