Queen Latifah said in her new podcast that the theme song for her 1990s sitcom Living Single was completely different in its original form. “I did a whole theme song for the original name of the show, My Girls, which was totally different, completely different but very soulful,” she told hosts hand-in-hand with her former costars.
From “My Girls” to “Living Single”
Originally the show was to be titled My Girls, and Latifah was already in motion writing and recording a theme song to match that working title. “Obviously I come from music, and this is my show, in my mind. I’m like, ‘I gotta do this theme song. These theme songs are, like, what resonate in your minds,’” she recalled.
But when the producers and network changed the show’s title to Living Single, Latifah said she went back to the drawing board. “I was just thinking about Living Single. I’m thinking about what we’re doing. What is it like, these four girls doing their thing?” she asked.
Latifah said she turned to rapper-producer Def Jef to help rework the full concept. “So he did the beat on the machine for me and then I wrote the rhyme and chopped up ‘Check, check, check out,’” she said, referencing the now-iconic opening lyric. The final version combined hip-hop beats, melodic vocals, and jazz touches, which Latifah described as “perfect.”
She also noted that in her first version of the title opening she had longer lines like “Yes, we’re living the single life, yeah,” but trimmed them for flow. “In my head I heard the lyrics, ‘We are living (Ooh) / Single (Hey),’ but it was ‘longer,’” she said.
The beloved show ran from 1993 to 1998, carving out a space for four professional Black women navigating friendship, careers and dating in Brooklyn. It featured Latifah as Khadijah, along with Erika Alexander as Maxine, Kim Coles as Synclaire and Kim Fields as Régine. The theme song became synonymous with the show’s lively and positive energy, and according to Latifah, the rewritten version aligned more closely with what Living Single ultimately stood for.
Latifah’s remarks underscore how even small changes in title or theme can ripple outward in television production. “The original name for ‘Living Single’ was ‘My Girls,’ but it didn’t test well so they came up with some other names,” an article noted. The retention of the show under Living Single, paired with Latifah’s revamped musical intro, helped cement its identity.
As fans revisit the series, the back-story of its theme song adds another fun layer to its cultural impact. Latifah’s decision to remake the theme song under the new title speaks to her artistic voice and investment in the project. “I like to sing and rap and mix it all together,” she said, describing her original version.