Red foo. SkyBlu. Wiggle.
It's been over a decade since LMFAO dropped "Sexy and I Know It," and honestly, the world hasn't quite been the same since. You remember the video. You remember the leopard print. You definitely remember the "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle." But beneath the neon spandex and the sheer absurdity of the shuffling, there’s a weirdly fascinating story about how a song that shouldn’t have worked—a song that felt like a joke—managed to dominate the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks on end. It wasn't just a hit; it was a cultural reset for the "party rock" era.
The Ridiculous Rise of LMFAO
LMFAO wasn't your average pop duo. Redfoo (Stefan Gordy) and SkyBlu (Skyler Gordy) were actually related—uncle and nephew—and they happen to be the son and grandson of Berry Gordy, the legendary founder of Motown. Talk about pressure. But instead of chasing the soul and R&B legacy of their family name, they decided to lean into the most high-octane, obnoxious, and undeniably catchy version of electronic dance music they could find.
When "Sexy and I Know It" hit the airwaves in late 2011, it followed their massive success with "Party Rock Anthem." While "Party Rock Anthem" was about the dance floor, "Sexy and I Know It" was about the ego. It was self-deprecating and hyper-masculine all at once.
It’s a weird vibe.
The track is built on a minimalist, driving bassline that feels more like a heartbeat than a melody. There are barely any instruments. It’s mostly just a pulsing synth and a lot of rhythmic shouting. This simplicity is exactly why it worked. In a year where pop music was getting increasingly over-produced, LMFAO went the other way. They made something that sounded like it was recorded in a basement but felt like it belonged in a stadium.
Why the Music Video Actually Changed Everything
Most people don't just "listen" to this song; they visualize it.
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The music video for "Sexy and I Know It" is a masterclass in viral marketing before "viral" was a standardized corporate metric. Directed by Mickey Finnegan, the video features a group of guys—including Redfoo—in Speedos, strutting through Venice Beach. It’s garish. It’s borderline uncomfortable. It’s hilarious.
What’s interesting is how it played with male body image. Usually, pop videos feature highly polished, airbrushed models. LMFAO gave us "the shuffle." They gave us guys who weren't necessarily professional bodybuilders acting like they were the hottest things on the planet. This "confidence over competence" theme resonated. It was the peak of the "mancession" era culture where people just wanted to laugh at something stupid.
The cameo list was also bizarrely specific. You had Ron Jeremy, Wilmer Valderrama, and even Alistair Overeem making appearances. This wasn't a standard music video; it was a 2011 fever dream. It helped the song cross over from just being a club track to being a meme.
The Science of a Hook
Is there a more recognizable three-word phrase from 2011 than "Look at that body"? Probably not.
From a songwriting perspective, the track is fascinating because it breaks a lot of rules. There isn't a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure that leads to a big emotional payoff. Instead, it’s a series of peaks. Every few bars, there’s a new "hook" or a new "drop."
- The "Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah" section.
- The "I’m sexy and I know it" refrain.
- The "Girl, look at that body" chant.
Each of these functions as a standalone earworm. It’s built for the TikTok era before TikTok even existed. If you play five seconds of this song anywhere in the world today, people know exactly what it is. That’s not luck; that’s incredibly effective (if polarizing) pop production.
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The Backlash and the Legacy
Of course, not everyone loved it. Critics at the time called it the death of music. They saw it as the pinnacle of "bro-step" influenced pop that lacked soul or depth. And sure, it’s not exactly Leonard Cohen.
But looking back, "Sexy and I Know It" represented a specific moment in time when pop music stopped taking itself so seriously. We were moving out of the gritty, dark aesthetics of the late 2000s and into something more colorful, loud, and frankly, ridiculous.
LMFAO essentially burned bright and then disappeared. By 2012, they announced a hiatus that effectively became a permanent breakup. Redfoo went on to judge X Factor and release solo music, but the magic of the duo was gone. Some say they overstayed their welcome; others argue they left at exactly the right time, right before the EDM-pop bubble finally burst and the world pivoted toward the moodier sounds of Lorde and Billie Eilish.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Song
People often think "Sexy and I Know It" was just a fluke. It wasn't.
It was a calculated piece of entertainment. Redfoo was a producer who deeply understood how frequencies worked in a club environment. He knew that the sub-bass on this track needed to be mixed a specific way to make people move, even if they hated the lyrics.
Moreover, the song is a satire. It’s a parody of the hyper-sexualized gym culture that was exploding at the time. When Redfoo sings about "working out" and "looking at the body," he’s doing it with a wink. He knows he’s wearing a Speedo that looks ridiculous. The joke is on the listener who thinks he’s being serious.
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Fun Fact: The Parody Phenomenon
The song's impact can also be measured by how many people parodied it. "I’m Elmo and I Know It" became a thing. Every high school football team in America seemingly made their own version. This is the hallmark of a "sticky" piece of content. It provides a template that others can fill in with their own context.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Creator
If you're looking at LMFAO's success and wondering how to apply it today, here’s the reality of what they did right:
- Own the Cringe: LMFAO leaned into being "uncool" so hard that they became cool. If you’re making content, don’t be afraid of being a bit ridiculous. Authenticity often looks messy.
- Visual Identity is Everything: The "Party Rock" look was unmistakable. From the glasses with no lenses to the animal prints, they created a brand you could recognize from a mile away.
- Hook-First Strategy: Don't bury the lead. In "Sexy and I Know It," the most famous part of the song happens almost immediately. In a world of short attention spans, give the audience the "payoff" early and often.
- Know Your Audience: They weren't trying to win a Grammy for Best Lyrics. They were trying to be the song that played at every 21st birthday party and wedding reception for a year. They succeeded because they knew exactly what their "job" was.
"Sexy and I Know It" remains a time capsule. It’s loud, it’s obnoxious, and it’s a reminder of a time when pop music just wanted us to wiggle. Whether you love it or leave it on mute, you can't deny that for one brief summer, we all knew exactly how sexy Redfoo thought he was.
Next Steps for Your Playlist
To really understand the context of this era, go back and listen to the top charts from 2011. Compare LMFAO to things like Adele’s "Someone Like You" or Maroon 5’s "Moves Like Jagger." The contrast is wild. It shows a music industry that was completely split between deep emotional balladry and absolute, unadulterated club chaos.
Watch the music video again—this time, look at the background. The sheer amount of choreographed movement in what looks like a chaotic street scene is actually pretty impressive. It’s a reminder that making something look "dumb" often takes a lot of smart work.
Finally, if you’re a creator, take a page from the LMFAO book: don't be afraid to be the loudest person in the room. Just make sure you have a beat that hits hard enough to back it up.