Good Girls Go Bad
Encyclopedia
"Good Girls Go Bad" is a song recorded by American
pop punk
band Cobra Starship
with guest vocals by Leighton Meester
. It was the first single released from their third studio album, Hot Mess. The song was released digitally through iTunes
on May 11, 2009. On May 8, 2009, "Good Girls Go Bad" made its radio debut on KIIS-FM
with Ryan Seacrest's
show.
The song was produced by American Idol
judge Kara DioGuardi
and Kevin Rudolf
.
The song has enjoyed great success in the U.S., reaching number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100
. The song received heavy airplay in Canada as well, debuting at 21 on Canada's radio airplay chart "Canadian Hit 30" week ending July 25, 2009. The song also debuted on Radio 1 in the UK in September 2009. As a reference to Leighton Meester's vocals, the track was used on Gossip Girl
for several scenes where her character, Blair Waldorf
, is portrayed on the episode "The Freshmen". This song was also used in Greek's
"Friend or Foe?" The song was also featured briefly on the trailer for the 2010 comedy You Again
.
Some of the official remixes also feature artist and singer Flo Rida
.
in 2009, just as DioGuardi was becoming an American Idol judge. Vocalist Gabe Saporta explained,
Fifteen minutes after the creation of the hook for the song, the entire track was done. On April 27, 2009, it was announced Gossip Girl
star Leighton Meester would be featured. Lead singer Gabe Saporta
had wanted Meester to be featured in the song because "it's already kind of her character in Gossip Girl, like the perfect girl with the bad streak." Once Meester heard "Good Girls Go Bad", she took an immediate liking to it. "I thought, 'I need to get on that!' It totally is my sound too. Really fun to dance to it. Very edgy and cool".
Cobra Starship has performed the song live with Estelle
and Nicole Scherzinger
.
and has a vocal range between A3 through C5. The song moves at 126 bpm and is set in 4/4
time.
reviewer Micheal Menachem made comment on the song:
Bill Lamb of About.com
gave the song stars commenting on its danceable sound and that it sounds good on the radio, catchy and sticks in the brain, and that Leighton Meester adds some spice but disregards the silly lyrics. Overall, he thinks that "This is one of the most deliberately polished pop singles of the year."
However, Mayer Nissim of DigitalSpy gave the song one star out of five, saying it is "one of the most boorish, witless singles in recent memory.The music is bad enough, its sub-GaGa production bearing all the class of a street-bought 'Romex' watch. Somehow though, the lyrics manage to take the song into a whole new world of awful, reading like a passion-free imbecile manifesto." According to the review, the song is likely to be the "emotionally and artistically most bankrupt pop song" of 2009.
by director Kai Regan and it premiered on Monday, June 29, 2009. Leighton Meester shot the clip while she was in town for the 2009 Costume Institute Gala. The concept of the video is that Gabe Saporta runs an underground speakeasy, complete with shelves of booze, gambling tables and a dance floor. The band is in charge of the above-ground deli that acts as a front operation to hide the debauchery within. To gain access to the illegal club, patrons must order the correct sandwich and proceed down a staircase. Meester and Victoria Asher
— who has a codename of Johnny Outlaw — the band's keytarist, exchange several text messages while in the club concerning a package hidden in the DJ's booth. At one point, Meester makes references to her role of Blair Waldorf
by texting "xoxo". Meester retrieves the package and shortly after, the club is raided by police, and the speakeasy operators - including Saporta - are all arrested. At the end of the video, it is revealed that Asher and Meester were undercover agents involved in a sting operation. The video was nominated at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
in the category Best Pop Video
, but lost to "Womanizer
" by Britney Spears
.
Ryland's alter-ego, Guy Ripley
makes an appearance. During his appearance a reference is made to "The City Is at War" video.
UK digital EP
German CD single
German CD maxi
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Cobra Starship
Cobra Starship
Cobra Starship is an American synthpop band created by former Midtown bassist and lead vocalist Gabe Saporta in 2003 in New York City, New York...
with guest vocals by Leighton Meester
Leighton Meester
Leighton Marissa Meester is an American actress and singer. Meester first garnered attention for playing Blair Waldorf in the CW television series Gossip Girl...
