Drummer Boy (song)
Encyclopedia
This page is about the song by Alesha Dixon. For the song of the same name by Debi Nova see Drummer Boy (Debi Nova song)
.
"Drummer Boy" is song by English singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon
. It was released on 3 September 2010 as the lead single from her third studio album, The Entertainer
. The first teasers for the song surfaced on Dixon's fansite in late July, and Dixon announced, via her various social networking sites, that the song would receive its radio play premiere on 23 July on BBC Radio 1
with Fearne Cotton
. "Drummer Boy" debuted on the Irish Singles Chart
at number twenty-three on 10 September 2010. The single peaked at Number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Alesha's lowest peaking lead single from an album to date.
and Popjustice
heavily praising it. McAlpine awarded the song 5 stars on his BBC
review, saying he was "delighted to report that it is enjoyment all the way". McAlpine praised what he called "her mad brilliance" and concluded with, "best of all, there is no possibility that you could confuse this song with anything else in the charts this year. And for that reason alone it deserves top honours". Popjustice described the song as "a bit of a grower", stating that on their first listen to the song they dubbed it "2010's worst piece of recorded music", and by their seventh listen they simply wrote, in capital letters, "THIS IS AMAZING". Popjustice also named it their 'Song of the Day' for 22 July, stating that "Chartwise this'll be either a massive hit of a fantastic miss", but regardless it is "up there with the best". The site also noted lyrically the sexual double entendre
s throughout the verses of the song. 4Music
stated "Alesha is back with a track that's about as subtle as a sledgehammer", and also highly praised the video.
Digital Spy
criticised the song's 20 second intro, writing: "Irritating? Extremely". Its consensus was, "It'll definitely get Dixon noticed, but for all the right reasons? We're not so sure"; it awarded the single 3 out of 5 stars. Popjustice, who gave an favourable review, also called the intro "terrible", and showed how to start the song from 19.5 seconds on an iTunes
format, thus skipping the intro. However, the online website SoFeminine.co.uk disagreed with Digital Spy's view, describing the track as "a fantastically quirky slice of pop which we think is destined to become a dancefloor anthem".
, with the shoot taking place in Los Angeles
. The video shoot consisted of a 21 hour shoot, in which Dixon stated she "had the best time", but also admitted that she "couldn't feel [her] feet" after the strenuous shoot. The music video contains 7 different costume changes by Dixon, 10 accompanying dancers, as well as 20 drummers. In an interview with 4Music, Dixon explained the concept behind the music video: "The song is so energetic and I wanted to shoot it with Ray Kay because he's great at shooting really colourful videos. I knew that I wanted lots of drummers and dancers and I just wanted it to feel really tough and represent strength through the styling and dancing. It was the best video that I've done in terms of fun".
The Daily Mirror reported that, whilst on the shoot, Alesha accidentally knocked out one of her dancers, saying, "she flung her arm out and clocked one of the girls with a giant ring, leaving her out cold". Dixon later confirmed the Mirrors story, saying "I got her right in the head. She just fell back and didn't move. She was lying there, really trying to fight back the tears. I started crying because I felt so bad! She had a massive bump on her head immediately. But she was back up by the end of the video because she's a professional".
s online site exclusively showed the music video to the online audience on 6 August. The music video's television premiere took place a day later at 11:15am on 4Music
and later on 4 Music's sister channel, Channel 4
, at 12:50pm on 7 August. Sara McCorquodale of the Daily Mail
stated, regarding the stills of the music video, "the image is striking and reaffirms Dixon as one of the UK's leading performing talents". They also noted Dixon's style change from her previous album, The Alesha Show
, saying "it seems Alesha Dixon is ditching her usual look in favour of something a lot more cutting edge". McCorquodale also noted similarities between Ray Kay's previous music videos for Cheryl Cole
and Lady Gaga
, stating "The man of the moment when it comes to popular videos, he also directed Cole's debut 'Fight For This Love
' and Gaga's 'Poker Face
'. And, it seems he is using the same formula for Dixon that used on his previous two clients - bright colours, strong costumes and bold styling. 4Music stated that "the video is an ultra slick affair which, as you might expect, boasts a whole troupe of sexy drummer boys".
Source:
Drummer Boy (Debi Nova song)
"Drummer Boy" is the first single released from the debut album of Costa Rican singer-songwriter Debi Nova, Luna Nueva .-Charts:...
.
