Killer Love

Untitled

Killer Love is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger, former lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. It was released from March 18, 2011 in international markets by Interscope Records, in association with its affiliated record labels. Scherzinger had been working on a solo album since 2005, under the title Her Name Is Nicole and was originally due for release in 2007. However unsuccessful singles and poor timing led the project being pushed back numerous times into 2008 and 2009. After releasing The Pussycat Dolls seccond album Doll Domination, Scherzinger shelved the project entirely citing bad timing and creative issues as the reasons for its cancellation. Many of its songs were re-assigned to the Dolls or other artists. In 2010 Moroccan producer RedOne was brought onboard for a second attempt at launching her solo album.

Completed in 2011 and titled Killer Love, Scherzinger's debut album features a combination of up-tempo pop songs, as well as mid-tempo and down-tempo ballads. Songs contain influences of rock, soul and funk music, with the specific aim of selecting songs and productions which would lend themselves to being performed live. Amongst the fourteen-song set are two collaborations, one with Enrique Iglesias, and one with Sting, the latter of which was leftover from the Her Name is Nicole recording sessions. RedOne and his associates produced almost half of the album, while other contributions come from the likes of Jim Jonsin, StarGate, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart and Boi-1da.

Killer Love was preceded by the release of the RedOne-produced lead single, "Poison" which respectively peaked at number three and number seven in the UK and Ireland, becoming one of Scherzinger's highest charting solo singles. It received mainly positive critical reception for establishing Scherzinger with her own sound and identity. A second single "Don't Hold Your Breath" would go on to top the UK charts and reach top-ten in Ireland. In an attempt to launch the album worldwide a new version of "Right There" featuring verses from 50 Cent was released and although it reached top-five in the UK and top-ten in Ireland it peaked at thirty-nine in the United States. To date it is Scherzinger's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist. One final single would be released from this version of the album, the Rihanna-esque up-tempo song "Wet" which became her fourth cosecutive top-ten hit in Ireland.

A re-packaged version of the album spawned a brand new mid-tempo single titled "Try with Me". It gave Scherzinger her fifth consecutive top-twenty hit in the UK and helped the album to reach platinum status in the United Kingdom. Upon its release, Killer Love received mixed to positive response from critics. Some praised Scherzinger's strong vocals and conviction to convey emotion, while others criticized her choice of allowing RedOne to produce the majority of the album, stating that some of the songs sounded too similar to each other. At times it was felt that Scherzinger lacked coherence across the record, often taking the sound that individual producers had created for her instead of showing originality. Critics compared many of the songs to those her fellow pop and R&B contemporaries: Beyoncé and Rihanna.

By the end of 2011, Killer Love became the 73rd biggest selling album of the year in the UK. The album was also listed as one of the "Top Selling Albums" on the UK iTunes and the twentieth best selling album by a female artist in 2011. Scherzinger Killer Love had set up additional recording sessions to record new material for the album's US release which would have included the new version of "Right There" and a collaboration with Snoop Dogg, however the album remains unreleased in Canada and the United States.

Background and development

Scherzinger initially began work on her debut studio album back in 2005. The project, titled Her Name is Nicole, saw the singer recording 75–100 songs, with some of the songs later ending up with the Pussycat Dolls. Amongst those working on the album were Akon, Gary Lightbody, Ne-Yo, T.I., Timbaland, will.i.am, and Kanye West. In one interview she spoke of her role with the Pussycat dolls stating that it was a "challenge fronting the group" but that "every girl has something different to bring and add to the success". In the biography section of her official website, Scherzinger says that everyone recognizes her from the Pussycat Dolls's debut single "Dont Cha" which although amazing doesn't fulfill her musical desires. When asked what she intended to achieve with her solo career she commented "Some people only only have their glasses half full, but there was never a limit to mine." The purpose of the album was to appeal to younger audiences, show them "the heart of Nicole" and show that she is not always strong and fearless. Furthermore, it was revealed that Keri Hilson (a writer who has been hevaily involved in writing for the Pussycat Dolls) had written a song called "Alienated" for Scherzinger, however when the album was delayed and shelved Hilson reclaimed the song and instead recorded the song with producer Cory Bold for her own debut studio album In a Perfect World... Reviews later went on to give the song critical acclaim for its "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring."