. It was the first single released from their third studio album, Hot Mess. The song was released digitally through 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...
on May 11, 2009. On May 8, 2009, "Good Girls Go Bad" made its radio debut on KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
with Ryan Seacrest's
On Air with Ryan Seacrest (radio)
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. As of 2010, the daily morning radio show airs on Los Angeles top 40 station KIIS-FM and was launched at the same time as the television show with the same name, although Seacrest had hosted a...
show.
The song was produced by American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
judge 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...
and Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf
Kevin Rudolf is an American singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Cash Money Records. Rudolf is mostly known for singing and producing rock/pop music...
.
The song has enjoyed great success in the U.S., reaching number 7 on the US 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...
. The song received heavy airplay in Canada as well, debuting at 21 on Canada's radio airplay chart "Canadian Hit 30" week ending July 25, 2009. The song also debuted on Radio 1 in the UK in September 2009. As a reference to Leighton Meester's vocals, the track was used on Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
for several scenes where her character, Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
, is portrayed on the episode "The Freshmen". This song was also used in Greek's
Greek (TV series)
Greek is an American comedy-drama television series, which follows students of the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University , located in Ohio, who participate in the school's Greek system...
"Friend or Foe?" The song was also featured briefly on the trailer for the 2010 comedy You Again
You Again
You Again is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Andy Fickman and written by Moe Jelline. The film stars Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Odette Yustman, and Betty White...
.
Some of the official remixes also feature artist and singer Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
.
Production
The band was first offered to work with Kara DioGuardiKara 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...
in 2009, just as DioGuardi was becoming an American Idol judge. Vocalist Gabe Saporta explained,
We got offered to work with Kara right as she was becoming an American Idol judge. We didn't know who she was. She didn't know who we were. We got hooked up with her. I'm like, 'Who is this person?' She's like, 'Who's this annoying band?' But we got in the room, and it was like magic, and we wrote the song in 15 minutes. It's, like, the best song on our album.
Fifteen minutes after the creation of the hook for the song, the entire track was done. On April 27, 2009, it was announced Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
star Leighton Meester would be featured. Lead singer Gabe Saporta
Gabe Saporta
Gabriel Eduardo "Gabe" Saporta is the lead singer and primary creative force behind the synthpop band Cobra Starship. He was previously the lead singer, bassist, and lyricist for the pop punk band Midtown....
had wanted Meester to be featured in the song because "it's already kind of her character in Gossip Girl, like the perfect girl with the bad streak." Once Meester heard "Good Girls Go Bad", she took an immediate liking to it. "I thought, 'I need to get on that!' It totally is my sound too. Really fun to dance to it. Very edgy and cool".
Cobra Starship has performed the song live with Estelle
Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
and Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
.
Structure
"Good Girls Go Bad" is a dance pop song in A MinorA minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
and has a vocal range between A3 through C5. The song moves at 126 bpm and is set in 4/4
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....
time.
Critical reception
BillboardBillboard (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...
reviewer Micheal Menachem made comment on the song:
"Good Girls Go Bad has the magic to launch the members of Cobra Starship into superstardom. The New York dance-punk band powers the single from its third album, "Hot Mess"—stylish enough for a stroll along the boardwalk and rowdy enough for the club. The guy anthem is sweetened with "Gossip Girl" star Leighton Meester's first musical effort, adding some sass to match Gabe Saporta's energetic vocals. The contagious hook and chorus have a lively group component where the co-eds battle in a call-and-response sing-off. With a similar appeal to No Doubt's "Hey Baby"—minus the reggae but with an accelerated jolt of electro—Cobra Starship has arrived."
Bill Lamb of 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 stars commenting on its danceable sound and that it sounds good on the radio, catchy and sticks in the brain, and that Leighton Meester adds some spice but disregards the silly lyrics. Overall, he thinks that "This is one of the most deliberately polished pop singles of the year."
However, Mayer Nissim of DigitalSpy gave the song one star out of five, saying it is "one of the most boorish, witless singles in recent memory.The music is bad enough, its sub-GaGa production bearing all the class of a street-bought 'Romex' watch. Somehow though, the lyrics manage to take the song into a whole new world of awful, reading like a passion-free imbecile manifesto." According to the review, the song is likely to be the "emotionally and artistically most bankrupt pop song" of 2009.
