Beat of My Drum
Encyclopedia
"Beat of My Drum" is a song by British recording artist Nicola Roberts
. It was released on 3 June 2011, via Polydor Records
, as the first single from Roberts's debut solo album, Cinderella's Eyes
. It had an on-air, on-sale release date which meant originally it received no prior promotion, something which Roberts was concerned with. The song was produced by record producers Dimitri Tikovoi with additional production from Diplo with the song being written by Nicola Roberts, Dimitri Tikovoi and Maya von Doll. Written to be British
and fun, Roberts intended the song to be one to which people can sing and dance.
"Beat of My Drum" is a dance-pop
track with themes of indie pop
, and has been compared to the work of artists including M.I.A.
and Major Lazer
. Lyrically, the song discusses Roberts's days in the band Girls Aloud
; while part of the group, she felt undervalued in comparison to other members. In November 2011 after the demo of a Madonna
track leaked onto the internet, fans and critics alike noted similarities to Roberts' own "Beat of My Drum" for its cheerleader style chant, which went onto receive controversy in the media.
"Beat of My Drum" gathered acclaim from critics, with some describing it as more original than solo releases by other members of Girls Aloud and garnering comparisons to artists such as Kelis
and Robyn
. Commercially, "Beat of My Drum" failed to make a large impact; in the United Kingdom
it charted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart
and one place higher on the Scottish Singles chart. In Ireland
, the song peaked at number 37. A music video featuring Roberts performing in a hall with dancers was released. The video saw her wear a 1970s inspired outfit, and gained positive responses from critics. Roberts performed the song on T4 on the Beach
, which was her first solo television performance, and on Paul O'Grady Live
.
. Roberts claimed that, in retrospect, she found the experience troubling. She struggled to handle the celebrity life and the constant media attention. In particular, she received negative attention concerning her image. The experience led her to start to develop her debut album, which, lyrically, reflected the difficult times she experienced in Girls Aloud. In "Beat of My Drum", Roberts describes herself as a "baby in the corner". Roberts confirmed that she had co-written all of the tracks from Cinderella's Eyes, with the lyrics telling stories of things that happened in her life. She stated that she had always wanted "Beat of My Drum" to be something different from the music that her rivals were presenting in the charts, saying that she loved that "it's a song everyone can sing and dance to". While talking of "Beat of My Drum", Roberts said that the song had a "fun concept" with a British influence; for her, Cinderella Eyes as whole "has a very British sound", which was an important consideration.
to work on the record, Roberts explained "he just got is straight away". In an effort to perfect the music, Roberts noted that communications were strict between her and Diplo. Talking to The Guardian
, Roberts spoke of her first contact with Diplo by saying that "I only had one chance, so I just fired at him. 'I want this, I want that, don't send it back like that. I'm going to send you the session again just so you've got it.' He reassured me a bit, and I put the phone down, thinking, it's not in my hands now." When she got the track back from Diplo, she was too nervous to listen to it immediately. Roberts claimed that she did not want to be let down by the track, as the song meant a lot to her. She first listened to the song in her hometown of Liverpool
; after burning the track to a CD, she put her younger brother and sister in the car with her, drove to a deserted field and played it loudly. After positive responses from the pair, Roberts declared "I'm so proud of it. I can't believe it's mine. [Diplo] is a genius".
track with themes of indie pop
, and has been compared to the work of M.I.A.
and Daphne & Celeste. The verses, choruses and bridges are all distinctively different; the chorus
consists of chants, the verses
are spoken, and the bridge
are dancehall
themed. The section features dancehall
themes and gathered comparisons to the act Major Lazer, in the bridge Roberts sings "Don't it make your heart go wow, How I've turned this whole thing around?". The vocals are performed against sirens, and, lyrically, the song references the times Roberts felt undervalued while part of Girls Aloud. She sings "Two left feet I had no beat, Baby in the corner learning quick, keep up, keep up, keep up".
