Retired singer and actor Connie Francis, whose song “Pretty Little Baby” has now become a viral hit on social media, said she’s honored that it’s “touching the hearts of millions” decades later.
Francis, 87, recorded the classic pop track in 1962, but it has recently found renewed popularity with the current generation on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian are among the high-profile celebrities to have used the trending song on social media recently.
Jenner used it last on May 12 in a video of her cuddling her daughter Stormi while lip-syncing the lyrics. “I know we’re over this song but I had toooo,” she wrote in the caption.
Speaking to People about the song’s resurgence, Francis said: “To tell you the truth, I didn’t even remember the song! I had to listen to it to remember. To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is touching the hearts of millions of people is truly awesome. It is an amazing feeling.”
Calling it “an honor,” she added: “To see that they’re paying homage to me is just breathtaking.”
Of why she thinks it’s resonating with listeners now, she explained: “I think it’s innocent and pure, and this is a time when everything is in such chaos.
“It’s truly awesome. I never thought it was possible. It’s a dream come true. To think that kindergarten kids now know my name and my music? It’s just thrilling!” she said.
Francis was a prominent singer in the early 1950s and early 1960s. She’s additionally known for her earlier hits “Stupid Cupid,” “Who’s Sorry Now,” and “Frankie.”
At the time of its release, “Pretty Little Baby” wasn’t a major success. In fact, it wasn’t even released as a single. However, in April this year, it was streamed 17,000 times per week in the U.S., and a month later it had increased to 2.4 million streams a week, per Billboard. It’s also been viewed 10 billion times on TikTok, peaking at No. 1 on the app’s Viral 50 and Top 50 charts.
Its popularity on social media has further helped it on streaming, where it’s hit 14 million streams globally, landing at No. 67 on Spotify’s Global Top 100. Francis’s label, Republic/UMe, has since re-released versions of the song that she had originally sung in Swedish, Japanese, and other languages, when her label, MGM, hoped for it to become a hit outside of the U.S.
Francis is estimated to have sold over 200 million records worldwide.
In 1960, she was celebrated as the most successful female artist in countries including Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia. That same year, she made history as the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her hit “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.”
She went on to become the first woman to achieve three No. 1 hits on the chart, which were among her 53 career singles.
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