Money Can't Buy You Class

Background and release

During the second season of The Real Housewives of New York City, Luann de Lesseps explored writing a non-fiction book on class, manners, and etiquette. The book, Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair, was released in December 2009 by Avery Publishing. De Lesseps wanted to copy the themes and messages from the book into a song, resulting in "Money Can't Buy You Class". The track was solely produced by New York City-based musician Chris Young, who co-wrote it with de Lesseps. After she revealed a former dream of becoming a singer, Young convinced her to work with him, and they recorded the song at KMA Studio in New York City.

The song premiered as a streaming exclusive via Bravo's website on April 26, 2010. It received a wider release on May 25 as a digital download in various countries through Ultra Records. A promotional CD single was developed and released in 2010, and de Lesseps hosted a release party, donating a large quantity of copies for an anti-bullying charity event hosted by fellow cast member Jill Zarin. In June 2010, the song appeared on the Ultra Records compilation album DJ Ricardo Presents Out.

Anthems 5. By September 2011, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the song had sold 19,000 digital copies in the United States. Its exposure allowed de Lesseps to record a second single with Young and Ultra Records, "Chic C'est la Vie", in 2011. Young noted that after every airing of the season 3 episode "Housewives Overboard", in which he appears, he received a substantial increase in demand for his work as a producer.

In April 2018, James Kennedy, a cast member of The Real Housewives spin-off Vanderpump Rules, teased a remix of the song for de Lesseps. He worked on it with her for her performance at San Francisco Pride, and the remix was released to digital retailers on June 21, 2018.

Composition and lyrics

"Money Can't Buy You Class" is a disco, house, and electronic-influenced dance song featuring de Lesseps singing in an Auto-Tune-altered manner. It opens with a jazz-style piano introduction. Because of her inexperience with music training, Young produced a song that would be easily accessible for her vocal abilities, using the digital application Pro Tools to manipulate her voice. He laid out a track that could be sung in her normal speaking tone, specifically avoiding writing a ballad. De Lesseps compared the song to the fictional character Holly Golightly, describing its style as "runway, glamour-puss".

The song is set in common time with an average tempo of 124 beats per minute. Its key is A minor, and it advances with two verses, each followed by a refrain, using the chord progression F-Dm-Em-F. The lyrics continue de Lesseps' discussion of class and etiquette from her book, describing New York City's high society scene from her point of view and offering advice such as "Life is all about elegance and flair and savoir-faire" and "It's not about where you're from, it's about what you've learned."

Critical reception

Most music critics gave "Money Can't Buy You Class" negative reviews, though some described it as so bad it's good. Marshall Heyman of The Wall Street Journal called the song "simultaneously abysmal and amazing". Amelie Gillette of The A.V. Club panned de Lesseps' singing abilities, comparing her style to smokers in cigarette advertisements. Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty called the song tacky and panned her singing. Sadie Gennis from TV Guide Magazine listed it as the fifth best Real Housewives-related song, explaining that it is terrible yet lovable. People's Dave Quinn called it the franchise's fourth best song and de Lesseps' signature song. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called the song indulgent, noting its timing after de Lesseps' divorce. Kelly Conaboy from The Cut, reviewing James Kennedy's remix, called the new version even worse than the original.

Promotion

The "Money Can't Buy You Class" music video appeared on Ultra Records' YouTube channel on June 1, 2010. It expands on the song's message, showing de Lesseps giving etiquette lessons to young men. She fixes a man's tie, confiscates a cellphone from someone texting during a date, and replaces beer bottles with champagne flutes. Critics focused on her look. Erika Brooks Adickman of Idolator thought she appeared "visually auto-tuned," while Vulture's Edith Zimmerman called the video charming but noted that technology seemed to alter her appearance. People's Lanford Beard praised her outfit as "on point." A Billboard writer found the video contradictory, pointing out that while she scolds texting on dates, de Lesseps enjoys nightlife and shares a bed with a dozen male models.

A baritone, beatbox remix of the song was part of her US cabaret show Countess and Friends. Alex Catarinella from Paper called that performance the "most captivating" and complimented her singing. She has also performed the song multiple times on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, including a November 2020 episode where she debuted her new single "Viva la Diva" live for the first time.