track "Give Me All Your Love" in November 2011 critics and fans alike noted similarities to the track and Roberts own "Beat of My Drum" Cheryl Cole
, a band-mate of Roberts within Girls Aloud commented shortly after the comparisons were drawn saying "Imitation is the biggest form of flattery!", Roberts then responded to Twitter
post saying "Copy-catting has never flattered me.." After the apparent comments by Roberts relating to the Madonna track, she clarified the comments were not directed to Madonna saying "Some people are so quick to jump the gun [...] Some people interpret things to suit them", on the social networking site Twitter Roberts stated she had not heard the track, and also posted a message to her fans in response to the controversy saying "Some people find it so easy to say such horrible nasty hurtful words so frivolously." The comparisons arose after the "cheerleader-style" chorus is heard on the Madonna track as she chants the lyrics "L-U-V Madonna" whilst Roberts track features the lyrics "L.O.V.E/ Dance to the beat of my drum/ Dance to the beat of my drum." A writer for the Daily Mirror in the United Kingdom commented on the comparison calling "Give Me All Your Love" "a poor variation on Nicola Roberts’ Beat Of My Drum" and negatively commenting on the misspelling of "love", which Madonna stylized as "l-u-v".
wanted to release the track that way, as it was the way they were releasing all of their new work. The release of this nature, was due to illegal downloading, and the record label was attempting to avoid illegal downloads as much as possible as Roberts stated, "it's now harder for artists". Talking of Girls Aloud
, Roberts stated she was used to releasing a song after around six weeks of promotion, including radio, television and press promotion, and commented that it was "very scary" to release a song without this publicity. She also noted the effect of this kind of release against chart positions, she said, "I think it's harder for the public now because it's always been about the chart position. I also think it takes the excitement out of the charts because it's not a competition anymore."
, gave the song five out of five stars, saying that "Once named the least desirable member of Girls Aloud, the transformation of Nicola Roberts from pasty and awkward backing singer into glowing, haute couture pop songstress has been a magnificent spectacle." Jeff Benjamin of Billboard
called Roberts's effort the most "intriguing" out of all the Girls Aloud
solo efforts. He said that Roberts had potential for success in the United States, comparing the song to the work of such artists as M.I.A., Robyn
and Kelis
. He asked readers to imagine that "a young M.I.A. -- mixed with Robyn and Yelle -- went on a shopping spree to Urban Outfitters, started chanting "L! O! V! E!" and turned it all into a true summer anthem." A writer from website Popjustice
noted that "Beat of My Drum" "hardly happened by accident" but that "it feels really carefree and spontaneous", explaining "what we mean by that is that you can tell a lot of care and attention has gone into it". Dean Piper of the Daily Mirror called the song "fantastic" claiming that Roberts "means business with her debut solo material", and saying he could not "get enough of the single", calling it "classic pop, fresh and fantastic."
Michael Cragg, writing for The Guardian
, compared the chanting chorus to that of Justice
vs. Simian
's track, "We Are Your Friends". He called it both "ridiculously cool and a bit naff". In response to the general acclaim from critics, Roberts wished that the track would be well-received amongst her peers, saying "I haven't seen one bad review from the single or album samplers – it seems too good to be true. The response from critics has been amazing. It's like being at school and being told ‘well done’ by the teachers but I want my classmates to like it too. I want the people at home to get something from the record. Then I'll be doubly happy." In the United Kingdom the song debuted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart
, on the issue date of June 18, 2011. The following week the single fell outside of the top 40 to number 64 and continued falling in its third week placing at number 88. However on 16 July 2011, the fourth week it rose to number 76 and again in its fifth week where it charted at number 50. In Ireland, the single debuted and peaked at number 37 on the chart, whilst in Scotland the song debuted at number 26 on the issue date of 18 June 2011.
. Roberts called Morgan "focused and passionate", saying she felt comfortable with her immediately. Roberts calls herself a perfectionist, and she also saw Morgan as one; it was, for Roberts, because of this that they enjoyed working together. The music video and production was featured on the Through Nicola's Eyes webisodes, in which Roberts stated that she found the production of the music video very stressful. She said "I'm nervous and I'm dreading the night before... I know I'm going to be like losing half a stone in weight overnight, so I'm going to have to get myself into the zone." Roberts attributed her stress on the set of the video to her time with Girls Aloud, as she had always recorded music videos with four other members; this was the first time she had performed on her own. This meant that critical responses would only be aimed only at her. During the shoot of the music video, Roberts further discussed the anxiety of a solo career claiming pressure from Morgan was making her feel uncomfortable. During the production, Roberts feared that feeling uncomfortable whilst shooting could have an overall negative effect on the video, explaining "You've got to like be strong and be professional and get through it, obviously enjoy it, but if you feel uncomfortable, you can't look uncomfortable otherwise it's not going to work".
