"Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" is the lead single released by Canadian recording artistDeborah Cox from her second studio albumOne Wish (1998). It is Cox's most successful song, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks,[1] and spending a then-record fourteen weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[2] In 2017, Billboard ranked the song at number five on its "Greatest of All Time Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart.[3] It is written and produced by Anthony "Shep" Crawford.
The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week of 5 December 1998, and remained there for eight consecutive weeks.[4] It was held from the top spot by R. Kelly and Celine Dion's 'I'm Your Angel' (for six weeks) and Brandy's 'Have You Ever?' (for two weeks), making it one of the longest stays at number two in Billboard history. The song ranked at number nine on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1999.
The song reached number one on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the week of 7 November 1998, and remained there for a then-record-breaking fourteen weeks.[5] This record was tied by Mariah Carey in 2005 with her song "We Belong Together", and then broken by Mary J. Blige in 2006 with "Be Without You", which spent fifteen weeks at number one. During this period, "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held four Hot 100 number-one singles out of the top position: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill (three weeks), "Lately" by Divine (two weeks), the aforementioned "Have You Ever?" (four weeks), and "Angel of Mine" by Monica (one week), as well as the number 7-peaking "Love Like This" by Faith Evans (three weeks). The song ranked at number two on the Billboard Year-End R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of 1999,[6] and at number five on the Greatest of All Time Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[7]
As of 1999, the song has sold 1,900,000 copies in the United States[9][10] and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.[11]
Critical reception[]
Larry Flick of Billboard wrote, "Cox previews her second album with a stirring old-school soulballad that's perhaps the best vocal showcase she's ever had. The groove cruises at a languid, finger-poppin' jeep pace, giving her plenty of room to get down and dirty, vamping as if she's lived every syllable of the song's talé of a love fraught with drama. Justice prevailing, pop and R&B radio programmers will find this a refreshing change of pace from the saccharine ballads currently glutting the airwaves. And if they don't, they'll have Hex Hector's wholly accessible uptempo dance reconstruction to embrace. It's easily among the best efforts of the young remixer's career. In all, this is a fine single hinting that Cox is about to pay off on all of the promise and hype generated by her first album two years ago."[12]
The Hex Hector Dance Mix version of this song was featured on episode 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (season 3) during the "Lip Sync for Your Legacy" between BeBe Zahara Benet and BenDeLaCreme.
