Biology (song)
Encyclopedia
"Biology" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud
, taken from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper
, Brian Higgins
and his production team Xenomania
, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Composed of distinct sections, it avoids the verse-chorus forum present in most contemporary pop music. "Biology" was released as a single in November 2005, ahead of the album's release. Following the disappointment of "Long Hot Summer", "Biology" returned Girls Aloud to the top five of the UK Singles Chart
and became their tenth top ten hit.
The music video, consisting only of group shots, witnesses Girls Aloud seamlessly move through various sequences while performing disjointed choreography. "Biology" was promoted through a number of live appearances and has since been performed on all of Girls Aloud's subsequent concert tours. The song, which includes a variety of styles, received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics. Considered one of Girls Aloud's signature song
s, The Guardian
referred to "Biology" as "the best pop single of the last decade."
singing over a blues
y piano riff, based on the main riff from The Animals
' "Club A-Gogo". The first verse
occurs, followed by two noticeably individual transitional bridges. Around two minutes into the song, the song reaches its climactic chorus
before returning to the stanza heard in the introduction
. The song repeats the chorus and the introduction is also used as an outro
. The song avoids the typical AABA form
and verse-chorus form present in most contemporary pop music.
Brian Higgins and Xenomania created "Biology" in reaction to Girls Aloud's previous single "Long Hot Summer", which Higgins called "a disaster record." Higgins continued, "I think that it is a wonderful record - so uplifting. It meant so much to us and it really set Chemistry up well." The lyric referring to "wicked games", which is mentioned in the Animals-inspired riff, was inspired by Girls Aloud almost releasing a cover of Chris Isaak
's "Wicked Game
" as a single.
The song's title inspired the album's title, Chemistry. Both the single and album title refer to the scientific
fields of biology
and chemistry
.
was diagnosed with kidney infection. Girls Aloud also announced dates for 2006's Chemistry Tour
.
The single was released on 14 November 2005. It was available on two CD single
formats and as a digital download
. The first disc included the Tony Lamezma Club Mix of Girls Aloud's 2004 single "The Show". The second CD format included a previously unreleased track entitled "Nobody but You", as well as the Tony Lamezma Remix of "Biology". The artwork was inspired by UK punk
band X-Ray Spex
's album cover Germ Free Adolescents
. Both covers show each member in a different pose, trapped inside a large vial. A live recording of "Biology" from Wembley Arena
was featured on the iTunes
version of The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits, and later on 2008's Girls A Live
and Girls Aloud's singles boxset. Both the album version and Tony Lamezma Remix of "Biology" appear on Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music.
"Biology" was released as a single in Australia in February 2006.
referred to the song as "pop music which redefines the supposed boundaries of pop music." BBC Music
said "the girls rip through a variety of styles, paces and Neneh Cherry-esque raps [...] all within the same song." Virgin Media
praised the song for "blending the kind of saucy cabaret you'd expect to find in a gin-soaked saloon bar with a glorious chorus of fizzing, gliding synths and deceptively breakneck beats." The song was described as "about as far from tired formula as you can possibly get. It sounds like three separate melodies condensed into one, from the Muddy Waters
-apeing riff at the start, through to the glorious pop sheen of the verses, and having the sheer balls to wait two minutes before even introducing a chorus." musicOMH
noted that the song "breaks all the rules of manufactured pop" and stated that "Biology is yet more proof that Xenomania write the best pop songs around and that Girls Aloud are pretty much the perfect group to sing them [...] it's the single of the year. Stylus Magazine
also praised the song.
Peter Cashmore, writing for The Guardian
, described "Biology" as "the best pop single of the last decade". Peter Robinson
of music website Popjustice
said the song was "a great example of a song which pleased people with no passion for pop but also managed to hit the spot with those who totally loved the stuff [...] At once avant garde and relentlessly, demented mainstream, 'Biology' quickly became one of Girls Aloud's signature tunes." In September 2006, "Biology" won the award for the Popjustice £20 Music Prize
, an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by Popjustice to the singer(s) of the best British pop single of the past year. Girls Aloud had previously won the award in 2003 and 2005 for "No Good Advice
" and "Wake Me Up" respectively. The song was listed at number 245 on American review site Pitchfork Media
s "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s" list, despite Girls Aloud never receiving any sort of stateside push.
. The single entered the chart at number four. The song fell just one position to round at the top five the following week. It spent a third week in the top ten, slipping to number nine. The song spent a total of ten weeks in the UK's top 75. The song also peaked at number two on the official UK Download Chart, held off by legendary singer Madonna
's "Hung Up
".
