Pony (Ginuwine song)


"Pony" is the debut single by American singer Ginuwine, released as a single from his first album Ginuwine...The Bachelor in 1996. Ginuwine co-wrote the song with Swing Mob associates Static Major and Timbaland; the latter is also the producer. "Pony" was Timbaland's breakthrough as a producer.

Content

Timbaland's production was unique among R&B releases of the day: "Pony"'s instrumentation features a start-stop rhythm pattern similar to drum and bass music, a bassline and melody formed by vocoded vocal samples, and a cartoon slide whistle. Along with his concurrent work for Aaliyah's One in a Million LP, "Pony" and Ginuwine...the Bachelor marked the emergence of Timbaland as a successful R&B producer. The song is featured in the 1997 film Booty Call. The song experienced a resurgence in popularity after being featured in the 2012 film Magic Mike, and its 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL. On November 2, 2019 the song was featured in the sketch "Hungry Jury" on SNL.

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for two weeks from November 16, 1996 to November 30, 1996, and reached number six on Billboard's Hot 100 on November 23, 1996.

Reception

The song received an A– from Entertainment Weekly, who said that its "irresistible funk grooves lope at an easy gait, seducing the listener with a velvety tenor and belching synthesizer hook".

Music video

The official music video for the album version of the song was directed by Michael Lucero. The music video for the remix version of the song was directed by Christopher Erskin. The video depicts Ginuwine and his crew entering a Western bar as strangers and gradually gaining the favor of the cowboy-patrons. The video was filmed at the Cowboy Palace saloon in Chatsworth, California. A video for the "Ride It" Mix was also released. The video is shot in a factory.

Track listing

  1. "Pony" – 5:25
  2. "Pony" – 5:20
  3. "Pony" – 5:05
  4. "Pony" – 4:32
  5. "Pony" – 4:29
  6. "Pony" – 4:31
  • US and Australian single
  1. "Pony" – 5:25
  2. "Pony" – 5:20
  3. "Pony" – 5:18
  4. "Pony" – 3:48

    Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position

Year-end charts

Certifications

"Pony (Jump on It)"

British house music duo Tough Love collaborated with Ginuwine and revamped the song, which was released on 7 August 2015 as their second single.

Track listings

Charts

Release history

Cover

In 2008, the California rock band Far made a rock version cover of the song under the pseudonym 'Hot Little Pony' in connection with their reunion the same year.
The cover reached heavy rotation on the biggest modern rock radio stations on the West coast.