In April 2009 she said she hadn't started recording; Keri Hilson confirmed that Scherzinger's album was not released so that Scherzinger could focus on releasing new music with the Pussycat Dolls instead. Then in January 2010, Scherzinger began the recording and writing process for a third time, reuniting with Ne-Yo on "personal and heartfelt" tracks. She attempted to launch her debut album for a second time on May 2010, with a brand new "rock, funk, soul edge" sound, and a brand new single "Nobody Can Change Me".

Then in August 2010, Moroccan producer RedOne confirmed his involvement in the project during an interview with BBC Music, where he confirmed that the it was the third time that new material had been recorded for the album. He confirmed that he had produced the majority of the new album.

According to Billboard Scherzinger has collaborated with Ne-Yo and Jay Sean for songs on the album, while Scherzinger confirmed that the album was mostly up-tempo songs which "lend themselves to live performances". Though Ne-Yo's songs are not featured on the international version of the album, Scherzinger confirmed that songs produced by the singer-songwriter will appear on the US version of Killer Love. When Scherzinger was asked by her UK-label (Polydor Records) which artists she wanted to work with, Scherzinger's only request was UK rap-singer Plan B. Digital Spy asked Scherzinger to describe her album, during the interview she said "the album is largely produced by RedOne, I wanted something explosive that could be staged live in a full performance and I needed music to match the intensity. That’s what he did. It’s raw, dangerous and big. That’s what I want to be on stage. It’s a different energy to Lady GaGa. The music is more rock, funk and soul inspired." The cover art of Killer Love was revealed on March 3, 2011 along with the album's tracklisting.

Recording

File:Kuk and Dream at AMA's.jpg

The-Dream (right) worked with Scherzinger on both the Killer Love and Her Name is Nicole recording sessions.

Scherzinger had been working on Her Name Is Nicole for two years, which was supposed to be released in 2007 before being pushed to October 16, 2008 and later into 2009 before being shelved. Sean Garrett and Polow da Don worked on "Whatever U Like" (featuring T.I.) which was released as the album's lead single on July 24, 2007 but deemed unsuccessful reaching just fifty-seven in Canada. She told MTV "I've always said that in the Pussycat Dolls, I kind of feel like Superwoman, but that's just one of my alter egos. I've got the vulnerable, lovesick side of me amongst others which all appear on my record." "Baby Love" was the second single released on September 10, 2007. the track did not chart well in the United States. Internationally the single fared well reaching Top 15 in most countries including the UK, and mainland Europe. It was remixed to be included on Doll Domination as a bonus track. The third single "Supervillain" was written by Rock City and produced by Mad Scientist, but was only released to US iTunes in November 2007. Fourth single "Puakenikeni" (a type of flower in Hawaii) also released to iTunes in November was produced by Akon to as a tribute to Scherzinger's heritage but failed to chart anywhere.

Additional songs included the critically acclaimed "Just Say Yes", written by Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol) which was a soft and slow song with its pulsing, electronic beat. She told MTV of her excitement to record the song previously rejected by Gwen Stefani. "I'm such a huge fan of Snow Patrol's music, I felt like I was supposed to make it my own. "It's a very honest and truthful song." Ne-Yo gave Scherzinger two songs, "Happily Never After" a slow ballad of which Scherzinger said she felt it "important for young girls to have an empowering message that they deserve better". The other song has a tear jerking ballad called "Save Me from Myself" for which Scherzinger helped Ne-Yo in developing the hook before recording the song. When commenting on another song "March" Scherzinger said she wanted a powerful record. "It's about never giving up on your dreams and it’s about what I went through to get where I am today." Timbaland produced and featured on the song "Physical" on which his trademark vocals can be heard over the upbeat melody and thumping baseline. Part of the song was used in the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The album sessions also produced a number of other songs including "When Your Falling" (also co-written by Akon) "Power's Out" a riveting duet with English singer Sting (featured in Revlon adverts with Jessica Alba) and "I M.I.S.S You" written by Pharrell Williams and produced by The Neptunes.

