When you think of your favorite vocal performances of all time, does Sisqo’s “Thong Song” come to mind? Well, for Cynthia Erivo, it does. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she revealed that she admired his skill and technique.

 “Why do you need to sing like this when singing about a thong?” she said. “You have a key change, there’s a praise break at some point in this,” she said.

“The Thong Song” dropped in 2000, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned Sisqo multiple Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. In the video, Erivo is intrigued by how much effort Sisqo put into singing a song about this particular style of women's underwear. 

“You can't tell me that it’s not a good vocal because it is a good vocal. That’s a brilliant vocal for a song about a thong. [The song] didn’t need him to do that, and he did,” she said.

Based on what he told VICE, Cynthia might be onto something. He explained that the complex simplicity is what makes the track so memorable. “On the surface, it seems pretty simple and, you know, a pretty basic concept. Then, when you actually take a listen to the song, you realize that it just has so many layers,” he said.

We know that we can trust her opinion on vocals after receiving an Oscar nomination for her phenomenal performance as Elphaba in “Wicked.”Joining the 2000s staple in Erivo’s lineup of favorite vocal performances were songs by Whitney Houston, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Holliday, and more! A variety of powerhouse voices who are known for taking their vocals to unexpected places.