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Her Name Is Nicole
Studio album by
Nicole Scherzinger
Released2007
Recorded2006–2008
GenrePop, R&B, hip hop, rock
LabelA&M, Interscope
ProducerAkon, The-Dream, Gary Lightbody, Mad Scientist, Macy Gray, The Neptunes, Ne-Yo, Polow da Don, Shea Taylor, Timbaland, Tricky Stewart, will.i.am
Nicole Scherzinger chronology
Her Name Is Nicole
(2007) 		Killer Love
(2011)
Singles from Her Name Is Nicole
  1. "Whatever U Like"
    Released: July 24, 2007 (2007-07-24)
  2. "Baby Love"
    Released: September 18, 2007 (2007-09-18)
  3. "Supervillain"
    Released: November 13, 2007 (2007-11-13)
  4. "Puakenikini"
    Released: December 18, 2007 (2007-12-18)

Her Name Is Nicole was to serve as the debut studio album by American recording artist Nicole Scherzinger. Recording sessions for the album began in 2006, after Scherzinger came to prominence as being the lead singer of the girl group the Pussycat Dolls. Scherzinger worked with a range of producers, including Gary Lightbody, Polow da Don, will.i.am, Timbaland, The-Dream, Akon, The Neptunes and Ne-Yo, among others. In the summer of 2007, "Whatever U Like" was released as the lead single from the album. The song didn't make much of a impact; failing to chart on any major music charts.

In September 2007, a second single, "Baby Love", was released. The song was dubbed the "official single" from the album, and reached some international success, but failed to make an impact in the US. Following two unsuccessful singles in the US, the album's original October 6, 2007 release date was pushed back a month, before being pushed back again into 2008. During that time, two additional singles were released, "Supervillian" and "Puakenikini". Both songs failed to make an impact as well.

Scherzinger continued to record material for the album in 2008. The album was then further pushed back into 2009, when Scherzinger returned to the Pussycat Dolls, and they released their second studio album Doll Domination. Several songs from the recording sessions of Her Name Is Nicole appeared on the album, two of which included "Who's Gonna Love You" and "Happily Never After", that appeared on the original track listing of the album. In 2009, Scherzinger was to return to the studio to finish the album, but she later announced that the album had been canceled at her own request.

Background

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Recording

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Scherzinger worked with a range of producers, including Gary Lightbody, Polow da Don, will.i.am, Mad Scientist, Macy Gray[1]

Christina Milian picked up the song "Punch You in Your Sleep" produced by Danja, which she has re-recorded for her fourth studio album Elope.[2] Furthermore it was revealed that Keri Hilson (a writer who has been hevaily involved in writing for the Pussycat Dolls) had written a song called "Alienated" for Scherzinger, however when the album was delayed and shelved Hilson reclaimed the song and instead recorded the song with producer Cory Bold for her own debut studio album In a Perfect World...[3] Reviews later went on to give the song critical acclaim[4] for its "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring."[5]

Concept and composition

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In one interview she spoke of her role with the Pussycat dolls stating that it was a "challenge fronting the group" but that "every girl has something different to bring and add to the success".[6] In the biography section of her official website, Scherzinger says that everyone recognizes her from the Pussycat Dolls's debut single "Dont Cha" which although amazing doesn't fulfill her musical desires. When asked what she intended to achieve with her solo career she commented "Some people only only have their glasses half full, but there was never a limit to mine."[7]

The purpose of the album was to appeal to younger audiences, show them "the heart of Nicole" and show that she is not always strong and fearless.[6] She also told MTV "I've always said that in the Pussycat Dolls, I kind of feel like Superwoman. But that's just one of my alter egos. I've got the sweet little hula-girl side of me; I've got the Southern, Kentucky girl inside of me; I've got the mama's girl; I've got the vulnerable, lovesick side of me. [And] those are all on my record."[8]

"Just Say Yes" is a soft and slow song with a pulsing, electronic beat,[9] written and produced by Gary Lightbody of alternative rock band Snow Patrol. Scherzinger told MTV of her excitement to record the song. "I'm such a huge fan of Snow Patrol's music, and Gary had this song called "Just Say Yes" that just spoke to me. I felt like I was supposed to make it my own, and I was blessed enough for him to allow me to sing it," Scherzinger said. "It's a very honest and truthful song. And I didn't care about what anyone else thought about my vocals, it was just about my relationship with my song."[10] In September 2009 it was confirmed that the song which also recived critical acclaim at early album listening parties was reclaimed by Lightbody who has since re-tooled and reworked the song. It will now be released as the lead single from Snow Patrol's upcoming compilation album Up to Now on November 2, 2009.[11]

