Beep (song)
Encyclopedia
"Beep" is a hip hop
song released by American recording group the Pussycat Dolls
' from their debut album PCD
. "Beep" was a moderate success worldwide, having scored within the top twenty on the majority of the charts on which it was rated. "Beep" became the group's third Billboard top twenty success, having reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #2 in the UK Singles Chart
.
, Kara DioGuardi
, Jeff Lynne
in the music key of B-flat major. The instrumental string hook is sampled by ELO's "Evil Woman
" (1975). Critics noted that the song was similar to Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps
" (2005) whom both were produced and written by will.i.am
. The stacatto Destiny's Child
-like verse is made up of naughty lyrical bits which are are clipped by a bleep censor
. According to Bill Lamb the song "combines danceable hip hop pop with a light, clever sense of humor." IGN
's Spence D. noted that "the song is a mixed bag, tossing together slick strings for that orchestrated pop vibe, then mixing that up with a loping, though downplayed, funk groove. It's like two songs in one, though one of the songs feels like a throwback to '80s sterile pop." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, the "girl-empowerment song" has a time signature
set in common time
, with a tempo
of 104 beats per minute. The melody is mainly composed with piano
and guitar
instruments and uses stomping, custom-made beat.
, Lisa Haines described "Beep" as a standout tune. Bill Lamb from About.com
gave the song a positive review, awarding it 4 stars out of 5, enjoying "that big ELO
sample" and the "fun and good humor". Later in his review he said, "the constant poking fun at radio censors with head Pussycat Doll Nicole Kea singing about 'looking at my (beep!)' is cute and funny." Nick Butler from Sputnikmusic
wrote that the song may even be better than Don't Cha
. "'Beep', [is] pretty much the only thing here that stands up to 'Don't Cha' (it's quite possibly better, actually)." People's Chuck Arnold described the song as "naughty". However Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
wrote that the song is a "degrading material". musicOMH
's John Murphy described the song as "oddly sexless", "bland", "dull" and "just so damn safe." Senior editor of Billboard
magazine, Chuck Taylor described the song as "cliched and overwrought." He ended his review writing "We had higher hopes."
) starts with Scherzinger meeting Will.i.am in an elevator. Will.i.am explains his attraction to which Scherzinger replies by implying she doesn't care about him looking at her. She then enters the Dolls apartment, and, concluding the chorus, they begin a dance routine throughout the second verse. Will.i.am then enters the room, but quickly exits as Bachar throws a bottle of water at him. The Dolls are then seen at a nightclub and a dance break ensues. They are then seen in solo dance spots in front of a large set of speakers. Scherzinger, Bachar and Thornton are seen with Will.i.am, as the video comes to a close.
, and eventually peaked at number-thirteen becoming the Dolls' third consecutive top 20 success, but failed to match the success of its predecessors, "Don't Cha
" and "Stickwitu
" which both became Billboard top 10 hits. In Canada "Beep" was not a commercial success, peaking at number forty-eight on the Canadian Singles Chart and number forty-five on the Canadian BDS Airplay Chart.
In the United Kingdom, "Beep" debuted and peaked at number-two on the UK Singles Chart
becoming the Dolls' third consecutive top 3 success, but spent a relatively short 11 weeks on the chart. "Beep" was also a success in Ireland where it peaked at number-two on the Irish Singles Chart
, thanks to the song's success in the United Kingdom. This makes "Beep" the dolls' third consecutive top 3 success there.
"Beep" was also successful across Oceania
. In Australia "Beep" debuted and peaked at number-three for two non-consecutive weeks on the Australian ARIA
Singles Chart, becoming the group's third consecutive top 3 success there also, and was certified Gold by ARIA
for sales in excess of 35,000 copies. "Beep" was ranked as the 24th best seller in Australia for 2006, and was one of four songs to have made the Australian ARIA Year-End Singles Chart for 2006 along with "Stickwitu", "Buttons" and "I Don't Need A Man". In New Zealand, "Beep" debuted at number twenty-five on the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart, and the following week ascended to its peak at number-one where it spent seven consecutive weeks, becoming the group's third consecutive number-one success there. "Beep" ended as the year's second best seller, and is the group's most successful single there to date.