outfit. After knocking over the microphone stand, Roberts performs a routine with three female back-up dancers in front of multiple speakers. During the chorus, she dances with the same three dancers, whilst shots of men watching them are shown. Roberts then leads the three women through the hall before they perform a dance section in the bridge of the track. Three men marching in a small white room are shown, leading to a shot of Roberts marching alongside a marching band
of drummers. She is then shown in a multi-coloured sweater-dress, stood atop a speaker and surrounded by dancers. Final shots show Roberts producing shapes of letters L, O, V, and E with cheerleaders. The video ends with Roberts casually interacting with her dancers.
On her official Twitter
account, Roberts spoke of her excitement for the video, writing "ARGHHHHHH! I'm SO proud of Team Ginge! Just had my final video cut through. I'm SO excited for you to see it. I LOVE it and cant believe it". A writer from MTV
Buzzworthy stated they were "sold" on the concept, explaining that "[o]utfitted in a colorful onesie, Nicola employs a troupe of dancers, a drumline, and a cheerleading squad" in her the video, before "mounting a stack of speakers, which she uses as a platform to urges listeners to dance to the beat of her drum." The Daily Mail
' s Jessica Satherley responded well, noting that Roberts's "adventurous dance moves certainly give her Girls Aloud pal Cheryl Cole a run for her money." The Daily Mail also reported that Perez Hilton
liked the video; in a Twitter
comment, he said "I am dancing to the beat of my drum!!! Just heard the song in full and I am LIVING for [Roberts's] new single! Vid looks HOT too!!".
, and this was her first live solo performance. Asked whether she was nervous about the performance, she said she had "forgotten what a crowd like that feels and looks like. I try not to get nervous - I don't like to think about things too much beforehand, otherwise I worry too much. I like to deal with the situation when it happens." During the performance a beat-boxer from Norfolk
in the United Kingdom was picked to perform with her on stage. Tom Povey with the stage name of Intensi T said "It's so cool and the highlight of my career so far", Povey was spotted whilst he was performing in a show in a London pub, he expressed his excitement at the performance saying "I was just really excited as I've done so many gigs, building up from small shows, so I knew it would be just like any other show but with a bigger audience," he said. In addition to the performance at T4 on the Beach Roberts performed the track on British chat-shows Daybreak
and The Paul O'Grady Show
.
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
. It was released on 3 June 2011, via Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, as the first single from Roberts's debut solo album, Cinderella's Eyes
Cinderella's Eyes
Cinderella's Eyes is the debut studio album by English recording artist Nicola Roberts. A member of the British five-piece girl-band Girls Aloud, Roberts drew inspiration from her time with the band...
. It had an on-air, on-sale release date which meant originally it received no prior promotion, something which Roberts was concerned with. The song was produced by record producers Dimitri Tikovoi with additional production from Diplo with the song being written by Nicola Roberts, Dimitri Tikovoi and Maya von Doll. Written to be British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and fun, Roberts intended the song to be one to which people can sing and dance.
"Beat of My Drum" is a dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
track with themes of indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
, and has been compared to the work of artists including M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
and Major Lazer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
. Lyrically, the song discusses Roberts's days in the band Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
; while part of the group, she felt undervalued in comparison to other members. In November 2011 after the demo of a Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
track leaked onto the internet, fans and critics alike noted similarities to Roberts' own "Beat of My Drum" for its cheerleader style chant, which went onto receive controversy in the media.
"Beat of My Drum" gathered acclaim from critics, with some describing it as more original than solo releases by other members of Girls Aloud and garnering comparisons to artists such as Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
and Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
. Commercially, "Beat of My Drum" failed to make a large impact; in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
it charted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and one place higher on the Scottish Singles chart. In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the song peaked at number 37. A music video featuring Roberts performing in a hall with dancers was released. The video saw her wear a 1970s inspired outfit, and gained positive responses from critics. Roberts performed the song on T4 on the Beach
T4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
, which was her first solo television performance, and on Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live was a British comedy chat show hosted by Paul O'Grady, that began airing on 10 September 2010 on ITV1 and ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD in the United Kingdom. The show is a Friday night chat show that features a mixture of celebrity guests, airing at 21:00. The show culminates with...
