"Looking for a New Love" is the first single from Jody Watley

Jody Watley

Jody Vanessa Watley is an American, singer, songwriter, record producer, and founder of Avitone Records whose music crosses genres from Pop, R&B, Jazz, Dance and Electronic Soul....

's eponymous debut album

Jody Watley (album)

Jody Watley is the self-titled debut album by American pop singer Jody Watley, released in 1987 . Although very successful as part of the R&B trio Shalamar, the impact of this solo debut made Watley a cultural style icon in R&B, pop, and dance music...

. "Looking for a New Love" became one of the biggest pop and R&B singles of 1987. The single hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 in May 1987 and spent four weeks at number-one on the Billboard R&B chart

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

..

The single was kept out of the top spot of the Hot 100 by Cutting Crew

Cutting Crew

The Cutting Crew is a pop rock band formed in England in 1985, best known for their #1 hit, " Died in Your Arms".-Career:Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded the group along with Canadian guitarist Kevin MacMichael in 1985, and the two made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin...

's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms

(I Just) Died in Your Arms

" Died in Your Arms" is a power ballad written by Nick Van Eede and introduced by his band, Cutting Crew, in 1986. It was their biggest hit, peaking at #1 in the United States, Canada and Finland, and reaching the top five in the UK, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.-Background of the music and...

" and U2

U2

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

's "With or Without You

With or Without You

"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...

".

In 1988 the song was nominated for two Soul Train Music Awards

Soul Train Music Awards of 1988

The 2nd Annual Soul Train Music Awards were held on March 30, 1988 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. The show was broadcast live in select cities and aired later in other areas...

 for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video

Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video

The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video :...

, and Best R&B/Soul Single, Female

Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female

The Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female was given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987. From 1989-1992 the award was known as the R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Female....

. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...

.

While listening to a tape of instrumental tracks given to her by producer André Cymone

André Cymone

André Cymone is an American bassist, songwriter and record producer. Cymone was a bass guitarist for recording artist Prince's touring band, pre-Revolution. Cymone began a solo career in 1981. His song, "The Dance Electric" , reached number ten on the R&B charts...

, Watley reflected on a recent sour romantic breakup. Fusing her own feelings of "I'll show you" with the feel of the track, Watley came up with the basic premise of "Looking for a New Love." The released record is the eight-track demo of the song; that way the emotional urgency of Watley's vocal was still intact. One of the song's key phrases became a popular saying: "Hasta la vista, baby." It wound up on innumerable answering machines and was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...

(see Hasta la vista, baby

Hasta la vista, baby (quote)

"Hasta la vista, baby" is a catch phrase associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger's title character from the 1991 science fiction thriller film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.- Earlier use/Origin :...

).

2005 Reissue

In 2005, Jody Watley re-recorded and released "Looking for a New Love" on Water Music Records

Water Music Records

Water Music Records is an electronica record label based in Los Angeles, California. Launched in July, 2000, Water Music Records releases, markets and distributes albums in various sub-styles of electronica including Chill Out, Lounge and Down-Tempo music...

 in conjunction with her own Avitone label and Peace Bisquit. The reissued classic was remixed in various styles: house

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

, electro, breakbeat

Breakbeat

In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...

. The newly imagined "Looking for a New Love" proved to be a historic undertaking for Watley, as it peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, making her the first artist ever to take the same song to No. 1 in two decades.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award
1987	Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...  nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...  for "Looking for a New Love"
1988	Soul Train Music Award nomination for Single of the Year (Female) Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female The Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female was given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987. From 1989-1992 the award was known as the R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Female....  for '"Looking for a New Love"
1988	Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Music Video for '"Looking for a New Love"
1988	American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Looking For A New Love

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Dutch Singles Chart	37
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	12
New Zealand Singles Chart	5
Swiss Singles Chart	11
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1