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Can't Speak French

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Template:Future single

"Can't Speak French"
Song
B-side"Hoxton Heroes
Je Ne Parle Pas Français
With Every Heartbeat (Live Lounge Cover)"

"Can't Speak French" is the eighteenth single by the British girl group Girls Aloud, and the third to be taken from their fourth studio album Tangled Up, to be released physically on 17 March 2008.[1]

Release and reception

The single was confirmed on 15 January 2008 on the official site.[2] The first televised performance was a month prior on the Christmas special of The Friday Night Project.

Promotion for "Can't Speak French" was initially put on hold, so that Cheryl Cole could sort through her marital problems with Chelsea and England player Ashley Cole,[3] but has since resumed. During February and March, they will be appearing on a number of television shows to promote the single, including Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.[4] Their new television series, Passions of Girls Aloud, will also premiere.[5] "Can't Speak French" was A-listed on BBC Radio 1's playlist.[6]

Girls Aloud also held a competition on their official website for a signed poster. Fans will submit their own original verse for "Can't Speak French", with winners being announced on the single's release date.[7]

The Guardian called the song "a prime example of Xenomania's ability to throw wildly disparate musical elements together."[8] The Daily Star said that "Can't Speak French" was a "swirling, slower cut with great jazzy guitar changes".[9]

Music video

Girls Aloud in their music video.

The video for "Can't Speak French" was shot towards the end of January 2008 in London.[10] American director Petro directed the music video for the production company Draw Pictures.[11] It premièred on Yahoo! Music on 14 February, with the TV premiere on Channel 4's "Freshly Squeezed" on 16 February.[12] However, the music video appeared on some music channels such as The Box on 13 February.

The music video features Girls Aloud in elaborate costumes inspired by Marie Antoinette and 17th century French fashions. They crash a sophisticated dinner party and seduce the male guests. They dance provocatively and flirt with the men. At the end of the video, Sarah dances on the table. Throughout the video, individual shots of each girl in front of a coloured wall are interpolated. As of 14 March 2008, the music video for "Can't Speak French" has been viewed 378,925 times on popular video-sharing website YouTube.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Can't Speak French".[13]

# Title Time
CD1: Fascination (UK) / 1762720
1. "Can't Speak French" [Radio Edit] 3:19
2. "Hoxton Heroes" 3:08
CD2: Fascination (UK) / 1764167
1. "Can't Speak French" [Radio Edit] 3:19
2. "Je Ne Parle Pas Français" 3:23
3. "Can't Speak French" [Passions Mix] 5:02
4. "With Every Heartbeat" [Live Lounge cover] 3:58
5. "Can't Speak French" [Video] 3:19
UK iTunes Exclusive Download
1. "Can't Speak French" [Tony Lamezma Mix] 6:11
2. "Can't Speak French" [Radio Edit] 3:19

Versions and appearances

These are the official versions and remixes and the release they appear on, of:

Version Release appearance
Album Version Tangled Up
Jeremy Wheatly Radio Edit "Can't Speak French" single
Je Ne Parle Pas Français
Passions Remix
Tony Lamezma Mix UK iTunes Exclusive Download

Charts

"Can't Speak French" debuted at number forty-nine on the UK Singles Chart on 24 February, 2008, four weeks before the single's physical release.[14] It jumped to number thirty-five the following week, still on downloads alone and entered the top twenty the next week.[15] Digital sales also helped the song debut on the Irish Singles Chart at number thirty-five, rising two spots the following week, and three more to number thirty the week after.[16] Can't Speak French is currently on the A List on Radio 1's Playlist.

Chart (2008) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 20[15]
Irish Singles Chart 26[16]
Lithuanian Radio Chart 26[17]
UK iTunes Top 100 11
Euro 200 177[18]

B-side

The single's B-side "Hoxton Heroes" was first mentioned in a November interview with The Guardian. Miranda Cooper, a songwriter and member of the Xenomania production house, said "We've written a song called Hoxton Hero. Me and the girls got on an amazing rant, taking the piss out of the whole indie scene." Kimberley Walsh stated, "They say we're a manufactured band, but they're just as manufactured." The song was considered too controversial to go on the album.[19]

On 31 January, 2008, it was confirmed on Girls Aloud's official website and in The Daily Star that "Hoxton Heroes" would appear as a B-side, alongside a French version of the single.[1][20] A 30-second clip of "Hoxton Heroes" was posted on Girls Aloud's official MySpace on 6 February.[21] Music fans both attacked and defended Girls Aloud for the song.[22] Heatworld.com exclusively streamed a clip of "Je Ne Parle Pas Français" on 26 February.[23]

Both "Hoxton Heroes" and "Je Ne Parle Pas Français" leaked on 13 March, due to the Irish release of "Can't Speak French".

References

  1. ^ a b "Girls Attack!". The Daily Star. 2008-01-31. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ "News on the Girls' next single". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
  3. ^ "Nadine Coyle makes most of band crisis". Sunday Mirror. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  4. ^ "GA TV". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  5. ^ "The Passions are coming!". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  6. ^ "BBC - Radio 1 - Playlist". BBC Radio 1. 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  7. ^ "Signed posters". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  8. ^ "Girls Aloud, Tangled Up". The Guardian. 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
  9. ^ "Girls Aloud track by track". The Daily Star. 2007-11-07. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
  10. ^ "Brave Cheryl: I'm outta here". The Sun. 2008-01-29. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  11. ^ "Petro". DrawPictures.co.uk. 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  12. ^ "Can't Speak French - THE VIDEO!". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  13. ^ "Can't Speak French - Out 17th March". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-02-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ "Duffy, Kylie and Mark Ronson: what's happening in the new Top 40?". PopJustice. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  15. ^ a b "BBC Radio 1 - UK Singles Chart". BBC. 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  16. ^ a b "Irish Singles Chart". Irma.ie. 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  17. ^ "Lithuanian Radio Chart". m-1.fm. 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  18. ^ "Euro 200". Euro 200. 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  19. ^ "Smashed hits". The Guardian. 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  20. ^ "More details on Can't Speak French". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-01-31. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  21. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Hear Hoxton Heroes!". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
  22. ^ "Music fans react to Girls Aloud criticising indie bands". NME. 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
  23. ^ "Hear Girls Aloud sing Can't Speak French – IN FRENCH!". Heatworld.com. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
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