.
Writing and inspiration
Before starting her solo career, Roberts was one fifth of the girl band Girls AloudGirls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. Roberts claimed that, in retrospect, she found the experience troubling. She struggled to handle the celebrity life and the constant media attention. In particular, she received negative attention concerning her image. The experience led her to start to develop her debut album, which, lyrically, reflected the difficult times she experienced in Girls Aloud. In "Beat of My Drum", Roberts describes herself as a "baby in the corner". Roberts confirmed that she had co-written all of the tracks from Cinderella's Eyes, with the lyrics telling stories of things that happened in her life. She stated that she had always wanted "Beat of My Drum" to be something different from the music that her rivals were presenting in the charts, saying that she loved that "it's a song everyone can sing and dance to". While talking of "Beat of My Drum", Roberts said that the song had a "fun concept" with a British influence; for her, Cinderella Eyes as whole "has a very British sound", which was an important consideration.
Development
Originally just Roberts and producer Dimitri Tikovoi were recording the track together, the pair struggled to complete the track, with Roberts saying "It just wouldn't work". The incompletion of the song led to stress and illness for Roberts, and after deciding to ask producer DiploDiplo
Thomas Wesley Pentz Thomas Wesley Pentz Thomas Wesley Pentz (born , better known by his stage name Diplo, is a Philadelphia-based American DJ, producer, and songwriter. Together with DJ Low Budget, he runs Hollertronix, a club and music collective. He also founded and manages record company Mad...
to work on the record, Roberts explained "he just got is straight away". In an effort to perfect the music, Roberts noted that communications were strict between her and Diplo. Talking to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Roberts spoke of her first contact with Diplo by saying that "I only had one chance, so I just fired at him. 'I want this, I want that, don't send it back like that. I'm going to send you the session again just so you've got it.' He reassured me a bit, and I put the phone down, thinking, it's not in my hands now." When she got the track back from Diplo, she was too nervous to listen to it immediately. Roberts claimed that she did not want to be let down by the track, as the song meant a lot to her. She first listened to the song in her hometown of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
; after burning the track to a CD, she put her younger brother and sister in the car with her, drove to a deserted field and played it loudly. After positive responses from the pair, Roberts declared "I'm so proud of it. I can't believe it's mine. [Diplo] is a genius".
Composition
"Beat of my Drum" is a dance-popDance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
track with themes of indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
, and has been compared to the work of M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
and Daphne & Celeste. The verses, choruses and bridges are all distinctively different; the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
consists of chants, the verses
Verse-chorus form
Verse-chorus form is a musical form common in popular music and predominant in rock since the 1960s. In contrast to AABA form, which is focused on the verse , in verse-chorus form the chorus is highlighted...
are spoken, and the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
are dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
themed. The section features dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
themes and gathered comparisons to the act Major Lazer, in the bridge Roberts sings "Don't it make your heart go wow, How I've turned this whole thing around?". The vocals are performed against sirens, and, lyrically, the song references the times Roberts felt undervalued while part of Girls Aloud. She sings "Two left feet I had no beat, Baby in the corner learning quick, keep up, keep up, keep up".
Controversy
After the leak of the MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
track "Give Me All Your Love" in November 2011 critics and fans alike noted similarities to the track and Roberts own "Beat of My Drum" Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
, a band-mate of Roberts within Girls Aloud commented shortly after the comparisons were drawn saying "Imitation is the biggest form of flattery!", Roberts then responded to Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
post saying "Copy-catting has never flattered me.." After the apparent comments by Roberts relating to the Madonna track, she clarified the comments were not directed to Madonna saying "Some people are so quick to jump the gun [...] Some people interpret things to suit them", on the social networking site Twitter Roberts stated she had not heard the track, and also posted a message to her fans in response to the controversy saying "Some people find it so easy to say such horrible nasty hurtful words so frivolously." The comparisons arose after the "cheerleader-style" chorus is heard on the Madonna track as she chants the lyrics "L-U-V Madonna" whilst Roberts track features the lyrics "L.O.V.E/ Dance to the beat of my drum/ Dance to the beat of my drum." A writer for the Daily Mirror in the United Kingdom commented on the comparison calling "Give Me All Your Love" "a poor variation on Nicola Roberts’ Beat Of My Drum" and negatively commenting on the misspelling of "love", which Madonna stylized as "l-u-v".
