Dirty Picture
Encyclopedia
"Dirty Picture" is a song by the British
R&B
singer Taio Cruz
. The song was written and produced by Cruz alongside Fraser T. Smith
for Cruz's second studio album, Rokstarr
. Originally, Cruz wanted the female vocals to be done by Lady Gaga
but opted to switch to Kesha
due to heavy influence by Dr. Luke and for finding her voice unique. It was released as the third single from Rokstarr on 5 April 2010 and was later re-recorded as an album bonus track for Kesha's debut album, Animal
, dubbed the "Kesha edit". Lyrically, the song's message is about being able to send your significant other that you're missing a dirty picture.
Critical reception of the song was generally positive. Kesha and Cruz's collaboration and vocal work together on the track was generally praised although some critics noted that Kesha overtook the track, outshining Cruz. The song's simple but effective lyrics were also positively received by music critics. Commercially, "Dirty Picture" fared well on the charts. The song reached the top ten in Ireland and the United Kingdom, peaking at ten and six, respectively. The song also reached the top forty in Europe, Australia and Ireland. The song's accompanying music video was filmed in Los Angeles
and in London
and its concept is intended to be presented as a party.
, but opted to switch to Kesha
due to heavy influence by Dr. Luke. While collaborating with Kesha, Cruz explained why he agreed to switch to Kesha rather than Gaga, "I heard her first single "Tik Tok
" before it was released, and I just really liked how she sounded. I felt her voice was very unique and easily identifiable, and that she was going to do really well." While being interviewed by MTV News
, Cruz elaborated on the collaboration, "She looked really sexy, and I just thought she was talented. Her voice was awesome, It had this — I hope she won't mind me saying this, but her voice has this kind of yodely quality to it, the way that she does things and the way that she ends words. I just loved that quality about it."
"Dirty Picture" is an upbeat dominant dance-pop
song that opens with a "strobing, techno back beat". The song features a heavy synth backing while the chorus of the song has been called "trancey" and reminiscent of Benny Benassi's
song, "Satisfaction
". Lyrically, Cruz explained the song's message saying, "the song is actually about sending sexy pictures to your significant other, if you miss each other and you can't see each other, you're far away from each other, you send pictures to remind each other of how sexy you are."
commented that though the song's lyrics were dumb, silly and crude, "none of [these] are bad things in themselves." McAlpine complimented the overall sound of Kesha and Cruz's vocal work together on the song commenting, "the jarring clash between Taio's supersmooth soul-gentleman image and Kesha's sloppy drunken nonsense is genuinely fascinating. The song actually transforms from one kind of a thing to another, depending who has their hand on the microphone." Sara Anderson from AOL Radio was positive in her review of the song. Anderson wrote, "Building from strobing, techno back beats, Taio melodically, and bluntly, asks his muse to take a few, er, risque pictures for him, before transitioning into speaking voice with the help of party queen Kesha."
Robert Copsey of Digital Spy
gave the single three out of a possible five stars. Copsey wasn't convinced with Cruz's vocal work on the song commenting that Kesha takes over the track, "Cruz's vocals soar over the verses, his delicate tones fails to dent that deliciously trashy chorus. Luckily, guest star Kesha more than steps up to the mark [...] it's a bit of a shame that it's not her version of the song". Ron Slomowicz from About.com
was positive in his review of the track. Slomowicz wrote that Kesha does what she does best, writing that in her talking melodically she "sounds great over this type of production". Cruz's performance was called decent with Slomowicz writing that he is able "to throw some decent vocals into a song about texting naughty pictures" while calling the track "spot-on".
(ARIA) for sales of 35,000 units. In New Zealand the single entered the charts at position thirty-eight, the following week the single rose to position twenty-one and then proceeded to fall off the charts. The song re-entered the charts on the week titled 14 June 2010 at twelve, the single reached its peak the following week at position eleven. It has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) for sales of 7,500 units. In the United States, "Dirty Picture" entered and peak on the Billboard Hot 100
at position ninety-six, the same week Rokstarr was released. In Canada, the song similarly reached its peak on its first week on the chart at position forty-nine.
and in London
. Cruz explain the video's simplistic theme and recording saying, "It was shot in this really cool basement in LA. We wanted it to look like a party scene, but not in a typical club, and it was really good fun. Kesha's shots were recorded in London because our schedules were all over the place, and then I shot the rest in LA."
The video opens with Cruz driving a car speeding through the desert. It then cuts to a new scene where Cruz is at a house party where everyone is drinking and sending dirty text messages. Throughout the scenes Cruz is seen taking pictures with different women and singing karaoke. Kesha's vocals cut in and she is seen standing in a bathroom stall standing on top of a toilet "asking that her man do the same [and send a dirty picture]." Once again the video then cuts to scenes of Cruz standing next to his car in the desert singing his verses. The video then cuts back to the party where all of the party goers are seen "sexting
, kissing, touching and bumping and grinding as the flashes flash." Kesha's vocals once again cut in and this time she is seen laying on top of the bathroom sink singing her verses. The video ends with Cruz and Kesha standing next to each other telling their loved ones to "click, click, snap" that dirty picture their way.