"Beep" was also a success in Europe and scored a peak position of number-two on the European Hot 100. "Beep" performed the best in Belgium where it topped the singles chart for a week becoming the Dolls' second number one single there after "Don't Cha". "Beep" was also a success in the Netherlands where it peaked at number-two for two consecutive weeks, becoming the Dolls' third consecutive song to have peaked at number-two following its predecessors, "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu". "Beep" reached the top 5 in Norway, the top 10 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France, and the top 20 in Sweden.
Breno Bretto Club Mix
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
song released by American recording group the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
' from their debut album PCD
PCD (album)
PCD is the debut album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 13, 2005 in the United States, by A&M Records. After recruiting Melody Thornton and Nicole Scherzinger and releasing two singles, they released this album...
. "Beep" was a moderate success worldwide, having scored within the top twenty on the majority of the charts on which it was rated. "Beep" became the group's third Billboard top twenty success, having reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #2 in 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 ...
.
Composition
"Beep" is a hip hop, pop song which was written by William AdamsWilliam Adams
-Politicians:*Acton Adams , 19th century New Zealand politician*William Adams , MP for Totnes*William Adams , rancher and politician in British Columbia, Canada...
, Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
, Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
in the music key of B-flat major. The instrumental string hook is sampled by ELO's "Evil Woman
Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra song)
"Evil Woman" is a song written by lead vocalist Jeff Lynne and recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.First released on the band's fifth album, 1975's Face the Music. Released as a single in late-1975, the song became the band's first worldwide hit...
" (1975). Critics noted that the song was similar to Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps
My Humps
"My Humps" is the third single by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album, Monkey Business. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle. Released in 2005, it reached number three in...
" (2005) whom both were produced and written by will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
. The stacatto Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
-like verse is made up of naughty lyrical bits which are are clipped by a bleep censor
Bleep censor
A bleep censor is the replacement of profanity or classified information with a beep sound , in television or radio...
. According to Bill Lamb the song "combines danceable hip hop pop with a light, clever sense of humor." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Spence D. noted that "the song is a mixed bag, tossing together slick strings for that orchestrated pop vibe, then mixing that up with a loping, though downplayed, funk groove. It's like two songs in one, though one of the songs feels like a throwback to '80s sterile pop." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, the "girl-empowerment song" has a time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
, with a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 104 beats per minute. The melody is mainly composed with piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
instruments and uses stomping, custom-made beat.
Critical reception
"Beep" received mainly positive reviews from modern critics. When reviewing for PCDPCD (album)
PCD is the debut album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 13, 2005 in the United States, by A&M Records. After recruiting Melody Thornton and Nicole Scherzinger and releasing two singles, they released this album...
, Lisa Haines described "Beep" as a standout tune. Bill Lamb from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the song a positive review, awarding it 4 stars out of 5, enjoying "that big ELO
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
sample" and the "fun and good humor". Later in his review he said, "the constant poking fun at radio censors with head Pussycat Doll Nicole Kea singing about 'looking at my (beep!)' is cute and funny." Nick Butler from Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
wrote that the song may even be better than Don't Cha
Don't Cha
"Don't Cha" is the debut single by American R&B/pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls. The song was originally recorded by American recording artist Tori Alamaze, and was released as her debut single in March 2005, on Universal Records. After Universal Records dropped her from the label, Cee-Lo Green...
. "'Beep', [is] pretty much the only thing here that stands up to 'Don't Cha' (it's quite possibly better, actually)." People's Chuck Arnold described the song as "naughty". However Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
wrote that the song is a "degrading material". musicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
's John Murphy described the song as "oddly sexless", "bland", "dull" and "just so damn safe." Senior editor 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...
magazine, Chuck Taylor described the song as "cliched and overwrought." He ended his review writing "We had higher hopes."
Music video
The video (directed by Benny BoomBenny Boom
Benny Boom is a music video director and current director of Gorilla Flix, Inc. He trained at Temple University's School of Radio, Television, & Film, and also served as a protégé of veteran director Little X and Hype Williams....