Music video
A music video for the song was shot on May 3, 2009, in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by director Kai Regan and it premiered on Monday, June 29, 2009. Leighton Meester shot the clip while she was in town for the 2009 Costume Institute Gala. The concept of the video is that Gabe Saporta runs an underground speakeasy, complete with shelves of booze, gambling tables and a dance floor. The band is in charge of the above-ground deli that acts as a front operation to hide the debauchery within. To gain access to the illegal club, patrons must order the correct sandwich and proceed down a staircase. Meester and Victoria Asher
Victoria Asher
Victoria Jane Asher , is known to Cobra Starship fans as Vicky-T, and can be seen in some of the music videos produced by the band, which she is the keytarist for. She is the daughter of producer/manager/musician Peter Asher of the hit band Peter & Gordon, who were part of the British Invasion...
— who has a codename of Johnny Outlaw — the band's keytarist, exchange several text messages while in the club concerning a package hidden in the DJ's booth. At one point, Meester makes references to her role of Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
by texting "xoxo". Meester retrieves the package and shortly after, the club is raided by police, and the speakeasy operators - including Saporta - are all arrested. At the end of the video, it is revealed that Asher and Meester were undercover agents involved in a sting operation. The video was nominated at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in the category Best Pop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video was first given out in , as MTV began to put several teen pop acts in heavy rotation. Nominations, however, were not just limited to pop acts, as dance, R&B, pop/rock, and, most recently, reggaeton artists have also received Best Pop Video nominations...
, but lost to "Womanizer
Womanizer (song)
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
" by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
.
Ryland's alter-ego, Guy Ripley
Guy Ripley
Guy Ripley is a fictional British reporter for the BBC World News. He is Ryland Blackinton's alter ego, and he is known for his catchphrase, "Delicious". He often appears on TAI TV, interviewing The Academy Is... and other artists, such as members of Cobra Starship...
makes an appearance. During his appearance a reference is made to "The City Is at War" video.
Track listing
UK CD single- "Good Girls Go Bad" - 3:17
UK digital EP
- "Good Girls Go Bad" - 3:17
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Suave Suarez on Pleasure Ryland remix) - 3:58
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Cash Cash remix) - 4:39
German CD single
- "Good Girls Go Bad" - 3:17
- "Good Girls Go Bad Feat. Flo Rida " (Frank E remix) - 3:22
German CD maxi
- "Good Girls Go Bad" - 3:17
- "Good Girls Go Bad Feat. Flo Rida " (Frank E remix) - 3:22
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (MoAzza remix) - 4:08
- "Good Girls Go Bad" [funk Generation Club remix)
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Suave Suarez on Pleasure Ryland remix) - 3:58
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (music video)
Remixes
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Album Version) - 3:17
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Suave Suarez on Pleasure Ryland remix) - 3:58
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Matt Haick remix) - 4:10
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Cash Cash remix) - 4:39
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (MoAzza remix) - 4:08
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Isom Innis remix) - 4:10
- "Good Girls Go Bad Feat. Flo Rida " (Frank E remix) - 3:22
- "Good Girls Go Bad" (Ruff Loaderz remix) - 4:01
- "Good Kids Smoke Crack" (Rucka Rucka AliRucka Rucka AliRucka Rucka Ali is an anonymous American rapper, radio personality, singer, comedian, and satirist most noted for his song parodies on YouTube. He has been labelled one of the most successful artists to come out of YouTube, where he has received over 100 million hits...
parody) - 3:13
Weekly charts
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... |
5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
37 |
| Belgian Ultratip (Flanders) | 4 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
7 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
19 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 13 |
| 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... |
17 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart 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... |
2 |
| 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 ... |
17 |
| UK Dance Chart UK Dance Chart The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital... |
9 |
| US 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... |
7 |
| US Pop Songs | 5 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 18 |
| 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 ... |
155 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | May 11, 2009 | 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... |
| Canada | ||
| United Kingdom | October 19, 2009 | 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... , 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... |
| Austria | January 22, 2010 | CD Maxi, 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... |
| Germany | CD Maxi, 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... |