"Whatever U Like" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Nicole Scherzinger featuring T.I. and Sean Garrett | ||||
A-side | "Baby Love" | |||
Released | July 28, 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:53 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Nicole Scherzinger singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
T.I. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Whatever U Like" on YouTube |
"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.
The Pussycat Dolls debut studio album PCD (2005),was a commercial success that would end up selling 2.9 million records in the United States. The album featured number-one hit singles such as "Don't Cha" and "Buttons". [1] The success of the group's album,spotlighted Scherzinger's work as the lead singer and began recording with other artists such as Timbaland and P. Diddy on "Come to Me" (2006); [2] which became Scherzinger's first solo top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. [3] The collaborations furthered Scherzinger's popularity who was working on her own music over the course of two years (2005–07) and viewed the group as a stepping stone to launch her own solo career. [2] One of the first songs recorded for her solo project,Her Name is Nicole was "Whatever U Like" which was written and produced by Polow da Don and Sean Garrett. [4] The song was leaked early July, [5] before being released as a digital download on July 28,2007. [6] Interscope Records never intended to ship the song to radio and wanted to use the single to introduce Scherzinger as a solo artist. [2]
"Whatever U Like" is an up-tempo hip hop and R&B song with a length of three minutes and fifty-two seconds. The artists co-wrote the song with its producer Polow da Don. [7] [8] The song's beat was compared to Kelis' "Blindfold Me" (2006) and Chilli's "Straight Jack" which were both produced by Polow da Don. [9] Rosie Swash of The Guardian compared the "rave-horn,synth-heavy production" to the works of Timbaland. [10] Lyrically,Scherzinger sings about doing whatever her man likes:“riding it like a Harley.”Garrett appears throughout the song repeating the lines,"Ladies and gentlemen,I know what you want! She's hot as a stove. Her name is Nicole," while T.I. appears towards the middle of the track. [4] [9]
Rap-Up was one of the first media outlets to hear seven full tracks from Her Name is Nicole which included "Whatever U Like". A reviewer described the song as a "club banger",while commented,"It’s a perfect lead single and a good song to release in the summer." [9] DJ Z from DJ Booth criticized the song for using the same beat and composition as Chilli's song "Straight Jack" writing:"Never a brilliant move to use a duplicate beat while dealing with a minor identity crisis,but if you’re Nicole Scherzinger,I guess it's OK?" [11] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine referred to the song while reviewing The Pussycat Dolls' second studio album Doll Domination (2008). He agreed with DJ Z writing it was a,"blatant rip-off of Kelis's 'Blindfold Me.'";however he did write the song "was unjustly ignored." [12] Adam Vary of Entertainment Weekly commented,"'Whatever U Like' is no 'London Bridge' —and that’s not exactly a high bar to reach." [13]
In the United States,"Whatever U Like" failed to make a chart appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. [14] It additionally stalled at number 73 on the US Digital Songs and number 83 on the US Pop Songs. [15] In Canada,the song fared better,managing to peak at number 57 on the Canadian Hot 100. [16]
The official music video was directed by Paul Hunter who previously directed the Pussycat Dolls' debut single "Don't Cha" (2005). [17] Filming concluded on May 25,2007 in San Pedro,California. [18] On August 9,a short clip was leaked online. [19] On August 20,Scherzinger appeared on TRL to premiere the music video. [20]
The video begins with spotlights hitting a wall,with Scherzinger running from an unidentified person,revealed to be four masked kidnappers. Sean Garrett performs his opening sequence as Scherzinger is captured and concealed within a box,where she performs the first verse and chorus,before escaping the box. Scenes of Scherzinger floating through water are interspersed with her dancing before a spotlighted stage,and performing in front of a black background. Throughout the next chorus,Scherzinger is shown walking along a bench covered in steaming stones. During T.I.'s rap,the two are concealed in the box,with Scherzinger seductively crawling all over him. Next Scherzinger is shown covered in mud before standing beneath a shower washing it off. Different shots of the singer from the previous scenes are spliced together throughout the next chorus. Scherzinger is now shown in a black leather outfit during Sean Garrett's verse dancing before a backdrop,with spotlights shining on her,spliced with scenes of the producer rapping,her former assailants now dance in front of her. The video ends with Scherzinger leaving the backdrop.
