1995 single by Peter Andre
"Mysterious Girl" is the second overall single and third British single from singer-songwriter Peter Andre's second studio album, Natural (1996). It was written by Glen Goldsmith, Philip Jackson, Ollie Jacobs and Andre, and produced by Jacobs & Mubs. The song features guest vocals from Caribbean rapper Bubbler Ranx. It was first released as a single by Melodian Records in Australia on 14 August 1995 and was issued in the United Kingdom the same year, but it was not until a re-release in 1996 that the song became a commercial success there.
During its original 1995–1996 release, "Mysterious Girl" peaked at number one in New Zealand and number two in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It was also a top-10 hit in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single reached number 11 in September 1996. In 2004, the song was once again re-released in Ireland and the UK, where it topped the UK Singles Chart following extensive promotion.
Critical reception
Clem Bastow from The Guardian described "Mysterious Girl" as "a perennial classic from that peculiarly mid-90s period where reggae and dancehall had invaded the pop charts. It holds its own (perhaps due to the guest spot from Caribbean rapper Bubbler Ranx) alongside Maxi Priest's That Girl, Shaggy's Oh Carolina and Chaka Demus & Pliers' ebullient cover of Twist And Shout."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote that "Andre's sunshine reggae single automatically conjures up tropical beaches, palm and coconut trees. As this summer seems to be without end, the chances look good for the Australian."[4] A reviewer from Music Week rated the song three out of five, adding, "After patiently building a UK fanbase, Australian Andre could make the Top 10 with this pleasant reggae track."[5] James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update described it as a "accomplished but derivative Chaka Demus & Pliers/UB40/Bitty McLean-ish catchy 85.9bpm pop-reggae roller".[6]
Music video
Filmed in Thailand, the music video for "Mysterious Girl" depicts Ranx and Andre on a beach. There are montages of several women, Andre, and Ranx dancing in a lagoon shirtless and in their jeans. Andre is later seen dancing underneath a waterfall, a more iconic part of the video. Andre is last seen walking along the beach shirtless and later rolls in the sand as the sun sets. Clem Bastow from The Guardian wrote, "The video for the single was as much an advertisement for Andre’s personal trainer and spray-tan artist as it was a music video; the sight of him grooving in searingly blue tropical waters, proudly displaying his new look, was eye-popping (though not necessarily for the reasons he might have hoped)."[3]
