Songfacts®:

• "Lady Marmalade" was originally released in 1974 by the vocal trio Labelle, fronted by Patti LaBelle. A saucy song about New Orleans prostitutes, it was a #1 hit and taught much of America a little French: "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" ("Do you want to sleep with me tonight?").
  
  This 2001 version is a remake for the movie Moulin Rouge. It captured the spirit of the original while injecting some fresh flavor thanks to production by Missy Elliott and Rocwilder. Like the original, it was also a #1 hit, but it was even bigger, spending five weeks at the top while the original stayed for just one.
• The song is a collaboration between Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink and Missy Elliott. Aguilera was the biggest name and billed as the lead artist. She had three #1 hits and a voice that could rival Patti LaBelle's for power. Missy Elliott, who serves as the master of ceremonies on the song, was also a really big deal, known for producing Aaliyah and for solo tracks like "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and "Get Ur Freak On."
  
  Pink was a newcomer, best known for her debut single "There You Go." Mya was also an up-and-comer, best known for collaborations with the likes of Sisqo ("It's All About Me") and Jay-Z ("Best of Me, Part 2").
  
  Lil' Kim was the most popular female rapper of the time, with two Platinum albums to her name and lots of credibility - she had been in a group called Junior M.A.F.I.A. with The Notorious B.I.G.
  
  All five of these women had loads of personality and were fresh on the scene, making it clear that this remake wasn't a nostalgia trip but a brand new bag.
• The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
• Patti LaBelle endorsed this remake, and those involved all shouted her praises. It helped bring her music to a new generation and cement her status as a musical icon. She started getting a lot of acting roles in the aftermath, including appearances in the movie Semi-Pro and on the TV shows Blue's Clues and American Horror Story: Freak Show.
• In the music video, the singers play the part of entertainers at the Moulin Rouge, which went over very well with viewers. MTV put it in hot rotation and named it Video Of The Year at the Video Music Awards, where Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink performed the song in costume. They performed it the same way at the Grammy Awards in 2002, with Patti LaBelle joining them.
• This was the last cover version of a #1 song in the US to also top the chart, a feat that happened eight times before, with Mariah Carey doing it most previously with "I'll Be There" in 1992.
• "Lady Marmalade" wasn't originally a huge hit in the UK, reaching just #17 in the Labelle version, but the group All Saints took it to #1 in 1998, and the Christina Aguilera and company version also topped the chart, making it the only song to hit the top spots in the US and UK in different versions.
• This is kind of surprising: No female rapper had appeared on a #1 hit until Lil' Kim did it with this version of "Lady Marmalade." (Although Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry rapped on their #1 hit "Rapture" from 1980).
• Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Pink and Mya have all performed "Lady Marmalade" (at least parts of it) at their concerts over the years. Aguilera has performed it the most, incorporating it into just about every show.
• Pink reworked this song as "Leading Lady Marmalade" when she hosted the Tony Awards in 2026. She was a somewhat controversial choice for the job because she had never performed on Broadway, so her opening number was built around the idea that she "needed some help." She anchored the song in costume from Moulin Rouge and was joined by a stream of Broadway stars who customized the lyrics to celebrate the female nominees and other stage legends.