Similarly to the song's performance in the UK, "Biology" returned Girls Aloud to the top ten in Ireland, entering the Irish Singles Chart
at number seven. It slipped just two places to number nine in its second week. The single spent three more weeks in Ireland's top twenty before falling. It spent a total of ten weeks in Ireland's top fifty. "Biology" peaked at number twenty-six in Australia, spending six weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart
.
and chandelier
s. Nadine Coyle
, perched upon a black grand piano, sings the jazzy intro. As the song's introduction ends, the scene then morphs into a room with white wallpaper embellished with black butterflies. Girls Aloud's outfits turn into frilly pink and purple dresses as digitised butterflies begin to float by. The scene transitions into a room with pink wallpaper and black floral patterns, while the group's outfits change into the red and black outfits seen on the single's artwork. The scene reverts back to the opening sequence as Girls Aloud perform choreography involving chairs. As the song reaches its climax, the group are seen seamlessly moving between the various scenes and the different outfits. The video ends with a curtain closing.
Peter Robinson noted that the single's video captured Girls Aloud's "distinct visual style and some endearingly shambolic synchronised dance moves." The video can be found on the DVD release of 2006's Chemistry Tour
(released as The Greatest Hits Live from Wembley), as well as 2007's Style
.
on 16 October 2005, wearing the black dresses from their music video. They appeared on CD:UK
on 12 November; following the show, Sarah Harding
collapsed and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. They returned to the show just ten days later, performing in the black-and-red outfits seen on the single's artwork against the pink set from the music video. Girls Aloud also appeared on Children in Need 2005
, GMTV
, Ministry of Mayhem
, and Top of the Pops Reloaded
. They performed the song on the 2005 T4
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
, the final awards show held by the now-defunct magazine, and at London's G-A-Y
. Girls Aloud performed "Biology" on a number of Australian shows during their week-long promotional trip, including 9am with David & Kim, Sunrise
, and whatUwant
.
"Biology" has been performed by the group at a number of summer festivals and open-air concerts, such as T4 on the Beach
in 2007 and V Festival
in 2006 and 2008. The song was also performed during promotion of Girls Aloud's 2006 greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits. They appeared on The Album Chart Show
, Children in Need 2006
, Davina
, The Green Room, and the Vodafone Live Music Awards.
"Biology" has been performed at all of Girls Aloud's concert tours since its release. It served as the opening number of 2006's Chemistry Tour
, following an introduction in which a mad scientist creates five women. Girls Aloud then rise from underneath the stage and perform "Biology". It served as the encore
for the following year's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
. "Biology" was performed as part of a cabaret
section on 2008's Tangled Up Tour
, accompanied by a swing-inspired dance break. The song was also featured in the first section of 2009's Out of Control Tour
.
UK CD2 (Polydor / 9875297)
The Singles Boxset (CD10)
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...
, taken from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper
Miranda Cooper
Miranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins (producer)
Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
and his production team Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Composed of distinct sections, it avoids the verse-chorus forum present in most contemporary pop music. "Biology" was released as a single in November 2005, ahead of the album's release. Following the disappointment of "Long Hot Summer", "Biology" returned Girls Aloud to the top five of 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 became their tenth top ten hit.
The music video, consisting only of group shots, witnesses Girls Aloud seamlessly move through various sequences while performing disjointed choreography. "Biology" was promoted through a number of live appearances and has since been performed on all of Girls Aloud's subsequent concert tours. The song, which includes a variety of styles, received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics. Considered one of Girls Aloud's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
s, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
referred to "Biology" as "the best pop single of the last decade."
Background and composition
"Biology" is composed of a number of distinctly different sections. The song begins with Nadine CoyleNadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
singing over a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
y piano riff, based on the main riff from The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
' "Club A-Gogo". The first verse
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...
occurs, followed by two noticeably individual transitional bridges. Around two minutes into the song, the song reaches its climactic chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
before returning to the stanza heard in the introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
. The song repeats the chorus and the introduction is also used as an outro
Conclusion (music)
In music, the conclusion is the ending of a composition and may take the form of a coda or outro.Pieces using sonata form typically use the recapitulation to conclude a piece, providing closure through the repetition of thematic material from the exposition in the tonic key...
. The song avoids the typical AABA form
Thirty-two-bar form
The thirty-two-bar form, often called AABA from the musical form or order in which its melodies occur, is common in Tin Pan Alley songs and later popular music including rock, pop and jazz...
and verse-chorus form present in most contemporary pop music.