"Happily Never After" was written and produced by Shea Taylor and Ne-Yo, and was initially intended for Britney Spears to record for her fifth studio album Blackout (2007).[6] It was recorded by Scherzinger who said that the "slow ballad" really appealed to her experiences in love and that she felt it "important for young girls to have an empowering message that they deserve better".[7] Rap-Up described the song as one of Ne-Yo's best works because "he describes a story through the song - something he does best".[9] The Backstreet Boys went on to record the song for their album Unbreakable, but did not make the final track listing. "Happily Never After" was later included on Doll Domination (2008).[12] Another song which Ne-Yo worked out was the incredibly personal[10] "Save Me from Myself", which had been turned down by several other artists. When Scherzinger heard the song she "was moved by it". She aided Ne-Yo in developing the hook before recording the song.[7]

"Physical" is a song produced by Timbaland and features his trade mark vocals over the upbeat melody and thumping baseline.[9] It was described as heaving a "rock and roll edge" with the thumping drum sounds.[7] Part of the song was used in the film Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer. "March" is a song that Scherzinger described as "being very powerful to me and it's one of the last songs. It's about never giving up on your dreams and it’s about what I went through to get where I am today."[6] Other docummented recordings include "When Your Falling" which was co-written by Akon[7] "Power's Out" a riveting duet with American Grammy-nominated singer Sting,[7] "I M.I.S.S You" written by Pharell Williams & produced by The Neptunes.[9] Another song "When I Grow Up" was produced by Darkchild, written by Rock City was recorded but later given to the Pussycat Dolls to be released as the lead single from Doll Domination and became one of their most successful singles reaching number 1 in the UK and top 10 elsewhere.[12] "Who's Gonna Love You" is a heavy R&B number which was produced by Polow da Don and written by both Kara Dioguardi and Scherzinger which was also included on Doll Domination.[12]

Release and promotion

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Cancellation

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The album was originally set for release on October 6, 2007. The album was then pushed back a month to November 6, 2007, and later pushed ahead to October 22, 2007, and then November 20, 2007.[13] Following the low success of the singles "Whatever U Like", "Supervillain", and "Puakenikeni", the only moderate success of "Baby Love" in Europe, and many of the tracks being given away to the Pussycat Dolls second album Doll Domination (2009), the album was cancelled.[14]

Singles

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The lead single from the album, "Whatever U Like" was released on July 24, 2007. The song was not deemed successful as it only managed to reach number 57 on the Canadian Hot 100[15] and number 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in the US.[16] "Baby Love" was the second single released on September 10, 2009 and heavily promoted throughout the US and Europe. The song was written by will.i.am, Kara Dioguardi, Keith Harris and Scherzinger in just 20 minutes.[7] It was recieved well by critics who said the midtempo song features a guitar. The laid-back vibe is similar to the Pussycat Dolls’ "Stickwitu".[9] and led to the previous release being called a club/buzz single whilst it was billed as the new lead single. Internationally the single faired well reaching Top 15 in most countries including the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe but in the US it stalled number 8 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, number 75 on the Pop 100 although it did manage number 4 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song was remixed by J.R. Rotem to be included as a bonus track on several editions of the Pussycat Doll's second album Doll Domination.

"Supervillain" was selected by fans to be released as the third single. However it was only made available through iTunes in November 2007. Written by Timothy and Theron Thomas (Rock City) and produced by Mad Scientist the song had synthy melodies with a disco-mowtown feel and featured Scherzinger's 5-octave range.[7] It was described as having a "danceable jam with a catchy chorus" and featured a reggae/dancehall interlude in the middle as well as a rap by the song's producer Mad Scientist.[9] The song failed to chart in the US. "Puakenikini" (meaning "flower" in Hawain) quickly succeeded the previous release as the next single from the album, released at the end of November 2007 again to iTunes. It was written by Scherzinger and co-written/produced by Akon to as a tribute to Scherzinger's herritage.[7] It was described as being different to the majority of Akon's productions and revealed as her favourite song on the album.[9] This song also failed to chart.

