July 29th 2024.
It's hard to believe, but it's been thirteen whole years since Cher Lloyd's hit song Swagger Jagger first graced the charts. Back in 2011, fresh off her stint on The X Factor, Cher's debut single quickly rose to the top spot despite some harsh criticism from certain naysayers who called it "abominable."
The track was the lead single off of Cher's first album, Sticks and Stones, which she released after coming in fourth place on the popular singing competition. That year, Matt Cardle was crowned the winner, with Rebecca Ferguson taking second place and the iconic boy band One Direction coming in third.
Swagger Jagger, with its catchy pop-rap blend, featured a sample from the American folk song Oh My Darling, Clementine, adding a unique twist to the track. And even now, thirteen years later, fans still insist that Cher, who was only 16 at the time, deserved more recognition and success than what The X Factor ultimately gave her.
Notably, the song debuted at number one on the UK charts in 2011. In a 2016 interview, Cher revealed that the song had a different meaning for her, saying, "It was a sad song for me for many years." Fans on social media continued to show their support for the singer, with one fan writing, "Cher Lloyd deserved more," while another compared her to current pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter, saying, "Should have been her Espresso."
Some fans even went so far as to call Swagger Jagger "one of the greatest songs of all time" and "herstory." In the song, Cher sings about someone who has a "swagger jagger" and should "get some of their own." The bridge features the lyrics, "Hi hater, kiss kiss, I'll see you later / Hi hater, it was very, very, very nice to meet you."
The song played into the tough, stand-offish persona that was created for Cher during her time on The X Factor, with judge Simon Cowell as her mentor. Her audition song, Turn My Swag On by Soulja Boy, helped to paint this picture, and throughout the show, other tracks like No Diggity only added to the image. However, in a 2020 interview, Cher opened up about having to work hard to change her image after the show, as the British public had strong opinions about her.
"I had no control over how I was being edited," she shared. "I think that affects me to this day - like, I'm always just a bit touchy about what I say." Despite the challenges she faced, Cher has since made her peace with the song and her fame, although she admits that it still brings back memories of being an angry and upset teenager.
It's clear that Swagger Jagger had a huge impact on the generation that grew up watching Cher on The X Factor. Many consider her an icon of the show and continue to praise the song for "changing lives." But for the artist herself, it's a different story. In fact, she once shared that someone approached her and said she was much nicer than they expected, which broke her heart.
Now 31 years old, Cher's views on the song seem to have shifted as she performed it to thunderous applause at Mighty Hoopla this year. And while she continues to make music, Cher's personal life has also flourished. She married Craig Monk in 2013, and the couple now have two children together, Delilah-Rae and Eliza Violet, who was born in September.
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