Brian Higgins and Xenomania created "Biology" in reaction to Girls Aloud's previous single "Long Hot Summer", which Higgins called "a disaster record." Higgins continued, "I think that it is a wonderful record - so uplifting. It meant so much to us and it really set Chemistry up well." The lyric referring to "wicked games", which is mentioned in the Animals-inspired riff, was inspired by Girls Aloud almost releasing a cover of Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
's "Wicked Game
Wicked Game
"Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
" as a single.
The song's title inspired the album's title, Chemistry. Both the single and album title refer to the scientific
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
fields of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
.
Release
For the new single and album, Girls Aloud employed stylist Victoria Adcock. Promotion for the single received a setback when Sarah HardingSarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
was diagnosed with kidney infection. Girls Aloud also announced dates for 2006's Chemistry Tour
Chemistry Tour
The Chemistry Tour is Girls Aloud's second concert tour, in support of the group's third studio album Chemistry. Girls Aloud performed ten dates in various arenas across the United Kingdom, making it their shortest tour. The tour began in Nottingham on 22 May 2006 and concluded in London on 3 June...
.
The single was released on 14 November 2005. It was available on two 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...
formats and as a 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...
. The first disc included the Tony Lamezma Club Mix of Girls Aloud's 2004 single "The Show". The second CD format included a previously unreleased track entitled "Nobody but You", as well as the Tony Lamezma Remix of "Biology". The artwork was inspired by UK punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex were an English punk band from London that formed in 1976.During their first incarnation , X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album...
's album cover Germ Free Adolescents
Germ Free Adolescents
Germ Free Adolescents is the debut album of English punk rock band X-Ray Spex. It contained the UK hit singles: "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" , "Identity" and "Germ Free Adolescents" which reached No. 18 in November 1978.The album received wide acclaim upon its release...
. Both covers show each member in a different pose, trapped inside a large vial. A live recording of "Biology" from Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
was featured on the iTunes
ITunes Store
The 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...
version of The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits, and later on 2008's Girls A Live
Out of Control (Girls Aloud album)
Out of Control is the fifth studio album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2008 by Fascination Records. Like their previous albums, Out of Control was crafted by the production team of Brian Higgins and Xenomania...
and Girls Aloud's singles boxset. Both the album version and Tony Lamezma Remix of "Biology" appear on Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music.
"Biology" was released as a single in Australia in February 2006.
Critical reception
"Biology" received almost universal acclaim from music critics. The song was particularly notable for its informal structure. PopjusticePopjustice
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....
referred to the song as "pop music which redefines the supposed boundaries of pop music." BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
said "the girls rip through a variety of styles, paces and Neneh Cherry-esque raps [...] all within the same song." Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
praised the song for "blending the kind of saucy cabaret you'd expect to find in a gin-soaked saloon bar with a glorious chorus of fizzing, gliding synths and deceptively breakneck beats." The song was described as "about as far from tired formula as you can possibly get. It sounds like three separate melodies condensed into one, from the Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
-apeing riff at the start, through to the glorious pop sheen of the verses, and having the sheer balls to wait two minutes before even introducing a chorus." 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:...
noted that the song "breaks all the rules of manufactured pop" and stated that "Biology is yet more proof that Xenomania write the best pop songs around and that Girls Aloud are pretty much the perfect group to sing them [...] it's the single of the year. Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
also praised the song.
Peter Cashmore, writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, described "Biology" as "the best pop single of the last decade". Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (journalist)
Peter Robinson is a British music journalist. He is the creator of the pop music-based blog Popjustice. Robinson first came to the attention of music fans with his self-published biography/fanzine of The KLF, Justified and Ancient History...
of music 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....
said the song was "a great example of a song which pleased people with no passion for pop but also managed to hit the spot with those who totally loved the stuff [...] At once avant garde and relentlessly, demented mainstream, 'Biology' quickly became one of Girls Aloud's signature tunes." In September 2006, "Biology" won the award for the Popjustice £20 Music Prize
Popjustice £20 Music Prize
The Popjustice £20 Music Prize is an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by music website Popjustice to the singer of the best British pop single of the past year....
, an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by Popjustice to the singer(s) of the best British pop single of the past year. Girls Aloud had previously won the award in 2003 and 2005 for "No Good Advice
No Good Advice
"No Good Advice" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album Sound of the Underground . The song was written by Aqua's Lene Nystrøm Rasted, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
" and "Wake Me Up" respectively. The song was listed at number 245 on American review site Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
s "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s" list, despite Girls Aloud never receiving any sort of stateside push.
