*Cynthia Erivo recently shared her top seven vocal performances with Entertainment Weekly, and explained why Sisqo’s 2000 hit “Thong Song” tops the list alongside legends like Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.
Erivo marveled at the unexpected vocal brilliance in a track about a thong, noting, “That’s a brilliant vocal for a song about a thong.” She highlighted the song’s audacious execution, saying, “Why do you need to sing like this when singing about a thong? The whole end section of this song is so unnecessary. You have a key change. There’s a praise break at some point. It’s ridiculous. You don’t need to sing like that and he does.”
Erivo, celebrated for her powerful voice, expressed admiration for Sisqo’s precision and effort, stating, “You’re singing about a thong. You can’t tell me that it’s not a good vocal because it is a good vocal.”
Her list of top vocalists also features Whitney Houston’s “Porgy and Bess” medley, Jennifer Holiday’s “And I’m Telling You…” from “Dreamgirls,” Luther Vandross’ rendition of “A House Is Not a Home,” and a Jazmine Sullivan’s performance of “Home” in a school production of “The Wiz”.
Check out what she had to say about Sisqo’s “Thong Song” in the X/Twitter clip below.
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Cynthia Erivo has Sisqo singing “The Thong Song” on her list of favorite vocal performances ever and…valid. He really was singing his ass off for no reason lol pic.twitter.com/M6Li8l76SV
— Same Name On ?☁️ (@HunseckerProxy) June 30, 2025
Meanwhile, Erivo has cemented her status as one of today’s finest vocalists. Her performance in “Wicked” earned her an Oscar nomination, and she’s set to star in the sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” hitting theaters in November.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film reunites Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, joined by a powerhouse cast including Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s assistants Pfannee and ShenShen, and Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of Elphaba’s nanny, Dulcibear.
Building on the first film’s $750 million global box office and 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, “Wicked: For Good” explores the fractured bond between Elphaba and Glinda as they face the consequences of their choices. Exiled in the Ozian forest, Elphaba, now vilified as the Wicked Witch of the West, fights for the rights of Oz’s silenced Animals while seeking to unmask the Wizard’s true nature. Meanwhile, Glinda, basking in fame as Oz’s symbol of goodness, serves under Madame Morrible in the Emerald City, reassuring citizens of the Wizard’s rule, per the press release.
This summer, Erivo will take on the role of Jesus in a Hollywood Bowl production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” alongside Adam Lambert as Judas.
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