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Rod Stewart’s iconic track, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” is undeniably one of his most famous songs, yet it remains a point of contention among some of his longstanding fans. Originally celebrated as a rock music icon, Stewart ventured into disco with this track, leaving a segment of his early followers perpetually displeased.
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Fans of “Rock of Ages” might remember the plot where the lead singer of Wolfgang von Colt transitions into pop, seemingly abandoning rock for commercial gain. This shift mirrors accusations aimed at Stewart when he dropped “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” in the late ’70s. Years later, the debate continues, with some Reddit users expressing their disdain. One critic described the song as “weak synthpop dross,” suggesting it marked the decline of Stewart’s creative prowess, while another dismissed it as mere “synthesizer crap.” Criticism also extends to the song’s perceived arrogance in its title, with one commentator labeling it as “corny hubris.” The lyrics, too, came under fire, with another critic bluntly calling them “yuck.”
On the flip side, some disco enthusiasts felt Stewart’s attempt fell short of authenticity. One commentator viewed the song as a superficial attempt to capitalize on a genre that was foreign to him. Another agreed, stating it seemed more like a cash grab than a sincere homage. It seems the song couldn’t please everyone!
Despite the ongoing divide, it’s undeniable that “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” retains a devoted fan base. The song’s enduring appeal was highlighted in 2017 when Stewart collaborated with DNCE, led by Joe Jonas, to perform the track at the MTV VMAs, demonstrating its lasting charm and widespread love.
Rod Stewart is unbothered by the hate
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Given just how much hate Rod Stewart gets for “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” one might assume he regrets releasing it. He doesn’t, though. In fact, in a 2024 interview for AXS TV, he quipped, “I was a ‘traitor’ to rock ‘n’ roll because I recorded a disco song. Was I jumping on the bandwagon? Yes. And what’s wrong with that? And was it a huge hit? Amazingly huge hit. And do people still like it? ‘Course they do. So f*** ’em.” Fair enough, we guess!
While Stewart still gets some criticism over the song, he’s certainly not wrong in saying a lot of people love it to this day. After all, it’s remained so popular that in 2017, he even re-released the hit with DNCE, teaming up with the Joe Jonas-fronted band to perform it at that year’s MTV VMAs.
FWIW, Stewart has also poked fun at the song, sharing in a 2013 Sirius XM interview that he tried not to perform it in the early days when the song was getting so much flak. However, he quipped, “Nowadays, we close the show with it, and it’s almost like my novelty song.” And, as for those who still think the title exudes “corny hubris” (yes, that will be our favorite clapback for the foreseeable future), Stewart pointed out that it wasn’t ever about him. “I keep explaining this, the song isn’t about me! It’s not me saying, ‘Oh, do you think I’m sexy?’ I was observing two people, I was in the third person,” he cracked, though Stewart couldn’t resist a shady aside. “Listen to the lyrics next time, will you?” he joked. We can’t make any promises about that, but we can guarantee you’ll be humming “DYTIS” for the rest of the day.