About a Girl (Sugababes song)

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"About a Girl"
Single by Sugababes
from the album Sweet 7
Released 8 November, 2009
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2009
Genre Electropop, dance-pop, house
Length 3:28
Label Island, Roc Nation
Writer(s) Nadir Khayat, Makeba Riddick
Producer RedOne
Sugababes singles chronology
"Get Sexy"
(2009)		 "About a Girl"
(2009)		 "Wear My Kiss"
(2010)

"About a Girl" is a song by English girl group Sugababes from their seventh studio album, Sweet 7 (2010). It was written by Nadir Khayat (known by his stage name RedOne) and Makeba Riddick, and produced by the former. "About a Girl" was released on 8 November, 2009 as the album's second single. "About a Girl" is an up-tempo pop song with heavy influences of electro. It is the first release featuring vocals by new band member Jade Ewen, following the departure of Keisha Buchanan in September 2009.

Critics were divided in their reviews for "About a Girl". Some called the song the standout track from Sweet 7, although others felt that it was unoriginal and generic. The song peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and inside the top twenty on the Irish Singles Chart. Additionally, "About a Girl" peaked in the top five on the Scottish Singles Chart and also became a moderate success in Poland. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Martin Weisz and filmed at Vasquez Rocks. It features the group's members dancing in the desert, with stunt doubles fighting businessmen in a caravan.

Contents

Background and release

Sugababes traveled to the United States to work on their seventh studio album, Sweet 7 in April 2009.[1] They signed a contract with Jay-Z's label, Roc Nation, resulting in working with high-profile produceers.[2] In late April 2009, Sugababes revealed that they were working with Nadir Khayat, better known by his stage name RedOne, on two songs, one of which was "About a Girl".[3] It was written by Khayat along with Makeba Riddick, and produced by the former.[4] "About a Girl" was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, California.[4]

In August 2009, "About a Girl" was confirmed for release as the second single from Sweet 7.[5] The first version of the song, featuring Buchanan's vocals, premiered on BBC Radio 1 on September 6, 2009.[6] During the single release interval between the release of "Get Sexy" and "About a Girl", Buchanan controversially left the group.[7] As a result of the group line-up change, "About a Girl" was re-recorded to feature the vocals of new member Jade Ewen and the removal of the vocals by ex-member Buchanan for the release of Sweet 7 in 2010.[7] "About a Girl" was later digitally released on 8 November, 2009.[8] The physical CD was made available for release one day later.[9]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"About a Girl" is an uptempo pop song with heavy influences of electro.[10] It has a length of 3:28 (3 minutes and 28 seconds).[8] The beat is set in common time and moves at a fast-paced 124 beats per minute,[11] while the song is composed in the key of F.[11] "About a Girl" contains "clubby" synthesizers throughout its duration,[5] although the middle eight has a "90s dance-inspired" feel to it.[12] Nick Levine from Digital Spy noted that the song was not "sounding very Sugababes", suggesting its distinctiveness from other singles released by the group.[12] Similarly, Sean Thomas of Drowned in Sound suggested that it sounds like "a Girls Aloud album track".[13] Fraser McAlphine of BBC said that "About a Girl" rivals "Get Sexy" in terms of the "overall levels of noise".[14]

Typically, the lyrics of "About a Girl" are about not knowing about a girl.[13] This is particularly evident in the chorus, with Ewen singing the lyrics, "You don't know about a girl, I'll take over the world / and I'm gonna party like ooooh".[4] During the bridge, group member Amelle Berrabah sings the line "sugar like apple pie" in a style which was described by David Balls of Digital Spy as "gravelly".[5]

Critical reception

"About a Girl" has received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics, with many referring to the song as the standout track from Sweet 7. Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song a four out of five star rating, describing it as "a Europoppy club pumper with an ear-snagging chorus, sexy references to Louboutins and apple pie, and a terrific, 90s dance-inspired middle 8.". He went on to say that "the result certainly trumps 'Get Sexy' and might just be their most infectious single since 'About You Now'."[12] Fraser McAlpine of BBC characterized "About a Girl" as a "dancefloor-friendly tune with an insistent chorus that echoes around your head", elaborating that it "probably feels the most like classic Sugababes (of the 'Freak Like Me' and 'Hole In The Head' era)".[14]

In an album review for Sweet 7, Jon O'Brien of Allmusic said that "About a Girl" was "the one saving grace" from the album, describing it as a "gloriously sassy uptempo Lady Gaga-esque number that stands up next to the best of their back catalog".[15] However, the song received an unfavorable review by Andy Gill of The Independent, who labelled it as a "generic disco stomper" and "vacuous" in his album review of Sweet 7.[16] Despite his favorable review for the single release of "About a Girl", Levine dismissed the song in his album review for Sweet 7, saying "Sadly, as hip and hooky as these tracks are, they're also rather characterless".[17]