. The song was selective in its release only being sold as an album bonus track in United Kingdom and Ireland, and was dubbed "Kesha edit" or "Dirty Picture, Pt. 2". The song is similar to the original recording of the song with the only noticeable change being that Kesha now sings the song's first verse. While being interviewed by Digital Spy
Cruz explained how the cover initially came about and his view on the cover, "she asked me if she could do a version of the song where she sang the first verse and I thought that was a really cool idea. I really like both versions, and it's good that there are these two different versions out there, because fans of me get more of me on mine and [Kesha] fans get more of her on hers."
Source
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
. The song was written and produced by Cruz alongside Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith is an English record producer, songwriter, mix engineer and guitarist....
for Cruz's second studio album, Rokstarr
Rokstarr
Rokstarr is the second studio album by English recording artist Taio Cruz. It was released on 12 October 2009 in the United Kingdom. On 11 June 2010, a revised version of the album was released in Europe and the United States, appearing as Cruz's debut album there...
. Originally, Cruz wanted the female vocals to be done by 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...
but opted to switch to Kesha
Kesha
Kesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
due to heavy influence by Dr. Luke and for finding her voice unique. It was released as the third single from Rokstarr on 5 April 2010 and was later re-recorded as an album bonus track for Kesha's debut album, Animal
Animal (Kesha album)
Animal is the debut studio album by American pop singer Kesha. The album was released on January 1, 2010, by RCA Records. Kesha worked with a variety of producers and writers such as Lukasz Gottwald , Benny Blanco, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, and others...
, dubbed the "Kesha edit". Lyrically, the song's message is about being able to send your significant other that you're missing a dirty picture.
Critical reception of the song was generally positive. Kesha and Cruz's collaboration and vocal work together on the track was generally praised although some critics noted that Kesha overtook the track, outshining Cruz. The song's simple but effective lyrics were also positively received by music critics. Commercially, "Dirty Picture" fared well on the charts. The song reached the top ten in Ireland and the United Kingdom, peaking at ten and six, respectively. The song also reached the top forty in Europe, Australia and Ireland. The song's accompanying music video was filmed 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...
and in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and its concept is intended to be presented as a party.
Background and composition
"Dirty Picture" was written and produced by Cruz and Fraser T. Smith. Cruz originally wanted the female vocals done by Lady GagaLady 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...
, but opted to switch to Kesha
Kesha
Kesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
due to heavy influence by Dr. Luke. While collaborating with Kesha, Cruz explained why he agreed to switch to Kesha rather than Gaga, "I heard her first single "Tik Tok
TiK ToK
"Tik Tok" is the debut single by American recording artist Kesha. The song was produced by Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke and co-written by Blanco, Dr. Luke and Kesha. It was released on August 7, 2009 as the lead single from Kesha's debut studio album, Animal...
" before it was released, and I just really liked how she sounded. I felt her voice was very unique and easily identifiable, and that she was going to do really well." While being interviewed by MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, Cruz elaborated on the collaboration, "She looked really sexy, and I just thought she was talented. Her voice was awesome, It had this — I hope she won't mind me saying this, but her voice has this kind of yodely quality to it, the way that she does things and the way that she ends words. I just loved that quality about it."
"Dirty Picture" is an upbeat dominant dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song that opens with a "strobing, techno back beat". The song features a heavy synth backing while the chorus of the song has been called "trancey" and reminiscent of Benny Benassi's
Benny Benassi
Marco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
song, "Satisfaction
Satisfaction (Benny Benassi song)
"Satisfaction" is a Benny Benassi track from his 2003 album Hypnotica. The track was Benassi's debut single and most successful song, peaking at number 2 in the UK. It was also used in a TV commercial for an Australian beer, and Wendy's hamburgers...
". Lyrically, Cruz explained the song's message saying, "the song is actually about sending sexy pictures to your significant other, if you miss each other and you can't see each other, you're far away from each other, you send pictures to remind each other of how sexy you are."
Critical reception
Fraser McAlpine from 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...
commented that though the song's lyrics were dumb, silly and crude, "none of [these] are bad things in themselves." McAlpine complimented the overall sound of Kesha and Cruz's vocal work together on the song commenting, "the jarring clash between Taio's supersmooth soul-gentleman image and Kesha's sloppy drunken nonsense is genuinely fascinating. The song actually transforms from one kind of a thing to another, depending who has their hand on the microphone." Sara Anderson from AOL Radio was positive in her review of the song. Anderson wrote, "Building from strobing, techno back beats, Taio melodically, and bluntly, asks his muse to take a few, er, risque pictures for him, before transitioning into speaking voice with the help of party queen Kesha."
