"A Toast to Men" is a song by American singer

Willa Ford Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, ''Willa Was Here'', in 2001. Ford also ha ...

featuring Lady May. A pop track,

Toby Gad Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me," the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and produc ...

, who wrote it with Ford and Rhonda Robinson, produced it. Ford's record label

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

approached Gad for the collaboration after he was struggling to replicate his success in Europe in the US. Ford wrote the song based on a chant she heard at a

sorority Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...

party. The title and chorus feature a profane word, which attracted media attention. Ford said she wanted to revolutionize pop music by using the word " fuck", and was surprised her label chose it as a single because of its explicit content. Lava released "A Toast to Men" in 2003 as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from Ford's second studio album, ''SexySexObsessive'', which was canceled following issues within the record company. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

and an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP) of

remixes A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

were released to promote the single.

Gay.com Gay.com was a chat, personals, and social networking website catering to the LGBT community. The site was a digital brand of Here Media Inc. In addition to community features, the site featured LGBT-related news and features. As of September ...

included the song on a 2003

sampler album A sampler or promotional compilation is a type of compilation album generally offered at a reduced price to showcase an artist or a selection of artists signed to a particular record label. The format became popular in the late 1960s as record lab ...

, and it was featured in the 2004 film '' Barbershop 2: Back in Business''. "A Toast to Men" received positive reviews, and some critics praised its feminist message. Although the song's explicit lyrics attracted controversy, it was popular on radio and television. The song peaked at number 45 on the

Hot Singles Sales This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, news ...

''Billboard'' chart and number 11 on the

Dance Singles Sales In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...

''Billboard'' chart. After ''SexySexObsessive'' was canceled, Ford ended her music career and transitioned into acting and

interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordi ...

Production and composition

Following the release of her debut studio album ''

Willa Was Here ''Willa Was Here'' is the debut and to-date only studio album by American pop singer Willa Ford, released on July 17, 2001 in the United States on the former Atlantic imprint Lava Records. The album debuted and peaked at number fifty-six on ...

'' in 2001,

took two years to develop new music. She wrote "A Toast to Men" with Lady May and the song's producer

. Ford and Lady May are credited under their legal names Amanda Williford and Rhonda Robinson, respectively. Although Gad was a successful producer in Europe, he had difficulty finding work in the US. He collaborated with Ford at the suggestion of her record label

and met her manager

David Sonenberg David Alan Sonenberg is an American music manager, and the founder of the music management company DAS Communications. He is the producer of the Oscar-winning film ''When We Were Kings'' (1997). Early life and education Born and raised in New ...

, who would later become his "exclusive manager".

Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to: * Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor * Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter * Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer * Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...

was the mastering engineer for the track. "A Toast to Men" is a three-minute, 12-second pop song. The

Gannett News Service Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.hip hop and dancehall elements. The song includes verses by Lady May, credited as the

featured artist In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, Performance, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast ...

. Ford developed the chorus, "Here’s to the men we love / Here’s to the men who love us / Fuck the men, let’s drink to us", after hearing her friends chant it at a

party. In a 2003 interview with ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'', Ford described the lyrics as being about "a bunch of chicks dancing and getting it on in a no-boys-allowed situation". She said she purposefully used

profanity Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...

to reflect an ongoing "revolution" in how pop music was perceived by the public, explaining: "I wanted it to be sexy and fierce and be OK to say the word ' fuck'."

Release and promotion

In 2003, Lava released "A Toast to Men" as a digital download and a promotional CD.; ; ; The single shortens Lady May's name to May. An edited version of the song without the intro was issued in October 2003, and an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP) containing four

was made available the following month. A

was released to promote the track further, which ''Billboard'''s Chuck Taylor praised as "saucy (but graciously playful", writing it "adds fuel to the flamboyant raunch" of the song.

included "A Toast to Men" on their 2003

''Gay.com Winter 2003 CD'', which they gave as a gift to new subscribers of the website. The song featured in the 2004 film '' Barbershop 2: Back in Business''. Willa Ford and Mike Modano

"A Toast To Men" was intended as the

from Ford's second studio album ''Sexysexobsessive'', which was scheduled for a 2004 release. Ford was surprised by this choice, believing Lava would not promote something "that racy". Although an edited version was sent to radio, Chuck Taylor said it did little to "hide the pre-dominant

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

". The lyrics attracted controversy, and journalists compared it to Eamon's 2003 single "

Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back) "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Eamon. The song was co-written by Eamon, Kirk Robinson and Mark Passy. It was released on November 10, 2003, as the lead single from his debut album, ''I Don't ...

" since both use "fuck" in their titles.

Radio personalities A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a radi ...

were uncertain how to introduce the songs on air without violating

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...

guidelines against the use of profanity. Despite this, "A Toast to Men" was popular on radio and television. In a 2004 '' Orlando Weekly'' interview, Ford said "A Toast to Men" was meant to only be "this

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

thing"; however, its popularity on radio resulted in it being promoted as a different, more radio-friendly single. "A Toast to Men" peaked at number 45 on the December 6, 2003, on the

''Billboard'' chart, and it reached number 11 on the

''Billboard'' chart at the same time. ''Paper'''s Michael Love Michael said the song, along with Ford's 2001 single " Did Ya' Understand That", were not as successful as her debut single " I Wanna Be Bad" (2001). ''Sexysexobsessive'' was canceled following "record company turnovers and takeovers"; in a 2017 ''Billboard'' interview, Ford said she was put in a "no man’s land", and attributed these record label issues to her decision to leave the music industry. Afterward, she pursued a career in acting in the mid-2000s, before becoming an

interior designer Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

and opening a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

design firm in 2013. Although Ford talked about music in 2017 and considered touring

gay clubs A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities. Gay bars once served as ...

, in 2019 interviews, she said she was not interested in recording new music.

Critical reception

"A Toast to Men" received a positive response from critics. A ''Maxim'' contributor praised the single for showing that Ford was "still a hellcat". While interviewing Ford for

AskMen AskMen is a free online men's web portal, with international versions in Australia, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is owned by Ziff Davis and operates through the IGN Entertainment unit. History AskMen was ...

, the writer said she had "decided to hit hard again" by releasing the song as her follow-up to ''Willa Was Here''. In ''Orlando Weekly'', Billy Manes enjoyed the "Fuck the Men" part of the title, and described the song as a "mildly trashy rewrite of the recent, angstier Aguilera". In a mixed review, Chuck Taylor described "A Toast to Men" as a "cheap thrill", criticizing its intention to shock the listener as too overt. However, he commended Ford as "one savvy vixen", and praised "the musical vision behind the vamp". In a 2012 ''Complex'' article, Tara Aquino and Julian Patterson considered Lady May's featured appearances on other artists' songs, including "A Toast to Men", as a sign that the momentum built from her 2002 single " Round Up" was diminishing. Some publications praised "A Toast to Men" for its feminist message. ''Rolling Stone'''s Gill Kaufman wrote that Ford "transforms a salty sorority chant into a female-empowerment anthem". Michael Love Michael associated the single with feminism because the lyrics focus on "romantic and sexual agency". He commended Ford for "flipping the script for what young women in the pop mainstream could say and how they were expected to behave", writing her objectification of men separated her from other female pop singers.

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. *

– writer * Lady May – writer *

– producer * Tom Coyne – mastering engineer

Charts

Notes

References

Footnotes

Citations

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

"A Toast to Men" music video
at Toby Gad's official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Toast To Men, A 2003 singles Willa Ford songs Song recordings produced by Toby Gad Songs with feminist themes Songs written by Toby Gad