In May 2010, Rap-Up reported that Scherzinger was relaunching her solo career with an "empowering" ballad called "Nobody Can Change Me". The song was recorded in a nighttime studio session while she was competing on season 10 of the U.S. reality competition, Dancing with the Stars, and was mastered on May 23, 2010, ready for its premiere on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS FM radio show the following day. Idolator was unimpressed with the "treacly pop tune" saying that the lack of sexiness, "uninspiring message" and "squeaky vocals" did Scherzinger no favors. However Amos Barshad of New York magazine actually liked the song, stating that "there’s none of the Pussycat Doll’s forced sexiness here; instead, it sounds like something that could have just missed the final cut on a Kelly Clarkson album." Then in late 2010, Moroccan producer RedOne confirmed he was working with Scherzinger on her lead single for the upcoming album. Scherzinger's boyfriend Lewis Hamilton selected "Poison" as the album's first single. It debuted on her official YouTube account on October 14, 2010, before being released in the UK on November 28, 2010.

Composition

Killer Love combines a variety of musical genres such as R&B,electro-pop, dance-pop and pop. The album differed from Scherzinger's attempted previous release, Her Name is Nicole (2007), which featured prominently mid-tempo pop genres, ranging from folk R&B to urban pop, and marked her return to her dancehall roots. Killer Love's foreboding and dark themes, incorporated elements of soul, funk and rock music genres, which was prominent on her 2010 scraped single release Nobody Can Change Me. Killer Love didn't incorporate dancehall themes as seen in her earlier music.

Music and lyrics

Sting, who lends his vocals on the tender duet "Power's Out".

Killer Love sees Scherzinger duet with two male vocalists. On the ballad, "Power's Out", she duets with English recording artist Sting. Speaking of their collaboration, which took place with both singers in the same studio, Scherzinger said "[Sting's] energy is very commanding, in a subtle way. He is giving, generous and kind. I flew to Boston for his show with The Police. I met him and he was everything and more than I thought. I felt like we were doing yoga when we were singing. He was such an easy guy to work with... Singing on the same mic you are really close. He had fresh breath. No broccoli in the teeth." David Renshaw from PopDash said the song borrowed elements and the sound from The Police, a band Sting was previously lead singer of, and in particular their 1983 hit single "Every Breath You Take". The other duet is with Enrique Iglesias, on his 2010 single "Heartbeat". The version featured on Killer Love is the "Rude Well's Open Heart Remix". Ellwood noted that the remix "added beats changing the tone of the song completely."

Some of the album's ballads, "Casualty" and "Desperate", were likened to the style of Leona Lewis. "Casualty" is one of the album's two closing ballads, the other being "AmenJena". The former is a "contemporary ballad-that's-not-a-ballad," while the latter is slower and more moving, as it is stripped of the album's synthesized and electronic production, to leace Scherzinger's voice with the piano-led melody. The album's other ballad "Everybody" also restricts the polished production, "to allow Scherzinger’s voice to be the main focus." Kim Dawson, from The Daily Star, noted "Everybody" as the album's "goosebump ballad" moment. When talking to MTV, in the United States, Scherzinger said [in context of the US version of her album] it was "a mixture of strong dance anthems, urban twists and uplifting songs."

Critics noted "You Will Be Loved" for its background vocals, which contain some yodelling. Its chorus is constructed by repeating the title of the song, similar to "Gimme More" by Britney Spears (2007) and "Halo" by Beyoncé Knowles (2009). It was written by Timothy and Theron Thomas, a duo who had previously written "Supervillain", the third single from Scherzinger's ill-fated first incarnation of her solo album, Her Name Is Nicole. "Right There" was compared to Rihanna's "Rude Boy", only politer in tone. Both "Rude Boy" and "Right There" were co-written by Ester Dean. The latter features a "glistening beat," over which Scherzinger becomes territorial with her man, and warns other girls away. Additionally, an alternate version of the song was recorded with 50 Cent, to be included on the US version of Killer Love. The album's lead single, "Poison", was described by 4 Music as a club thumper, while the follow-up, "Don't Hold Your Breath", was described as "sort-of-ballad-but-not-really." The Observer's Michael Cragg also noted "Don't Hold Your Breath" as a "classy don't-darken-my-door-again anthem." Dawson noted the freedom theme in the song, likening it to a "Sugababe trying to break free," while Renshaw compared the song to Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's 2008 duet "No Air".

