"Beep" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am | ||||
from the album PCD | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | February 6, 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:49 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
The Pussycat Dolls singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
will.i.am singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Beep" on YouTube |
"Beep" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It features will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas,who also composed the song with additional writing from Kara DioGuardi and Jeff Lynne,and additional production from Ron Fair. The song contains a sample of "Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released as the third single from PCD on February 6,2006,by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
Upon its release,"Beep" received mixed reviews from music critics. In the United States,the song failed to replicate the commercial success of its predecessors,peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally,it peaked atop the charts in Belgium and New Zealand,while reaching the top ten in Australia,Austria,Canada,Croatia,Czech Republic,France,Germany,Greece,Ireland,Italy,the Netherlands,Norway,Scotland,Switzerland,and the United Kingdom.
The Pussycat Dolls,conceptualized by choreographer Robin Antin in 1993,began as a modern burlesque revue at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. [1] Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s,the show gained popularity in Hollywood,even featuring select female celebrities in live cameo performances,including the likes of Brittany Murphy,Cameron Diaz,Carmen Electra,Christina Aguilera,Christina Applegate,Eva Longoria,and Gwen Stefani. [1] Antin eventually struck a deal with Jimmy Iovine—the then-president of Interscope Geffen A&M Records—to develop The Pussycat Dolls into a brand beyond the live show,and create a pop girl group;Iovine assigned the project to producer Ron Fair. [2] Iovine considered the Pussycat Dolls as one of the "label's high-priority projects" and began enlisting various producers and songwriters to "ensure [a] maximum radio friendl[y]" sound for their debut album, PCD (2005). [3] [4]
"Beep" is a hip hop inspired pop song written by William Adams, Kara DioGuardi, and Jeff Lynne, and composed in the key of G minor. The orchestral string hook is a sample of Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman" (1975). [5] Critics noted that the song was similar to The Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" (2005), also produced and written by will.i.am.
IGN's Spence D. noted that "the song is a mixed bag, tossing together slick strings for that orchestrated pop vibe, then mixing that up with a loping, though downplayed, funk groove. It's like two songs in one, though one of the songs feels like a throwback to '80s sterile pop." [6] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the "girl-empowerment song" [7] has a time signature set in common time, with a tempo of 104 beats per minute. [5] The melody is mainly composed with cinematic strings. The bridge changes the song dramatically, featuring a sitar and introducing an Indian or Bollywood-style influence (as was popular in music of the early 2000s), with a stomping, custom-made beat. [7]
The spoken-word, staccato chorus is accented by repeated bleep-censor sounds—hence the title, "Beep". At the end of each line, where an explicit or sexual word is likely expected by the listener, a bleep censor is heard instead, leaving the "missing" word open to interpretation. For example, will.i.am., from the male perspective in the chorus, says: "It's funny how a man only thinks about (bleep)" and "You got real big brains, but I'm lookin' at your (bleep)". The females then respond with: "I don't give a (bleep), keep lookin' at my (bleep), 'cause it don't mean a thing if you're lookin' at my (bleep). I'mma do my thang while you're playin' with your (bleep)".
The verses use harmonic laughter from the Dolls, rather than bleep censors, to cover any scandalous lyrics. The bulk of the song primarily critiques the male objectification of women, and asserts that a man cannot always have what he wants, sexually. Nicole Scherzinger, the group’s lead vocalist, opines that "Every boy's the same, since up in the seventh grade; they've been tryin' to get with me, trying to ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha" and "I keep turnin' 'em [men] down, but they always come around, askin' me to go around; that's not the way it's goin' down". She then reasserts female dominance in the song, "…they [men] only want what they want, my ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha; they only want what they want, but nah-uh-uh, nah-uh-uh". The second verse explains that "Yes means yes; no means no, and I don't wanna go".