"Drummer Boy" is song by English singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
. It was released on 3 September 2010 as the lead single from her third studio album, The Entertainer
The Entertainer (Alesha Dixon album)
The Entertainer received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Matthew Chisling from Allmusic rated it 4 stars out of 5 and wrote positively that: "Every line to every song on The Entertainer is brassy, reflecting a more confident and sexy pop star"...
. The first teasers for the song surfaced on Dixon's fansite in late July, and Dixon announced, via her various social networking sites, that the song would receive its radio play premiere on 23 July on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
with Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
. "Drummer Boy" debuted 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...
at number twenty-three on 10 September 2010. The single peaked at Number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Alesha's lowest peaking lead single from an album to date.
Background
Discussing the song's history, Dixon has said: "ShamRock aka Sak Pase - who's one of Akon's proteges - produced the track. And, as soon as I walked into the studio with him and Nate Walker (the track's co-writer) I instantly just felt something special!... You know, I'm always looking for something that's just full of life; that's different, quirky, and that can't be put in a box... Plus I loved the TOUGHNESS of it! I particularly loved the fact that it is female-empowering, but not in a feminist trying-to-wave-the-flag-and-be rude-about-men kind of way."Critical reception
"Drummer Boy" has garnered a mostly positive reception, with critics such as Fraser McAlpine of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and 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....
heavily praising it. McAlpine awarded the song 5 stars on his BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
review, saying he was "delighted to report that it is enjoyment all the way". McAlpine praised what he called "her mad brilliance" and concluded with, "best of all, there is no possibility that you could confuse this song with anything else in the charts this year. And for that reason alone it deserves top honours". Popjustice described the song as "a bit of a grower", stating that on their first listen to the song they dubbed it "2010's worst piece of recorded music", and by their seventh listen they simply wrote, in capital letters, "THIS IS AMAZING". Popjustice also named it their 'Song of the Day' for 22 July, stating that "Chartwise this'll be either a massive hit of a fantastic miss", but regardless it is "up there with the best". The site also noted lyrically the sexual double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s throughout the verses of the song. 4Music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
stated "Alesha is back with a track that's about as subtle as a sledgehammer", and also highly praised the video.
Digital Spy
Digital 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....
criticised the song's 20 second intro, writing: "Irritating? Extremely". Its consensus was, "It'll definitely get Dixon noticed, but for all the right reasons? We're not so sure"; it awarded the single 3 out of 5 stars. Popjustice, who gave an favourable review, also called the intro "terrible", and showed how to start the song from 19.5 seconds on an iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
format, thus skipping the intro. However, the online website SoFeminine.co.uk disagreed with Digital Spy's view, describing the track as "a fantastically quirky slice of pop which we think is destined to become a dancefloor anthem".
Music video
The music video for "Drummer Boy" was filmed by Norwegian director Ray KayRay Kay
Ray Kay is a Norwegian director and photographer, based in Los Angeles.He is one of the most sought-after music video & commercial directors in the world now, and has directed the most watched video on YouTube, Justin Bieber's "Baby" . All in all, his videos have been viewed more than 1 billion...
, with the shoot taking place in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The video shoot consisted of a 21 hour shoot, in which Dixon stated she "had the best time", but also admitted that she "couldn't feel [her] feet" after the strenuous shoot. The music video contains 7 different costume changes by Dixon, 10 accompanying dancers, as well as 20 drummers. In an interview with 4Music, Dixon explained the concept behind the music video: "The song is so energetic and I wanted to shoot it with Ray Kay because he's great at shooting really colourful videos. I knew that I wanted lots of drummers and dancers and I just wanted it to feel really tough and represent strength through the styling and dancing. It was the best video that I've done in terms of fun".
The Daily Mirror reported that, whilst on the shoot, Alesha accidentally knocked out one of her dancers, saying, "she flung her arm out and clocked one of the girls with a giant ring, leaving her out cold". Dixon later confirmed the Mirrors story, saying "I got her right in the head. She just fell back and didn't move. She was lying there, really trying to fight back the tears. I started crying because I felt so bad! She had a massive bump on her head immediately. But she was back up by the end of the video because she's a professional".