Killer Love also features a number of up-tempo songs including "Wet", described as a "party playlist essential" thanks to its throbbing base and electronic beats. It was described, by Phillip Ellwood from Entertainment Focus, as the best of the up-tempos. the title track was described as "catchy," with a "juicy beat," and "radio-friendly" chorus. It features a "HI-NRG" beat with saucy lyrics which "equate love to actual, physical pain." Another one of the up-tempo songs, "Club Banger Nation" features a 1990s Europop introduction, with "shimmering beats and belting vocals" "Say Yes" was originally produced by The Cave (Jonas Saeed & Pontus Söderqvist), during early recording sessions. It was written by RedOne, Jimmy Joker, Jonas Saeed, Pontus Söderqvist, Nailah Thourbourne, Nyanda Thourbourne, Tasha Thourbourne, Candace Thourbourne. Nailah had previously worked with Scherzinger twice, contributing to "Puakenikini" with Nayanda Thourborne and working with Akon, Scherzinger and Giorgio Tuinfort on the song "On My Side". Both were recorded for Her Name Is Nicole, though the former was also released as one of Her Name Is Nicole's ill-fated singles. For its inclusion on Killer Love, "Say Yes" was re-tooled and reproduced by RedOne and Joker. Renshaw compared the song to works by Taio Cruz, thanks to the elements of Eurodance present in its production.

Reception

Commercial performance

Killer Love made its chart debut in Ireland on March 25, 2011, at number fourteen. Two days later, it would make its UK Album Chart debut at number eight, selling 19,743 copies. As of 2012, the album has sold 300,000 copies in the UK and 500,000 worldwide. Killer Love has been certified platinum. It became the 73rd biggest selling album of the year in the same country. The album was also listed as one of the "Top Selling Albums" on the UK iTunes and the twentieth best selling album by a female artist in 2011.

Critical response

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
4Music
All Music
BBC Online	(positive)
Daily Star	(positive)
Digital Spy
Entertainment Focus	(positive)
The Independent	(negative)
Music Week	(mixed)
The Observer	(positive)

Upon its release, Killer Love received mixed to positive response from critics. Some praised Scherzinger's strong vocals and conviction to convey emotion, while others criticized her choice of allowing RedOne to produce the majority of the album, stating that some of the songs sounded too similar to each other.The Observer's Michael Cragg noted the album as being consistent with most other modern R&B albums, stating "Killer Love is two thirds deliriously catchy pop stompers and one third balladry." Cragg also noted that Scherzinger's "not so inconsiderable voice" takes a backseat allowing the record producers to inject their own influences into her music. Alex Macpherson from BBC Online commented that "Scherzinger is one of the few pop performers with the requisite power to dominate [her] beats rather than vice versa. Killer Love is far from the album you sense Scherzinger could still deliver: at times, her personality is all that – barely – carries substandard, unmemorable songs." Kim Dawson from The Daily Star was positive, saying that "Nicole’s solo record truly is killer and no filler." Another positive reaction came from "Entertainment Focus" who went to say that: "Killer Love is a competent and enjoyable record from one of the nicest women in pop. Fingers crossed this time it works out for her." The 4Music review was also positive, noting that "Killer Love will definitely establish her as a viable act in her own right." Robert Copsey wrote favorably for Digital Spy that "Killer Love is a sturdy debut from the part-time X Factor judge that, in part, lives up to her promise of being "in your face and strong".

However, Hugh Montgomery from The Independent gave it a negative review for a perceived lack of originality and musical identity, calling it "a debut that bludgeons the listener with faux-raunchy Euro-dance before flatlining with the obligatory earnest balladry and a Sting duet. At 14 tracks, it's at least 12 too long, much of it imaginably pilfered off Rihanna's reject pile." Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote for Allmusic that the album don't have "powerful hooks in the rhythms or melodies."

