"The Real Thing" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her 1997 eponymous album.

It was released by Arista as the first proper single from Lisa Stansfield in Europe, Australia and Japan on 10 March 1997, after "People Hold On" (The Bootleg Mixes).

The CD single included remixes created by prominent US and UK producers: Mark Picchiotti, K-Klass and the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

[5] Caroline Sullivan for The Guardian complimented "those lush cellos and saxes [that] envelop [it]", describing it as a song about "adultery".

[7] Kevin Courtney from Irish Times said, "The Lancashire Lassie still knows how to funk it oop, and this another typical sample of classic Stansfield soul."

"[9] Ralph Tee from Music Week's RM wrote, "Vocally she's as great as ever, the song melodic and chirpy if not particularly ground breaking.

"[10] A reviewer from People Magazine remarked that Stansfield is "singing circles around the wah-wah-spiked melodies" of "Never Gonna Fall" and "The Real Thing", "without resorting to gut-busting theatrics.

[12] Natasha Stovall from Rolling Stone constated, "The heat comes from Stansfield, who belts her heart out in a voice that's smooth and pliant when she's falling in love again.

An accompanying music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Irish filmmaker Michael Geoghegan.

As the video ends, people in the club are watching the couple leaving while Stansfield sings the last stanzas.