In his consumer guide for MSN Music , Robert Christgau selected "Beep" as one of the album's highlights. [8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic indicated the song as one of the standout tracks of the album. [9] When reviewing for PCD, Lisa Haines described "Beep" as a standout tune. [10] Nick Butler from Sputnikmusic wrote that the song may even be better than "Don't Cha." "'Beep', [is] pretty much the only thing here that stands up to 'Don't Cha' (it's quite possibly better, actually)." [11] People's Chuck Arnold described the song as "naughty". [12]
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote that the song is a "degrading material". [13] musicOMH's John Murphy described the song as "oddly sexless", "bland", "dull" and "just so damn safe." [14] Senior editor of Billboard magazine, Chuck Taylor described the song as "cliched and overwrought." He ended his review writing "We had higher hopes." [15] Miriam Zendle of Digital Spy described awarded the song 1 out 5 stars criticizing will.i.am for "making it sound pretentious and too try-hard" and noted that the "terrible rapping and incredibly short and repetitive sample the song" ruins any "attempt to make the song in any way sexual." She said the group miserably fail as they "go in yet another undefined direction." [16]
"Beep" debuted at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and eventually peaked at number 13, becoming the Pussycat Dolls' third consecutive top-20 hit, but failed to match the success of its predecessors "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu", which both became top-five hits. In Canada, "Beep" was not a commercial success, peaking at number 48 on the Canadian Singles Chart and number 45 on the Canadian BDS Airplay Chart.
On the UK Singles Chart, "Beep" debuted and peaked at number two, with first-week sales of 29,212 copies. [17] "Beep" was also a success in Ireland, where it peaked at number two on the Irish Singles Chart. In Europe, it peaked at number two on the European Hot 100 Singles, while performing best in Belgium, where it topped the singles chart for a week and became the Pussycat Dolls' second number-one single there after "Don't Cha". [18] The song was also a commercial success in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number two for two consecutive weeks, becoming the group's third consecutive number-two song, following "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu". [19] Elsewhere, "Beep" reached the top five in Norway, top ten in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France, and the top 20 in Sweden.
"Beep" was also successful across Oceania. In Australia, it debuted and peaked at number three for two non-consecutive weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming the group's third consecutive top-three hit there, and was certified gold by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales in excess of 35,000 copies. [20] The song was ranked as the 24th best-seller of 2006 in Australia, and was one of the group's four songs to enter the ARIA Year-End Singles Chart for 2006, alongside "Stickwitu", "Buttons" and "I Don't Need a Man". In New Zealand, "Beep" debuted at number 25 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, and the following week ascended to its peak at number one, where it spent seven consecutive weeks, becoming the group's third consecutive number-one hit there. "Beep" ended as the year's second best-seller, and is the group's most successful single there to date. [21]
The accompanying music video for "Beep" was directed by Benny Boom. It starts with Nicole Scherzinger meeting will.i.am in an elevator. will.i.am explains his attraction, to which Scherzinger replies by implying she doesn't care about him looking at her. She then enters the Pussycat Dolls' apartment and, concluding the chorus, the group begins a dance routine throughout the second verse. will.i.am then enters the room, but quickly exits as Carmit Bachar throws a bottle of water at him. The Pussycat Dolls are then seen at a nightclub and a dance break ensues. They are then seen in solo dance spots in front of a large set of speakers. Scherzinger, Bachar and Melody Thornton are seen with will.i.am, as the video comes to a close.
|
|
Credits adapted from the liner notes of PCD. [22]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [71] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [72] | Gold | 4,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [73] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [74] | Gold | 5,000* |
Sweden (GLF) [75] | Gold | 10,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [76] | Silver | 200,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | February 6, 2006 | [77] [78] | ||
Germany | February 27, 2006 | Maxi CD | Universal Music | |
United Kingdom | CD | Polydor | [79] | |
Germany | March 6, 2006 | Universal Music | ||
Australia | March 27, 2006 | Maxi CD | [80] | |
France | June 19, 2006 | CD |
"Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is a slightly modified interpolation of the chorus line sung by Sir Mix-a-Lot in a song he wrote called "Swass" (1988). The song was originally recorded and published in 2004 by Tori Alamaze, former backing vocalist for the hip hop duo OutKast, and was released as her debut single. After minor success, and dissatisfaction with Universal Records, Alamaze gave up her rights to the song.