Title and artwork

In early 2011, Scherzinger announced that the musically diverse music she recorded had a bittersweet theme in which she titled the album, "Killer Love", saying "I wrote 'Killer Love' about a tortured love. Where you can't get enough of the love but it's not good for you. And I guess when the fans listen to the album, I want them to know that a lot of the music that I chose had to do with my past experiences and relationships, where I've lost myself many times. It's [about] being lost and broken and in a very fearful, dark place and the process [of] coming out of that. It's a very empowering album but it comes from a place of heartbreak."

On March 2, 2011, Rap-Up revealed the cover art along with the track listing for Killer Love. On the standard cover, Scherzinger strikes a comfy pose, cracking a half-smile with a tuft of gray fur draped over her left shoulder. Then on Oct 20, 2011, the repackaged and rumored U.S. cover hit the web with Scherzinger smiling coyly and draped lightly in a loose, unidentified, furry and wind-blown article of clothing similar to the first cover.

Promotion

Live performances

The first single, "Poison" was performed for the first time on the series seven of The X Factor, on November 28, 2010. The following day, she reprised the performance on ITV's breakfast show, Daybreak Scherzinger performed her next single, "Don't Hold Your Breath" live for the first time on series six of Dancing On Ice on March 6, 2011. Scherzinger promoted the single again on Loose Women on March 7, 2011. During the week the song was also performed on Lorraine on March 8, 2011 and on March 13, 2011 on Let's Dance for Comic Relief. On March 17, 2011 she performed on T4. On August 18, 2011, Scherzinger performed the song for the first time in the US on Regis & Kelly. On October 12, 2011, Scherzinger performed the song on Good Morning America. Scherzinger performed the song for the last time in the US on November 11, 2011 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On May 19, 2011, Scherzinger and 50 Cent made their debut performance of "Right There" on the stage of American Idol. An editor from Rap-Up magazine agreed, saying that "The ex-Pussycat Doll heated up the stage in a show-stopping dress while performing [her] single." Amy Sciarretto praised Nicole Scherzinger's performance complimenting on her vocal and dancing abilities. Sciarretto said "Scherzinger’s performance was easily the most choreographed of the season ... However, Scherzinger never sacrificed a melody, a vocal line or a beat in favor of keeping her body moving. That’s a skill and a talent that takes lots of practice, and one that this crop of contestants is quickly learning." The duo performed the song live again together on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 24, 2011. In June 2011, Scherzinger flew to the UK to promote her next single, "Right There", first performing on the final of Britain’s Got Talent. Later the same week, on June 10, 2011 she performed it again on The Graham Norton Show wearing a tribal-print minidress. Scherzinger further promoted her single in the United States first performing it on July 13 at the Universal CityWalk and then on July 14 on the eighth season of So You Think You Can Dance. Scherzinger performed the last single, "Try With Me" live for the first time on the eighth series of The X Factor on October 30, 2011. She performed it again on This Morning on November 4, 2011.

The Killer Love Tour

Main article: Killer Love Tour

On October 25, 2011, Scherzinger made an announcement in the UK that she would embark on her very first solo tour in February 2012. Prior to the start of her touring, the name was first known as the Trust Me I Lie Tour, but was soon confirmed by Scherzinger herself, that it be called the Killer Love Tour.

The tour began on February 13, 2012 in Brussels and ended in Kuala Lumpur in Asia. The ticket sales for the shows had dominated the UK box office.

Singles

To lead the album's release in the United Kingdom, "Poison" was unveiled as Killer Love's lead single on October 14, 2010. The "toxic pop" song makes use of heavy synthesizers and a production from RedOne. It was released from October 25, 2010. Following Scherzinger's performance on series seven of The X Factor, The Official Charts Company tipped "Poison" as a contender for number one on the UK Singles Chart. Then on December 11, 2010, the single debuted at number one on the Scottish Singles Chart. Additionally "Poison" made its UK chart debut at number three with first-week sales of 67,425 thus becoming one of her most successful single in the UK, as a solo or featured artist. It also peaked at number two on the UK Digital Singles chart. In Ireland, the single debuted at number seven becoming her best charting single as a lead artist, but third best charting single if including singles as a featured artist or as part of the Pussycat Dolls. "Poison" also charted at number nineteen on the Slovakian Airplay Chart.