Chart performance

"About a Girl" debuted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart for the week of 21 November, 2009.[18] It fell out of the top ten the next week, descending to number 13.[19] In its third week on the chart, "About a Girl" fell to number 23.[20] The song fell eleven places down the following week to number 34.[21] "About a Girl"'s final appearance in the top 40 was five weeks after its debut, where it reached number 37.[22] The song has sold 125,000 copies in the UK, ranking it their thirteenth best-selling single.[23]

On the week of 21 November, 2009, "About a Girl" debuted at number four on the Scottish Singles Chart.[24] It fell eight places down to number 12 in its second week of release.[25] The following week, "About a Girl" descended to number 23;[26] it fell out of the chart three weeks later.[27] In Ireland, "About a Girl" debuted at number 14 on the Irish Singles Chart.[28] In its second week of release, the song fell one place down to number 15.[29] "About a Girl" landed at number 28 the following week,[30] and fell out of the chart five weeks after its debut.[31] In Poland, "About a Girl" peaked at number 22 on the Dance Top 50 singles chart.[32]

Music video

The music video for "About a Girl" was directed by Martin Weisz.[33] It was inspired by a Kill Bill theme.[34] The video was filmed at Vasquez Rocks, California on 22 September, 2009,[35][36] one day following the announcement that Buchanan was replaced by Ewen.[37] Ewen had not met the remaining members of the Sugababes until two days before the video shoot for "About a Girl".[38] Sugababes wore what was described by Chris Johnson of Daily Mail as "sexy studded leather outfits".[37] Stunt doubles were used to portay the group's members.[39]

Sugababes dancing in the desert in the music video for "About a Girl".

The video begins with two businessmen in a caravan discussing a job involving obtaining a briefcase. After the conversation has ended, the song begins while a vehicle driven by the stunt doubles arrives in the desert. The stunt doubles leave the vehicle and group member Heidi Range sings her verse while dancing around the vehicle. All three members of the group begin dancing during the chorus while a stunt double enters the caravan with a red briefcase. Following these scenes, Berrabah sings her verse of the song while her stunt double is talking to the businessman. Sugababes begin dancing again while the stunt double begins fighting with the businessman, who is drop-kicked out of the caravan. Another businessman begins attacking her, although he too loses the fight. Ewen's stunt double begins fighting with another man outside of the caravan, and he also is defeated. Later in the video, the businessmen are seen tied together on the ground and the stunt double throws the briefcase, which turns out to be a jack in the box. At the end of the video, the stunt doubles re-enter the vehicle and drive out of the desert.[40] David Balls of Digital Spy commended the video, describing it as an "action-packed affair that's nearly as dramatic as the group's own history" and praising its "plenty of slick dance moves and provocative pouting thrown in for good measure".[41]

Live performances

Following Buchanan's departure from the group, promotion for "About a Girl" was halted when Berrabah was admitted to a private health clinic in Europe citing "nervous exhaustion"; this led to the cancellation of a scheduled appearance on German TV.[42] Another performance, in which Sugababes would headline the Scottish Royal Variety Performance was cancelled due to "a number of legal issues to be finalised".[42] Following Berrabah's return from the clinic, "About a Girl" was performed live for the first time by the new line-up on GMTV.[43] An acoustic version of the song was performed live on 11 November, 2009 on Radio 1 from Maida Vale Studios.[44] Sugababes also performed the song on 21 November, 2009 for Children in Need, an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC.[45]

Track listing

  • CD Single[9]
    (2725741, Released: November 9, 2009)
  1. "About a Girl" - 3:28
  2. "About a Girl" (Martin Roth NuStyle Radio Edit) - 4:08
  3. "About a Girl" (The Sharp Boys Radio Edit) - 3:47
  4. "About a Girl" (K-Gee Radio Edit) - 3:30
  • Digital Single[8]
    (Released: November 8, 2009)
  1. "About a Girl" - 3:28
  2. "About a Girl" (Martin Roth NuStyle Remix) - 6:26
  3. "About a Girl" (Martin Roth NuStyle Radio Edit) - 4:08
  4. "About a Girl" (K-Gee Remix) - 4:51
  5. "About a Girl" (K-Gee Radio Edit) - 3:30
  • German CD Single[46]
    (Released: November 6, 2009)
  1. "About a Girl" - 3:28
  2. "About a Girl" (The Sharp Boys Radio Edit) - 3:47

Credits and personnel

  • Vocal Editors - RedOne, Johnny Severin
  • Vocal Production - Makeba Riddick
  • Mixing - Robert Orton
  • Additional vocal production - Philip Lawrence

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sweet 7.[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
European Hot 100[47] 28
Ireland (IRMA)[48] 14
Poland (Dance Top 50)[49] 22
Scotland (The Official Charts Company)[50] 4
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[51] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (2009) Position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[52] 164

Release history

Region Date Format
Ireland 6 November 2009[53] CD single
United Kingdom 8 November 2009[54] Digital download
9 November 2009[55] CD single

References

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