"My Humps" is a song by American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas, released on September 20, 2005 by A&M Records and Interscope Records. It was originally written by will.i.am for the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, but was ultimately recorded for the Black Eyed Peas' fourth studio album, Monkey Business. A hip hop and dance song structured as a duet between will.i.am and Fergie, its lyrics center on Fergie using her breasts and buttocks to accomplish her goals.
PCD is the debut studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 12, 2005, by A&M Records. In 1995, the Pussycat Dolls were created as a burlesque troupe by choreographer Robin Antin. After attracting media attention, Antin struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with Jimmy Iovine assigning the project to Ron Fair. As one of the executive producers Fair produced the majority of the album and collaborated with producers like Kwamé, Polow da Don and Rich Harrison. The music style of PCD was described as pop/R&B and urban dance-pop. Lyrically the album incorporates sexual innuendo and explores the themes of feminism and romance. It features guest vocals from rappers Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and will.i.am.
"Stickwitu" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written by Franne Golde, Kasia Livingston and Robert Palmer and produced by Ron Fair. A pop ballad with soul influences, the song finds the group celebrating monogamous relationships, with music critics drawing comparisons to fellow girl groups Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation, and the Spice Girls. It was released as the album's second single on September 26, 2005, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
"Buttons" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written by Sean Garrett, Jamal Jones, Jason Perry and group member Nicole Scherzinger, and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair. It is a hip hop-influenced pop and R&B track featuring synthesizers and a Middle Eastern rhythm, with the group pleading a reluctant man to help them undress whilst adopting a submissive stance. A remix version featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg was released as the album's fourth single on April 11, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
"Feeling Good" is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Grant on the UK tour.
"Faster Kill Pussycat" is the first single from British producer Oakenfold's second studio album, A Lively Mind (2006). The song features American actress Brittany Murphy's vocals and was co-written by singer-songwriter Kelli Ali. The title of the track is a play on the title of the movie Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.
"Wait a Minute" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It features a guest appearance from Timbaland, who served as the song's sole producer and co-wrote it with Keri Hilson and Craig Longmiles. Lyrically, the song showcases the artists flirting and committing to a playful give and take, highlighting the differences between the two sexes. In the United States, A&M Records and Interscope Records released the song to contemporary hit radio on October 16, 2006, as the fifth single of the album in the US and the sixth and final in international territories. An accompanying music video was directed by Marc Webb features the Pussycat Dolls performing choreography on a subway car and city streets. It was nominated for a MuchMusic Video Award and a MOBO Award.
"I Don't Need a Man" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written and produced by Rich Harrison, with additional writing from Nicole Scherzinger, Kara DioGuardi, and Vanessa Brown. The song was released as the fifth single from the album on September 9, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records. Musically, it draws from 1980s music and includes elements of dance, pop, and R&B. Inspired by Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I" (2000), the song is a post-disco that features feminist themes and rejects objectification and co-dependency, while part of the chorus alludes to masturbation. It has been compared to works by Beyoncé and Inner City.
"Fergalicious" is a song recorded by American singer, songwriter and rapper Fergie for her debut studio album, The Dutchess (2006). The title is a portmanteau of Fergie and delicious. It was written by her and The Black Eyed Peas groupmate will.i.am, who also produced the song as well as performed additional instrumentation and rap vocals. The song was slated as the second single from the album and released for airplay on October 23, 2006. "Fergalicious" is a dance, electro and hip hop song with R&B characteristics. It contains compositional samples of "Supersonic", a song written by Dania Maria Birks, Juana Michelle Burns, Juanita A. Lee, Kim Nazel, and Fatima Shaheed and performed by J. J. Fad, and "Give It All You Got", a song written by Derrick Rahming and popularized by Afro-Rican. The song's bridge contains an interpolation of "Night Train" by Jimmy Forrest and James Brown.
The discography of American girl group the Pussycat Dolls consists of two studio albums, two extended plays, two video albums, 15 singles, two promotional singles, and 15 music videos. To date, the group has sold 15 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide.
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a neo-burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the troupe mainstream as a pop group. Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003 turning the group into a music franchise comprising Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their debut single, "Sway", was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?.