Scherzinger during the Doll Domination Tour in 2009, one of her final appearances as lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.

Second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath", was produced by Carl Falk, Steve Josefsson (of the Swedish House Mafia) and Rami Yacoub. An early demo of the song by Timbaland and Keri Hilson had previously leaked online in June 2010. In early January two more unfinished versions leaked including one demo with Scherzinger's vocals, before the final version premiered via Rap-Up.com. It was released from March 10, 2011. The "empowering pop jam" serves as the album's second UK single and first in other international markets. It peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart selling 98,000 copies in its first week, and top-five in Ireland. "Don't Hold Your Breath" was released as a digital download in the US in August 2011, it serves as the second US single and impacted US radio on September 20, 2011. Despite having huge commercial success overseas, "Don't Hold Your Breath" did poorly in the United States, peaking at number eighty-six on the Billboard Hot 100 with a lack of sales in its first week, and soon fell off the charts the following week, unlike previous single "Right There". Although the song made little impact on Billboard, "Don't Hold Your Breath" spent three weeks at number two on the Hot Dance Club Songs, making it Scherzinger's biggest hit in the US on any chart.

"Right There" impacted on UK urban music radio on April 1, 2011 as the album's third UK single. The song was released digitally in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2011. Meanwhile, for its release as the lead single for the US edition of Killer Love, the song was re-recorded to feature two new verses from American rapper 50 Cent. This version of the song was available for purchase at the US iTunes store on May 17, 2011. It impacted US Top 40/Mainstream radio and Rhythmic radio on May 24, 2011. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at thirty-nine, thus becoming her first US single as a lead artist to enter the Hot 100 and since sold over 500,000 copies in the USA. "Right There" has been certified gold. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics for having a R&B-heavy sound on a pop record and being a "provocative and hip-grinding bottle of pop". Scherzinger performed "Right There" live for the first time on American Idol, to coincide with the song's US release. The show's judges and studio audiences gave her a standing ovation, with the media later praising Scherzinger's vocal and dancing abilities. An accompanying music video, directed by Paul Hunter, sees Scherzinger dancing along the streets of downtown Los Angeles, California.

On July 14, 2011, UK entertainment website Digital Spy revealed that "Wet" will be the album's fourth UK single. "Wet" garnered generally positive reviews from critics. An accompanying music video directed by Justin Francis was filmed in July 2011. The video premiered on August 3, 2011. The song was released in the Australia on September 26, 2011. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 189. On the week of August 20, 2011, it climbed 156 places to peak at number 16 on the mid-week chart, but soon went to number 21 with a lack of sales and has sold over 148,000 copies to date. "Wet" debuted on the Irish Singles Chart at number forty-eight on the week ending August 11, 2011. The following week, August 18, 2011, "Wet" climbed to number twenty-nine on the Irish Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number thirteen on the Scottish Singles Chart.

"Try with Me" was released on October 30, 2011 as the lead single from the European re-release and over-all fifth single from Killer Love. The song and its video made its premiere on October 18, 2011 at Capital FM and MSN.com, respectively. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number eighteen on the UK Singles Chart on the issue dated November 12, 2011 (although making an entry on the mid-week charts at number thirteen). It sold 21,315 copies in its first week. Due to Scherzinger's position as a judge on The X Factor USA, Try With Me was given little promotion as a single. "Try with Me" was written by Carsten Schack, Sean Hurley, Olivia Nervo, Miriam Nervo and produced by Soulshock and Hurley. Lyrically, it talks about heartache and heartbreak. The song starts out soft and slow and builds up to a beat-driven breakdown.

Other notable songs

Upon the release of Killer Love, the title track ("Killer Love") charted on the UK Singles Chart at 184 due to strong digital sales from the album.