Release and reception
The lead single, had an on air, on sale release, Roberts stated that Universal RecordsUniversal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
wanted to release the track that way, as it was the way they were releasing all of their new work. The release of this nature, was due to illegal downloading, and the record label was attempting to avoid illegal downloads as much as possible as Roberts stated, "it's now harder for artists". Talking of Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, Roberts stated she was used to releasing a song after around six weeks of promotion, including radio, television and press promotion, and commented that it was "very scary" to release a song without this publicity. She also noted the effect of this kind of release against chart positions, she said, "I think it's harder for the public now because it's always been about the chart position. I also think it takes the excitement out of the charts because it's not a competition anymore."
Reception
The song has received positive reviews from critics. Robert Copsey, writing for Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, gave the song five out of five stars, saying that "Once named the least desirable member of Girls Aloud, the transformation of Nicola Roberts from pasty and awkward backing singer into glowing, haute couture pop songstress has been a magnificent spectacle." Jeff Benjamin of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called Roberts's effort the most "intriguing" out of all the Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
solo efforts. He said that Roberts had potential for success in the United States, comparing the song to the work of such artists as M.I.A., Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
and Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
. He asked readers to imagine that "a young M.I.A. -- mixed with Robyn and Yelle -- went on a shopping spree to Urban Outfitters, started chanting "L! O! V! E!" and turned it all into a true summer anthem." A writer from website Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
noted that "Beat of My Drum" "hardly happened by accident" but that "it feels really carefree and spontaneous", explaining "what we mean by that is that you can tell a lot of care and attention has gone into it". Dean Piper of the Daily Mirror called the song "fantastic" claiming that Roberts "means business with her debut solo material", and saying he could not "get enough of the single", calling it "classic pop, fresh and fantastic."
Michael Cragg, writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, compared the chanting chorus to that of Justice
Justice (band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
vs. Simian
Simian (band)
Simian was an English electronic rock band, formed in Manchester in 2000.-Personnel:*Simon William Lord *James Ellis Ford *Alex MacNaghten *James Anthony Shaw -History:...
's track, "We Are Your Friends". He called it both "ridiculously cool and a bit naff". In response to the general acclaim from critics, Roberts wished that the track would be well-received amongst her peers, saying "I haven't seen one bad review from the single or album samplers – it seems too good to be true. The response from critics has been amazing. It's like being at school and being told ‘well done’ by the teachers but I want my classmates to like it too. I want the people at home to get something from the record. Then I'll be doubly happy." In the United Kingdom the song debuted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, on the issue date of June 18, 2011. The following week the single fell outside of the top 40 to number 64 and continued falling in its third week placing at number 88. However on 16 July 2011, the fourth week it rose to number 76 and again in its fifth week where it charted at number 50. In Ireland, the single debuted and peaked at number 37 on the chart, whilst in Scotland the song debuted at number 26 on the issue date of 18 June 2011.
Music video
A music video for "Beat of My Drum" was produced and directed by Wendy MorganWendy Morgan
Wendy Morgan is a former Deputy in the States of Guernsey, the parliament of the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands.Wendy Morgan was elected in 2004 and represented the electoral district of St. Peter Port North, but failed to gain a seat in the 2008 elections...
. Roberts called Morgan "focused and passionate", saying she felt comfortable with her immediately. Roberts calls herself a perfectionist, and she also saw Morgan as one; it was, for Roberts, because of this that they enjoyed working together. The music video and production was featured on the Through Nicola's Eyes webisodes, in which Roberts stated that she found the production of the music video very stressful. She said "I'm nervous and I'm dreading the night before... I know I'm going to be like losing half a stone in weight overnight, so I'm going to have to get myself into the zone." Roberts attributed her stress on the set of the video to her time with Girls Aloud, as she had always recorded music videos with four other members; this was the first time she had performed on her own. This meant that critical responses would only be aimed only at her. During the shoot of the music video, Roberts further discussed the anxiety of a solo career claiming pressure from Morgan was making her feel uncomfortable. During the production, Roberts feared that feeling uncomfortable whilst shooting could have an overall negative effect on the video, explaining "You've got to like be strong and be professional and get through it, obviously enjoy it, but if you feel uncomfortable, you can't look uncomfortable otherwise it's not going to work".