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly graded the music video B−adding that it "badly needs levity,and more of the T.I. cameo." [21]
Scherzinger performed the song for the first time on the finale of the third season of the U.S. television show So You Think You Can Dance on August 17,2007. [22] On September 9,2007 Scherzinger performed the song along with Lil Wayne,who was filling for T.I. at the preshow of the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Scherzinger was wearing a "red cocktail dress,black boots and leather gloves." [23] Gil Kaufman commented,"Before Brown had them pounding the stage in excitement or Britney had them scratching their heads in confusion,Pussycat Dolls lead kitten Nicole Scherzinger got the party started early during the preshow with a sizzling hookup with Lil Wayne." He continued,"They made an interesting team on a night that was full of many different varieties of hookups." [23] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times agreed with Kaufman describing the performance as "one of the best musical moments came before the show started." [24] On September 27,Scherzinger performed on Yahoo!'s Pepsi Smash. [25] The following month she performed at KIIS-FM’s Homecoming concert at the Honda Center and performed "Whatever U Like","Baby Love",and "Supervillain". [26]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 28, 2007 | Interscope | [35] [36] [37] | |
Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American songwriter and record producer. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip hop songs, beginning with Usher's 2004 single "Yeah!". Peaking atop the Billboard Hot 100, Garrett co-wrote five other songs which did so—"Goodies" for Ciara that same year; "Check on It" for Beyoncé, "Run It!" for Chris Brown in 2005; "London Bridge" for Fergie, "Grillz" for Nelly in 2006—as well as 17 other singles that peaked atop the UK Singles, US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, or Dance Club Songs charts. Throughout his career, Garrett has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Melody Thornton is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one of the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums PCD (2005) and Doll Domination (2008) becoming one of the world's best-selling girl groups. As part of the group, she has received a Grammy Award nomination.
"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.
"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.
Nicole Scherzinger is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the R&B-pop group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With only two albums and over 55 million records sold worldwide, The Pussycat Dolls became one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time.
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?.
American singer Nicole Scherzinger has released two studio albums, and twenty-eight singles. She came into prominence in the early 2000s as a member of the ill-fated girl-group Eden's Crush and then was cast as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, a burlesque troupe turned-recording group. She has sold over 60 million records as a solo artist and as a member of the Pussycat Dolls.
"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.
"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 Zeland between February and March. In the latermost 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".
"I Hate This Part" is a song by the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, taken from their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was written by Wayne Hector, Lucas Secon, Jonas Jeberg, Mich Hansen and produced by the latter two and Ron Fair. The track was initially intended for Leona Lewis and later for Nicole Scherzinger's unreleased solo album, Her Name is Nicole. After the album's cancellation, the song was ultimately given to the group. Musically, it is a pop ballad with elements of grinding R&B and dance music. Lyrically, it sees Scherzinger conversating with a partner just before they break up, adopting breathy and emotional vocals. Interscope Records released it as the second single in territories outside the United States on October 14, 2008, and sent it to the US mainstream radio on October 21, 2008, as the fourth single.
"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.
"Poison" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger for her debut solo studio album, Killer Love (2011). Released on October 25, 2010, it is the first single from the album. It was produced by RedOne, BeatGeek and Jimmy Joker, and is distinctively different from Scherzinger's previous attempts at releasing solo material. "Poison" is backed with powerful synthesizers and a pulsing dance-pop beat. The single was released as a two-track digital download and as a seven-track remixes extended play (EP).
"Right There" is a song by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, from her debut studio album, Killer Love (2011). The song was released on May 17, 2011, as the third single from the album by Interscope and associated record labels. As the third single, a remix was recorded featuring American rapper 50 Cent. The song was originally intended to be the first single to precede the album in the United States. Written by Ester Dean, Frank Romano, Daniel Morris, and co-written and produced by Jim Jonsin, it is an island-flavored midtempo R&B-pop song that sees Scherzinger singing about her what she wants her lover to do and warning other suitors to back off.
"Bad Girl" is a song initially recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna and American singer Chris Brown for the soundtrack of the film Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). Their version of the song was excluded from the soundtrack, in favor of a version performed by the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. Rihanna and Brown's version of the song was leaked on the internet on January 6, 2009. The song is about an addiction to shopping, and more specifically, buying shoes and handbags. Hollywood Records' decision to not include Rihanna and Brown's version was criticized by Ryan Brockington for the New York Post, but Michael Quinn for BBC Music was complimentary of the Pussycat Dolls' version. Rihanna and Brown's version charted at number 55 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
American singer Nicole Scherzinger has appeared in various music videos, films, television series and programs. Scherzinger first appeared on television as a contestant and eventually became a member of Eden's Crush on Popstars USA; a show aimed to find new talent to form a group. Following the band's dissolution in 2002, Scherzinger took a detour in acting and guest-starred in television shows such as My Wife and Kids (2002) and had a cameo in the independent comedy, Chasing Papi (2003).