So Macho

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So Macho is a Hi-NRG pop song by Sinitta, released in July 1985 as the second single from her debut album Sinitta!. Written and produced by James George Hargreaves, the track appeared on Fanfare Records with the B-side “Showdown.” Sinitta was Simon Cowell’s first signing, and Cowell had Hargreaves write the song for her.

The single didn’t chart at first, but it did well in clubs, especially gay and Hi-NRG venues, with about 15,000 copies sold from imports. Cowell decided to rebuild demand by pulling the release, and on 17 February 1986 it was re-released as a double A-side with “Cruising.” The re-release eventually climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart after gaining airplay, though it wasn’t an immediate smash.

The music video was made for about £500 in a London flat, with Sinitta supplying her own wardrobe and no budget for hair or makeup. The single was certified gold by the BPI and sold around 585,000 copies. Some critics noted its thought-provoking appeal, with one writer describing it as having “mind-bending philosophical intrigue.”