) starts with Scherzinger meeting Will.i.am in an elevator. Will.i.am explains his attraction to which Scherzinger replies by implying she doesn't care about him looking at her. She then enters the Dolls apartment, and, concluding the chorus, they begin a dance routine throughout the second verse. Will.i.am then enters the room, but quickly exits as Bachar throws a bottle of water at him. The Dolls are then seen at a nightclub and a dance break ensues. They are then seen in solo dance spots in front of a large set of speakers. Scherzinger, Bachar and Thornton are seen with Will.i.am, as the video comes to a close.
Chart performance
"Beep" debuted at number ninety-three on the US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and eventually peaked at number-thirteen becoming the Dolls' third consecutive top 20 success, but failed to match the success of its predecessors, "Don't Cha
Don't Cha
"Don't Cha" is the debut single by American R&B/pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls. The song was originally recorded by American recording artist Tori Alamaze, and was released as her debut single in March 2005, on Universal Records. After Universal Records dropped her from the label, Cee-Lo Green...
" and "Stickwitu
Stickwitu
"Stickwitu" is a R&B ballad by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut album, PCD. Produced by Jimmy Iovine, Robin Antin, Ron Fair and Tal Herzberg, it was released as the album's second single in late 2005. The song is an uptempo ballad being different to their previous single...
" which both became Billboard top 10 hits. In Canada "Beep" was not a commercial success, peaking at number forty-eight on the Canadian Singles Chart and number forty-five on the Canadian BDS Airplay Chart.
In the United Kingdom, "Beep" debuted and peaked at number-two 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 ...
becoming the Dolls' third consecutive top 3 success, but spent a relatively short 11 weeks on the chart. "Beep" was also a success in Ireland where it peaked at number-two on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, thanks to the song's success in the United Kingdom. This makes "Beep" the dolls' third consecutive top 3 success there.
"Beep" was also successful across Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. In Australia "Beep" debuted and peaked at number-three for two non-consecutive weeks on the Australian ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
Singles Chart, becoming the group's third consecutive top 3 success there also, and was certified Gold by ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
for sales in excess of 35,000 copies. "Beep" was ranked as the 24th best seller in Australia for 2006, and was one of four songs to have made the Australian ARIA Year-End Singles Chart for 2006 along with "Stickwitu", "Buttons" and "I Don't Need A Man". In New Zealand, "Beep" debuted at number twenty-five on the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart, and the following week ascended to its peak at number-one where it spent seven consecutive weeks, becoming the group's third consecutive number-one success there. "Beep" ended as the year's second best seller, and is the group's most successful single there to date.
"Beep" was also a success in Europe and scored a peak position of number-two on the European Hot 100. "Beep" performed the best in Belgium where it topped the singles chart for a week becoming the Dolls' second number one single there after "Don't Cha". "Beep" was also a success in the Netherlands where it peaked at number-two for two consecutive weeks, becoming the Dolls' third consecutive song to have peaked at number-two following its predecessors, "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu". "Beep" reached the top 5 in Norway, the top 10 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France, and the top 20 in Sweden.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| Sweden | Gold |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 24 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 51 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 39 |
| UK Singles Chart | 31 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 84 |
Track listings and formats
- U.S. promo CD
- Beep [LP Version]
- Beep [Instrumental]
- Beep [Reggaeton Remix]
- U.S. iTunes single
- Beep [Album Version]
- Beep [Video]
- UK CD1
- Beep [Album Version]
- Hot Stuff (I Want You Back) [Remix Version]
- UK CD2
- Beep [Radio Version]
- Hot Stuff (I Want You Back) [Remix Version]
- Beep [CD-Rom Video]
- Sway [CD-Rom Video]
- EU CD
- Beep [Album Version]
- Don't ChaDon't Cha"Don't Cha" is the debut single by American R&B/pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls. The song was originally recorded by American recording artist Tori Alamaze, and was released as her debut single in March 2005, on Universal Records. After Universal Records dropped her from the label, Cee-Lo Green...
[Live Version] - Hot Stuff (I Want You Back) [Remix Version]
- Beep [Video]
- Unofficial Remixes
Breno Bretto Club Mix
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
- Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2006Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2006These hits topped the Ultratop 50 in 2006....