Track listing

International edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Poison"	Nicole Scherzinger, RedOne, The Chef, BeatGeek, AJ Junior, Kinda Hamid	RedOne, BeatGeek, Jimmy Joker*	3:47
2.	"Killer Love"	Scherzinger, RedOne, Junior, The Chef, BeatGeek, Joker	RedOne, BeatGeek	3:52
3.	"Don't Hold Your Breath"	Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, Toby Gad	Carl Falk, Steve Josefsson, Rami	3:17
4.	"Right There"	James Scheffer, Ester Dean, Frank Romano, Daniel Morris	Jim Jonsin	4:02
5.	"You Will Be Loved"	Timothy Thomas, Theron Thomas	Julian Swirsky	4:16
6.	"Wet"	Tor Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, Sandy Wilhelm, Dean, Traci Hale	StarGate, Sandy Vee	3:37
7.	"Say Yes"	RedOne, Joker, Jonas Saeed, Pontus Söderqvist, Nailah Thourbourne, Nyanda Thourbourne, Tasha Thourbourne, Candace Thourbourne	RedOne, Jimmy Joker	3:29
8.	"Club Banger Nation"	RedOne, The Chef, Hamid	RedOne	4:06
9.	"Power's Out" (featuring Sting)	Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Thaddis Harrell	Tricky Stewart, The-Dream	4:10
10.	"Desperate"	Scherzinger, RedOne, Hamid	RedOne	3:27
11.	"Everybody"	Scherzinger, RedOne, Adil Khayat, Junior, The Chef, Joker, BeatGeek, Trina Harmon	RedOne, BeatGeek*, Jimmy Joker*	3:50
12.	"Heartbeat (Rudi Wells Open Heart Remix)" (Enrique Iglesias featuring Nicole Scherzinger)	Iglesias, Jamie Scott, Mark Taylor	Mark Taylor, Rudi Wells	3:32
13.	"Casualty"	Matthew Samuals, Andrea England, Liz Rodrigues, Bret Ryan, Zalezy Epstein	Boi-1da, Maven Boys^	4:21
14.	"AmenJena"	Harmon, Scherzinger	Trina Harmon	5:22
Total length:				55:10

French bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Poison (Glam As You Rock Mix)"	Scherzinger, RedOne, The Chef, BeatGeek, AJ Junior, Kinda Hamid	RedOne, BeatGeek, Jimmy Joker*	3:41
16.	"Don't Hold Your Breath (Cahill Mix - Edit)"	Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, Toby Gad	Carl Falk, Steve Angello, Rami Yacoub	3:04

Australian bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Right There" (featuring 50 Cent)	Scheffer, Dean, Romano, Morris, 50 Cent	Jim Jonsin	4:22

European Deluxe/Repackaged edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Right There" (featuring 50 Cent)	Scheffer, Dean, Romano, Morris, 50 Cent	Jim Jonsin	4:22
16.	"Try with Me"	Carsten Schack, Sean Hurley, Olivia Nervo, Miriam Nervo	Soulshock, Sean Hurley	3:56
17.	"Trust Me I Lie"	Diane Warren	Fraser T. Smith	3:51
18.	"Tomorrow Never Dies"	Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson, Bonnie McKee, Kelly Sheehan	The Runners	3:41
Total length:				70:51

(*) denotes co-producer
(^) denotes additional producer

Notes

• Track listing and credits from album booklet.
• The demo for "Say Yes" was originally produced by The Cave (Jonas Saeed and Pontus Söderqvist).

US edition

The US version of Killer Love was planned to feature an alternate track listing. Scherzinger confirmed, during an interview with MTV, that the US album would contain contributions from RedOne, Ne-Yo, Jim Jonsin, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. In addition to this, 50 Cent was featured on the album's US lead single, a new version of the Jonsin-produced, "Right There". American hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg appears on one of the new songs recorded for the US album. Scherzinger has recorded more than 40 songs to be considered for her US solo debut album, but insists that it "will not be finished until the very last minute. I don't know if I will ever feel like I have finished the album." To date, a US version of the album has yet to appear.

Personnel

Adapated from the album booklet.