Track listing

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  • The original track listing of the album, as confirmed by Allmusic.[17]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Supervillain"Terry Thomas, Timothy Thomas, Theron Thomas[18]Mad Scientist 
2."Who's Gonna Love You"Nicole Scherzinger, Jamal Jones, Kara DioGuardi[19]Polow da Don 
3."Power's Out" (featuring Sting)Terius Nash, Thaddis Harrell, Christopher Stewart[20]The-Dream, C. "Tricky" Stewart 
4."Puakenikeni" (featuring Brick & Lace)Scherzinger, Aliaune Thiam, Nailah Thorbourne, Nyanda Thorbourne, Giorgio Tuinfort[21]Akon 
5."Happily Never After"Shea Taylor, Shaffer Smith[22]Shea Taylor, Ne-Yo (co.) 
6."Baby Love" (featuring will.i.am)William Adams, DioGuardi, Scherzinger, Keith Harris[23]will.i.am 
7."Save Me from Myself"Marcus Allen, Scherzinger, Smith, Melvin Sparkman[24]Ne-Yo 
8."Physical" (featuring Timbaland)Nathaniel Hills, Keri Hilson, Timothy Mosley[25]Timbaland, Danja 
9."Love Like This"Scherzinger, Jones, DioGuardi[26]Polow da Don 
10."Just Say Yes"Gary Lightbody[9]Gary Lightbody 
11."When You're Falling"Scherzinger, Thiam[27]Akon 
12."Whatever U Like" (featuring T.I.)Sean Garrett, Clifford Harris, Scherzinger, Jones[28]Polow da Don, Sean Garrett (co.) 
13."I M.I.S.S. U" (featuring Pharrell Williams)Williams[9]The Neptunes 
14."March"Scherzinger, Jones, DioGuardi[29]Polow da Don 
15."On My Side" (featuring Akon)Scherzinger, Thiam, Thorbourne, Tuinfort[30]Akon 
16."I Blow" (featuring Busta Rhymes)   
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Get 'em Ladies"   
18."Feels So Good"Macy Gray, Justin Johnsen, Joshua Lopez, Jeremy Ruzumna, Scherzinger, Phillip White[31]Macy Gray 

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (2007-06-27). "Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger Picks T.I. For Solo Single: 'He's Not Bad' - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv.com. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  2. ^ "So Amazing! || CHRISTINA MILIAN FAN || Temporary Version". Christina Milian Fan. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  3. ^ "Music - News - Hilson: 'Scherzinger forced to stay in PCD' - Digital Spy". Digital Spy<!. 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  4. ^ "Keri Hilson - Alienated - Listen Now". Djbooth.net. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  5. ^ "Music - Album Review - Keri Hilson: 'In A Perfect World...' - Digital Spy". Digital Spy<!. 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  6. ^ a b c d Emmanuel "Boy Wonder" Ezugwu. "Alternatives : Nicole Scherzinger: Remember the Name". Allhiphop.com. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Official Her Name Is Nicole Community: Nicole's Biography". Her Name Is Nicole. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  8. ^ Montgomery, James (2007-08-23). "Nicole Scherzinger Nabs Kanye West For LP, Makes Snow Patrol Singer's Mom Cry - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". MTV.com. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Nicole Scherzinger Album Preview". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  10. ^ a b Montgomery, James (2007-08-23). "Nicole Scherzinger Nabs Kanye West For LP, Makes Snow Patrol Singer's Mom Cry - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv.com. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  11. ^ "New Releases - UK Forthcoming Albums (Radio1 Rodos Greece ::: Top 40 Music Station ::: Promo Releases)". Radio1.gr. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  12. ^ a b c "Nicole Scherzinger PCD Interview | Nicole Scherzinger | News | MTV UK". Mtv.co.uk. 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  13. ^ Halperin, Shirley (2007-10-31). "Pussycat Doll's Solo Album Pushed Back Again | Inside TV | EW.com". Insidetv.ew.com. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  14. ^ Maura (2008-09-22). ""Her Name Is Nicole" Exists, Sort Of". Idolator. Buzzmedia. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  15. ^ Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
  16. ^ Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
  17. ^ "Her Name Is Nicole - Nicole Scherzinger". Allmusic. (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  18. ^ "Supervillian Work ID: 494712273". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  19. ^ Dolls, Pussycat (2008). Doll Domination (Liner Notes) (Compact Disc). Interscope Records.
  20. ^ "Power's Out Work ID: 462371657". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  21. ^ "Puakenikeni Work ID: 462118798". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  22. ^ "Happily Never After Work ID: 382118672". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  23. ^ "Baby Love Work ID: 322670679". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  24. ^ "Save Me from Myself Work ID: 494997690". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  25. ^ "Physical Work ID: 462113891". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  26. ^ http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=9221637&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
  27. ^ http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=9254206&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
  28. ^ http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=9090800&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
  29. ^ http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=9222670&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
  30. ^ "On My Side Work ID: 451416254". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (ASCAP). Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  31. ^ http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=9254015&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID


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