I Just Wanna Be Loved

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"I Just Wanna Be Loved" is Culture Club's first single from their fifth album, Don't Mind If I Do. It was released on October 19, 1998. The B-side is a remix of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me." The song came after the band reformed and was used to promote their U.S. tour and VH1 releases, but it didn’t generate much immediate interest. When it was released as a single, it reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, during a week when all top five spots were new entries. It also became a top-20 hit in Iceland and on the Eurochart Hot 100, and reached the top 100 in Australia and Germany.

Critics generally liked it. AllMusic noted a light reggae influence. Billboard praised Boy George’s strong vocals and the catchy groove, saying the band played with sharp precision. Dotmusic described it as a lovers rock track that evokes Eighties vibes, and News of the World said the original lineup returned with a brilliant pop song that could bring them back to the charts.