Chart performance
Following the disappointing chart position of "Long Hot Summer", "Biology" saw Girls Aloud return to the top five on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
. The single entered the chart at number four. The song fell just one position to round at the top five the following week. It spent a third week in the top ten, slipping to number nine. The song spent a total of ten weeks in the UK's top 75. The song also peaked at number two on the official UK Download Chart, held off by legendary singer 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...
's "Hung Up
Hung Up
"Hung Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was written and produced in collaboration with Stuart Price, and released as the first single from her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was...
".
Similarly to the song's performance in the UK, "Biology" returned Girls Aloud to the top ten in Ireland, entering 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...
at number seven. It slipped just two places to number nine in its second week. The single spent three more weeks in Ireland's top twenty before falling. It spent a total of ten weeks in Ireland's top fifty. "Biology" peaked at number twenty-six in Australia, spending six weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart
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...
.
Music video
The music video for "Biology" was directed by production team Harvey & Carolyn for Alchemy Films, with art direction from Maria Chryssikos. The video, which consists only of group shots, witnesses Girls Aloud seamlessly moving through various sequences in scenes of disjointed choreography. Like the song itself, the video showcases a variety of styles. The music video begins with a curtain being drawn back to reveal the band members posed in black jazz dresses, stood against a black background decorated with expensive-looking candelabraCandelabra
"Candelabra" is the traditional term for a set of multiple decorative candlesticks, each of which often holds a candle on each of multiple arms or branches connected to a column or pedestal...
and chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s. Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
, perched upon a black grand piano, sings the jazzy intro. As the song's introduction ends, the scene then morphs into a room with white wallpaper embellished with black butterflies. Girls Aloud's outfits turn into frilly pink and purple dresses as digitised butterflies begin to float by. The scene transitions into a room with pink wallpaper and black floral patterns, while the group's outfits change into the red and black outfits seen on the single's artwork. The scene reverts back to the opening sequence as Girls Aloud perform choreography involving chairs. As the song reaches its climax, the group are seen seamlessly moving between the various scenes and the different outfits. The video ends with a curtain closing.
Peter Robinson noted that the single's video captured Girls Aloud's "distinct visual style and some endearingly shambolic synchronised dance moves." The video can be found on the DVD release of 2006's Chemistry Tour
Chemistry Tour
The Chemistry Tour is Girls Aloud's second concert tour, in support of the group's third studio album Chemistry. Girls Aloud performed ten dates in various arenas across the United Kingdom, making it their shortest tour. The tour began in Nottingham on 22 May 2006 and concluded in London on 3 June...
(released as The Greatest Hits Live from Wembley), as well as 2007's Style
Style (DVD)
Style is the fifth DVD featuring Girls Aloud, was released on November 12, 2007. It features commentary from Girls Aloud on all of their favourite and least favourite outfits from their careers, as well as fashion tips...
.
Live performances
Girls Aloud performed "Biology" for the first time on Top of the PopsTop of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
on 16 October 2005, wearing the black dresses from their music video. They appeared on CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
on 12 November; following the show, Sarah Harding
Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
collapsed and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. They returned to the show just ten days later, performing in the black-and-red outfits seen on the single's artwork against the pink set from the music video. Girls Aloud also appeared on Children in Need 2005
Children in Need 2005
Children in Need 2005 was a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for the charity Children in Need. It culmunated in a live broadcast on BBC One on the evening of Friday 18 November and was hosted by Terry Wogan, Natasha Kaplinsky, Fearne Cotton and, from RAF Brize Norton, Matt...
, GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Ministry of Mayhem
Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown
The Ministry of Mayhem was a CITV show which broadcast on the ITV Network from January 2004. As of January 2006, the onscreen name was Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown. It was the last regular studio-based Saturday morning show on ITV....
, and Top of the Pops Reloaded
Top Of The Pops Reloaded
Top of the Pops: Reloaded is a weekly children's music show broadcast as part of the Saturday morning CBBC schedule on BBC Two. It was based on the show, Top Of The Pops, following on from its predecessor Top of the Pops Saturday....
. They performed the song on the 2005 T4
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
The Smash Hits Poll Winners Party was an awards ceremony which ran from 1988 to 2005. Each award winner was voted by readers of the Smash Hits magazine. It ended with the closure of the magazine in February 2006....