Synopsis and reception
The video opens with two men street dancing in a white hall, with speakers and chairs scattered around. Shots of an audience lead to Roberts walking to a microphone positioned on a stage before she starts lip-synching, wearing a 1970s style1970s in fashion
1970s fashion, which began with a continuation of the mini skirts, bell-bottoms and the androgynous hippie look from the late 1960s, was soon sharply characterized by several distinct fashion trends that have left an indelible image of the decade ...
outfit. After knocking over the microphone stand, Roberts performs a routine with three female back-up dancers in front of multiple speakers. During the chorus, she dances with the same three dancers, whilst shots of men watching them are shown. Roberts then leads the three women through the hall before they perform a dance section in the bridge of the track. Three men marching in a small white room are shown, leading to a shot of Roberts marching alongside a marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
of drummers. She is then shown in a multi-coloured sweater-dress, stood atop a speaker and surrounded by dancers. Final shots show Roberts producing shapes of letters L, O, V, and E with cheerleaders. The video ends with Roberts casually interacting with her dancers.
On her official Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, Roberts spoke of her excitement for the video, writing "ARGHHHHHH! I'm SO proud of Team Ginge! Just had my final video cut through. I'm SO excited for you to see it. I LOVE it and cant believe it". A writer from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Buzzworthy stated they were "sold" on the concept, explaining that "[o]utfitted in a colorful onesie, Nicola employs a troupe of dancers, a drumline, and a cheerleading squad" in her the video, before "mounting a stack of speakers, which she uses as a platform to urges listeners to dance to the beat of her drum." The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
liked the video; in a Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
comment, he said "I am dancing to the beat of my drum!!! Just heard the song in full and I am LIVING for [Roberts's] new single! Vid looks HOT too!!".
Live performances
Roberts performed the song on 2011's T4 on the BeachT4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
, and this was her first live solo performance. Asked whether she was nervous about the performance, she said she had "forgotten what a crowd like that feels and looks like. I try not to get nervous - I don't like to think about things too much beforehand, otherwise I worry too much. I like to deal with the situation when it happens." During the performance a beat-boxer from Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
in the United Kingdom was picked to perform with her on stage. Tom Povey with the stage name of Intensi T said "It's so cool and the highlight of my career so far", Povey was spotted whilst he was performing in a show in a London pub, he expressed his excitement at the performance saying "I was just really excited as I've done so many gigs, building up from small shows, so I knew it would be just like any other show but with a bigger audience," he said. In addition to the performance at T4 on the Beach Roberts performed the track on British chat-shows Daybreak
Daybreak (ITV)
Daybreak is the weekday breakfast television programme on the British commercial ITV network that broadcasts on weekday mornings from 06:00 to 08:30 and is currently presented by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley from Monday to Thursday with Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway on Fridays...
and The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
.
Formats and track-listings
-
- Digital download
- "Beat of My Drum" - 2:55
- "Beat of My Drum" (Instrumental) - 2:56
- "Porcelain Heart" (iTunesITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
pre-order bonus track) - 3:48
-
- Remixes EP
- "Beat of My Drum" (Loverush UK! Club Mix) - 6:25
- "Beat of My Drum" (KC Blitz Remix) - 3:10
- "Beat of My Drum" (Pictureplanes Sage Burn Remix) - 4:27
- "Beat of My Drum" (Loverush UK! Radio Edit) - 3:38
-
- CD single
- "Beat of My Drum" – 2:58
- "Beat of My Drum" (Loverush UK! Radio Edit) - 3:38
- "Disco Blisters and a Comedown" (Roberts, von Doll, Tikovoi) - 3:03
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
37 |
| Scotland (The Official Charts Company) | 26 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 27 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 3 June 2011 | Polydor Records | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| United Kingdom | 5 June 2011 | ||
| 11 July 2011 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
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