Performance credits

• Ester Dean – background vocals
• Enrique Iglesias – guest vocals
• 50 Cent – guest vocals

• Nicole Scherzinger – lead vocals, background vocals
• Sting – guest vocals

Management and administration credits

• Brain Alvarez – business affairs
• Gretchen Anderson – production management
• Brett Bracy – international publicity
• Fiona Dearing – marketing
• Todd Douglas – business affairs
• Azoff Geary – management
• Susan Hilderley – business affairs
• Larry Jackson – A&R

• DJ Mormille – A&R
• Marta Navas – A&R administration
• Clark Pardee – production management
• Ginger Ramsey – marketing
• Dave Rene – A&R
• Don Robinson – international marketing
• Paul Smith – management
• Jeanne Venton – A&R administration

Art and direction

• Chris Gheringer – mastering
• Stephanie Hsu – creative manager

• Nino Muñoz – photographer
• Julian Peploe Studio – art direction

Technical credits

• Josh Alexander – vocal producer
• BeatGeek – producer, instruments, programming
• Boi-1da – producer
• David Boyd – assistant vocal recorder
• Maven Boys – additional producer
• David Bukovinsky – cello
• Mattias Bylund – strings arranger, stringer recorder, strings editor
• The Cave – original song demo production for "Say Yes"
• Michael Daley – assistant vocal recorder
• Mikkel Erkissen – recording engineer
• Carl Falk – producer
• Chris Garcia – digital editor
• Angela N. Golighty – production coordinator
• Mark "Exit" Goodchild – engineering
• Trina Harmon – producer, vocal producer, pianist
• Kuk Harrell – vocal producer
• Dabbling Harward – additional vocal recorder
• Andrew Hey – vocal recorder
• Ghazi Hourani – assistant recording engineer
• Matt Huber – assistant mixing engineer
• Mattias Johnasson – violinist
• Jimmy Joker – producer, vocal editor, recording engineer
• Jim Jonsin – producer, programmer, keyboards
• Steve Josefsson – producer
• Jaycen Joshua – mixing
• AJ Junior – vocal editor, instruments
• Martin Keirszenbaum – guitars and additional keyboards
• Paul LaMalfa – assistant recording engineer

• Damien Lewis – additional and assistant engineering
• Robert Marks – recording engineer, mixing
• Patrick Mascall – guitarist
• Harvey Mason, Jr. – vocal producer
• Justin Merrill – additional mixing engineer, recording engineer
• Danny Morris – additional keyboards
• Trevor Muzzy – recording engineer, guitarist, vocal editor, mixing, instruments
• Terius "The-Dream" Nash – producer
• Alec Newell – engineering
• Rob Orton – mixing
• Carlos Paucar – vocal recorder
• Dave Pensado – mixing
• Rami – producer
• RedOne – producer, recording engineer, guitarist, instruments, programming, vocal arranger, vocal production
• Frank Romano – guitarist, bass
• Stargate (Mikkel S. Eriksen & Tor E. Hermansen) – producer, instruments
• Billy Steinberg – vocal producer
• C. "Tricky" Stewart – producer
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
• Julian Swirsky – producer
• Phil Tan – mixing
• Marke Taylor – producer, keyboards, programmer
• Jamie Scott & The Town – pianist
• Sandy Vee – producer, recording engineer, mixing, instruments
• Miles Walker – recording engineer
• Stuart White – additional engineer
• Andrew Wuepper – mixing assistant

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart	26
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)	54
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)	61
Dutch Albums Chart	66
French Albums Chart	57
German Albums Chart	85
Irish Albums Chart	14
New Zealand Albums Chart	34
Polish Albums Chart	88
Scottish Albums Chart	6
Swiss Albums Chart	55
UK Albums Chart	8
UK Digital Albums	4

Certifications

Country	Certification
United Kingdom(BPI)	Platinum

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)	Position
UK Albums Chart	65

Release history

Region	Date	Edition	Format	Label
Ireland	March 18, 2011	Standard version	CD, digital download	Universal Music
France
United Kingdom	March 21, 2011			Polydor Records
Belgium				Universal Music
Switzerland	March 25, 2011
France	April 25, 2011
Netherlands	May 20, 2011
Poland
Germany	August 26, 2011
Australia	September 2, 2011
Ireland	November 11, 2011	Deluxe/Re-packaged Version		Polydor Records
United Kingdom	November 14, 2011

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