, the final awards show held by the now-defunct magazine, and at London's G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
. Girls Aloud performed "Biology" on a number of Australian shows during their week-long promotional trip, including 9am with David & Kim, Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
, and whatUwant
WhatUwant
whatUwant is an Australian music video request television show that aired daily on Channel [V].whatUwant first aired in April 2002, and broadcasted over 1500 episodes until Foxtel has revealed that the show will close with a final goodbye on 7 November 2008.Directed by Bernie Zelvis, past hosts of...
.
"Biology" has been performed by the group at a number of summer festivals and open-air concerts, such as 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....
in 2007 and V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
in 2006 and 2008. The song was also performed during promotion of Girls Aloud's 2006 greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits. They appeared on The Album Chart Show
The Album Chart Show
The Album Chart Show is a British television programme shown on Channel 4 that showcases the biggest and best album releases from the UK Top 100 Album Chart. It also gives up-and-coming talent a chance to make their mark on a 1000 strong audience by performing live...
, Children in Need 2006
Children in Need 2006
Children in Need 2006 was a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for Children in Need. It culmunated in a live broadcast on BBC One on the evening of Friday 17 November and was hosted by Terry Wogan, Natasha Kaplinsky, Fearne Cotton and Chris Moyles. The voice over reading out money...
, Davina
Davina (talk show)
Davina is a British talk show hosted by Davina McCall.It first aired on BBC One on 15 February 2006, however, the show ended on 12 April 2006 at the end of its first series due to low ratings...
, The Green Room, and the Vodafone Live Music Awards.
"Biology" has been performed at all of Girls Aloud's concert tours since its release. It served as the opening number of 2006's Chemistry Tour
Chemistry Tour
The Chemistry Tour is Girls Aloud's second concert tour, in support of the group's third studio album Chemistry. Girls Aloud performed ten dates in various arenas across the United Kingdom, making it their shortest tour. The tour began in Nottingham on 22 May 2006 and concluded in London on 3 June...
, following an introduction in which a mad scientist creates five women. Girls Aloud then rise from underneath the stage and perform "Biology". It served as the encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
for the following year's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour is Girls Aloud's third concert tour, in support of the group's first greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits...
. "Biology" was performed as part of a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
section on 2008's Tangled Up Tour
Tangled Up Tour
The Tangled Up Tour was the fourth concert tour third arena tour, by British pop group Girls Aloud, in support of the group's fourth studio album Tangled Up. The tour was initially announced to reach arenas across the United Kingdom in November 2007. The shows commenced in Belfast on 3 May 2008 and...
, accompanied by a swing-inspired dance break. The song was also featured in the first section of 2009's Out of Control Tour
Out of Control Tour
The Out of Control Tour is Girls Aloud's fourth arena-based concert tour and their fifth tour overall. The tour started on 24 April 2009 in Manchester's MEN Arena, with the final show on 6 June 2009 in Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena...
.
Track listings and formats
UK CD1 (Polydor / 9875296)- "Biology" — 3:35
- "The Show" (Tony Lamezma Club Mix) — 5:46
UK CD2 (Polydor / 9875297)
- "Biology" — 3:35
- "Nobody but You" (Cooper, Higgins, Cowling, Jon Shave, Paul Woods) — 4:10
- "Biology" (Tony Lamezma Remix) — 5:15
- "Biology" (video) — 3:35
- "Biology" (karaoke video)— 3:35
- "Biology" (game)
The Singles Boxset (CD10)
- "Biology" — 3:35
- "The Show" (Tony Lamezma Club Mix) — 5:46
- "Nobody But You" — 4:10
- "Biology" (Tony Lamezma Remix) — 5:15
- "Biology" (Benitez Beats) —
- "Biology" (Live from Wembley) —
- "Biology" (video) — 3:35
- "Biology" (karaoke video)— 3:35
- "Biology" (game)
Credits and personnel
- Guitar: Nick Coler, Shawn Lee
- Keyboards: Brian HigginsBrian Higgins (producer)Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
, Tim Powell - Mastering: Dick Beetham for 360 Mastering
- Mixing: Tim Powell
- Production: Brian Higgins, XenomaniaXenomaniaXenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
- Programming: Brian Higgins, Tim Powell
- Songwriting: Miranda CooperMiranda CooperMiranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Brian Higgins, Lisa Cowling, Giselle Sommerville - Vocals: Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls 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...
- Published by Warner/Chappell MusicWarner/Chappell MusicWarner/Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company, and a division of the Warner Music Group. The company traces its origins back to 1811 and the founding of Chappell & Company, a music publishing company and instrument shop on London’s Bond Street that, in 1929, began a rapid...
and Xenomania Music
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|