"Baby Love" is a song recorded by American singer Nicole Scherzinger. The song was produced by and features will.i.am. Scherzinger and will.i.am co-wrote the song with Kara DioGuardi and Keith Harris. "Baby Love" was released from September 18, 2007, by A&M and Interscope Records, as the second single from Scherzinger's unreleased debut studio album, Her Name Is Nicole. The folk-inspired R&B ballad is about a person's first premature love with someone.
"Whatever U Like" is the debut solo single by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, featuring rapper T.I. and Sean Garrett. The trio, along with Polow da Don, composed the song for Scherzinger's planned debut studio album Her Name Is Nicole. "Whatever U Like" was released on July 28, 2007 on Interscope Records.
"When I Grow Up" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was released by Interscope Records on May 27, 2008, as the lead single from the album. It was first written for Britney Spears, but was rejected. It was then considered and recorded for Nicole Scherzinger's planned solo project, Her Name Is Nicole, but after its cancellation and Scherzinger's return to the group, she felt that the song was better suited for the group. "When I Grow Up" was written by Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who also produced the song. It is an uptempo electropop and R&B song, sampling the 1966 song, "He's Always There" by British rock band The Yardbirds. "When I Grow Up" speaks about the desire to be famous, and was described as being "autobiographical" by Scherzinger.
Doll Domination is the second and final studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. Development began in February 2008 where the group worked with previous collaborators Sean Garrett, Polow da Don and Timbaland and new ones such as Darkchild, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe. Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg also make guest performances on the album. Several songs on Doll Domination were originally recorded for the lead singer Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Her Name is Nicole, which was shelved after the under-performance of its preceding singles.
"Bottle Pop" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was written and produced by Sean Garrett and Fernando Garibay, with additional songwriting by group's lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. The song features American rapper Snoop Dogg, whom they previously collaborated with on "Buttons" (2006). It is an electronica song that uses sexual innuendo, and has been compared to works of Ciara, Flo Rida, Petey Pablo, Britney Spears, and Gwen Stefani. The single was released in Australia, Germany, and New Zealand between February and March. In the latter country, a remix, featuring rapper Devolo was released replacing Dogg for its local release.
"Whatcha Think About That" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Missy Elliott, who co-wrote it with the song's producer Polow da Don, Ester Dean, and Mickaël Furnon, who received songwriting credit due to his work being sampled. It was released on August 29, 2008, as the album's second single in the United States, and on February 23, 2009, as the third single in the United Kingdom. The electropop and R&B midtempo song samples "Je m'appelle Jane" by Jane Birkin and is built on a bhangra-inspired guitar riff. Lyrically, the Pussycat Dolls reverse roles towards an overbearing and controlling partner. Elliott references American singer Katy Perry and her song "I Kissed a Girl".
"Hush Hush; Hush Hush" is the remix of "Hush Hush", a song by American female group The Pussycat Dolls. The track was written by Andreas Romdhane, Josef Larossi, Ina Wroldsen, Nicole Scherzinger, Dino Fekaris, and Freddie Perren and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair and Dave Audé is included on the reissues of the group's second album Doll Domination (2008). It was released on May 12, 2009 by Interscope Records as the album's seventh overall and final single. It is also the group's final release before their disbandment in 2010 until they reformed in 2019. Originally a ballad on the album, the song was remixed for its release as a single with a more uptempo disco-influenced production and interpolation of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" (1978) with lyrics alluding to a doomed relationship.
"Jai Ho! " is a song by Indian composer A. R. Rahman and American girl group The Pussycat Dolls, recorded for the re-release of the group's second studio album Doll Domination (2008) and their EP Doll Domination – The Mini Collection (2009). It was released on February 23, 2009, by Interscope Records as the fourth single from the album and is an English remake of the original Hindi song "Jai Ho" which is taken from the soundtrack to the hit film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The remake was conceived by record executives Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair who tasked the Dolls' lead singer Nicole Scherzinger with creating a pop record that did not deviate from the original melody. Iovine and Fair also asked a number of other writers to create interpretations of the song, including Brick & Lace, The Writing Camp and Ester Dean. The final English version of "Jai Ho" was dubbed "Jai Ho! " and is sometimes also referred to as the "RF Mix" or "Ron Fair" Remix.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)