Synopsis
The video begins in black and white, with the words "Alesha" written across the middle of the screen. Dixon is seen stood to the far-left, whilst a man playing the drums is stood opposite. Dixon then announces: "I think I need a better drummer", with the man stood opposite replying, "Say what?" Dixon repeats herself, and by this point the words "Alesha" have vanished, replaced by the words "Drummer Boy". Then the scene changes and it transitions from monochrome to normal colour, with different images of her dancers flashing quickly between monochrome and colour, whilst they get splattered with vibrant coloured paint; this time the words read: "A Ray Kay video", before disappearing altogether. Thereafter, the video contains Dixon in various scenarios, the first being Dixon dressed in black and red, sitting in a red armchair, flanked by two men, both wearing black and red, with a black background wall. The background wall changes intermittently throughout the video, ranging from red, pink, yellow, blue, lilac and peach. Various other similar scenes continue with Dixon dressed in flamboyant costumes, interspersed with shots of her drummers and her dance troupe, which Dixon dances with in some scenes.Release and reception
The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
s online site exclusively showed the music video to the online audience on 6 August. The music video's television premiere took place a day later at 11:15am on 4Music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
and later on 4 Music's sister channel, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, at 12:50pm on 7 August. Sara McCorquodale of 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...
stated, regarding the stills of the music video, "the image is striking and reaffirms Dixon as one of the UK's leading performing talents". They also noted Dixon's style change from her previous album, The Alesha Show
The Alesha Show
The Alesha Show is the second studio album from British R&B recording artist Alesha Dixon, the album is her first album to be released in the United Kingdom. It was released on November 24, 2008 in the UK by Asylum Records...
, saying "it seems Alesha Dixon is ditching her usual look in favour of something a lot more cutting edge". McCorquodale also noted similarities between Ray Kay's previous music videos for 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...
and Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, stating "The man of the moment when it comes to popular videos, he also directed Cole's debut 'Fight For This Love
Fight for This Love
"Fight for This Love" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her debut studio album, 3 Words. Initially, the song was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 16 October 2009 by Fascination Records however, in 2010 it was also released in Europe as the...
' and Gaga's 'Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
'. And, it seems he is using the same formula for Dixon that used on his previous two clients - bright colours, strong costumes and bold styling. 4Music stated that "the video is an ultra slick affair which, as you might expect, boasts a whole troupe of sexy drummer boys".
Track listing
-
- CD single / Digital single (1)
- "Drummer Boy" – 3:45
- "Drummer Boy" (Yolanda Be CoolYolanda Be CoolYolanda Be Cool is an Australian band made up of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson "Durango Slim" Peterson. They collaborated with Australian producer DCUP to release an international single "We No Speak Americano" on the indie Australian label Sweat It Out they founded, sampling on a 1956...
& DCUPDCUPDuncan MacLennan, better known by his stage name DCUP, is an Australian music producer, DJ and remixer. He is best known for his co-operation with fellow Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool on their international hit single "We No Speak Americano", which samples Renato Carosone and Nicola Salerno's 1956...
Remix) - 5:06
-
- Digital single (2)
- "Drummer Boy" – 3:45
- "Drummer Boy" (featuring Wretch 32) (Wizzy Wow Remix) - 3:23
-
- Digital single (3)
- "Drummer Boy" – 3:45
- "Drummer Boy" (Swindle Dub Remix) - 4:39
-
- Digital EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
- Digital EP
-
- "Drummer Boy" – 3:45
- "Drummer Boy" (Yolanda Be CoolYolanda Be CoolYolanda Be Cool is an Australian band made up of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson "Durango Slim" Peterson. They collaborated with Australian producer DCUP to release an international single "We No Speak Americano" on the indie Australian label Sweat It Out they founded, sampling on a 1956...
& DCUPDCUPDuncan MacLennan, better known by his stage name DCUP, is an Australian music producer, DJ and remixer. He is best known for his co-operation with fellow Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool on their international hit single "We No Speak Americano", which samples Renato Carosone and Nicola Salerno's 1956...
Remix) - 5:05 - "Drummer Boy" (Benny Benassi Remix) - 6:19
- "Drummer Boy" (Crazy Cousinz Remix) - 3:25
- "Drummer Boy" (Swindle Remix) - 4:35
- "Drummer Boy" (MoDrums Remix) - 3:29
- "Drummer Boy" (Music video) - 3:48
Personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Sham E. Joseph, Nate Walka, Deodrick Jackson, James Riles - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– Sham E. Joseph - Additional production – Nate Walka
- Vocal production – Kuk Harrell, Nigel Butler (additional), Ray Hedges (additional)
- EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Josh Gudwin - Assistant engineering – Dustin Capulong, Ghazi Hourani
- MasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
– Miles Showell
Source:
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 | 48 |
| Scottish Singles Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
11 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 23 August 2010 | 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... |
Warner Music |
| Ireland | 3 September 2010 | Atlantic Records Atlantic Records Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... |
|
| United Kingdom | 5 September 2010 | Asylum Records Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell... |
|
| 6 September 2010 | CD single |