Robert Copsey of 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....
gave the single three out of a possible five stars. Copsey wasn't convinced with Cruz's vocal work on the song commenting that Kesha takes over the track, "Cruz's vocals soar over the verses, his delicate tones fails to dent that deliciously trashy chorus. Luckily, guest star Kesha more than steps up to the mark [...] it's a bit of a shame that it's not her version of the song". Ron Slomowicz from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
was positive in his review of the track. Slomowicz wrote that Kesha does what she does best, writing that in her talking melodically she "sounds great over this type of production". Cruz's performance was called decent with Slomowicz writing that he is able "to throw some decent vocals into a song about texting naughty pictures" while calling the track "spot-on".
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "Dirty Picture" entered the UK Singles chart at number twenty on the issue date entitled 17 April 2010. After weeks of steadily ascending the charts the single reached an eventual peak of six where it remained for one week. The single also managed to peak at number three on the UK R&B Charts. In Australia, "Dirty Picture" entered the charts at position thirty-one. On the song's third week on the chart it reached its peak position of sixteen where it remain for three weeks. It has since been certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry AssociationAustralian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) for sales of 35,000 units. In New Zealand the single entered the charts at position thirty-eight, the following week the single rose to position twenty-one and then proceeded to fall off the charts. The song re-entered the charts on the week titled 14 June 2010 at twelve, the single reached its peak the following week at position eleven. It has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ) for sales of 7,500 units. In the United States, "Dirty Picture" entered and peak on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at position ninety-six, the same week Rokstarr was released. In Canada, the song similarly reached its peak on its first week on the chart at position forty-nine.
Music video
The music video for "Dirty Picture" was directed by Alex Herron and it premiered online on 24 May 2010. Recording of the video was done in both Los AngelesLos 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...
and in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Cruz explain the video's simplistic theme and recording saying, "It was shot in this really cool basement in LA. We wanted it to look like a party scene, but not in a typical club, and it was really good fun. Kesha's shots were recorded in London because our schedules were all over the place, and then I shot the rest in LA."
The video opens with Cruz driving a car speeding through the desert. It then cuts to a new scene where Cruz is at a house party where everyone is drinking and sending dirty text messages. Throughout the scenes Cruz is seen taking pictures with different women and singing karaoke. Kesha's vocals cut in and she is seen standing in a bathroom stall standing on top of a toilet "asking that her man do the same [and send a dirty picture]." Once again the video then cuts to scenes of Cruz standing next to his car in the desert singing his verses. The video then cuts back to the party where all of the party goers are seen "sexting
Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized in early 21st century, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with...
, kissing, touching and bumping and grinding as the flashes flash." Kesha's vocals once again cut in and this time she is seen laying on top of the bathroom sink singing her verses. The video ends with Cruz and Kesha standing next to each other telling their loved ones to "click, click, snap" that dirty picture their way.
Kesha version
Kesha re-recorded "Dirty Picture" for her debut studio album, AnimalAnimal (Kesha album)
Animal is the debut studio album by American pop singer Kesha. The album was released on January 1, 2010, by RCA Records. Kesha worked with a variety of producers and writers such as Lukasz Gottwald , Benny Blanco, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, and others...
. The song was selective in its release only being sold as an album bonus track in United Kingdom and Ireland, and was dubbed "Kesha edit" or "Dirty Picture, Pt. 2". The song is similar to the original recording of the song with the only noticeable change being that Kesha now sings the song's first verse. While being interviewed by 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....
Cruz explained how the cover initially came about and his view on the cover, "she asked me if she could do a version of the song where she sang the first verse and I thought that was a really cool idea. I really like both versions, and it's good that there are these two different versions out there, because fans of me get more of me on mine and [Kesha] fans get more of her on hers."
Track listing
- Dirty Picture - CD Single
- "Dirty Picture" (Feat. Kesha) – 3:40
- "Dirty Picture" (Clean Version) – 3:14
- "Dirty Picture" (Wizzy Wow Remix) (Feat. Kesha and Scorcher) – 3:45
- "Break Your Heart" (The Wideboys Remix Radio Edit) - 3:14
- Dirty Picture – EP
- "Dirty Picture" (Feat. Kesha) – 3:40
- "Dirty Picture" (Clean Version) – 3:14
- "Dirty Picture" (Wizzy Wow Remix) (Feat. Kesha and Scorcher) – 3:45
- "Dirty Picture" (RedTop Extended Remix) (Feat. Kesha) – 5:23
- Dirty Picture (The Remixes) – EP
- "Dirty Picture" Remix (Feat. Kesha and Fabolous) – 3:41
- "Dirty Picture" (Wizzy Wow Remix) (Feat. Kesha and Scorcher) – 3:45
- "Dirty Picture" (RedTop Extended Remix) (Feat. Kesha) – 5:23
- "Dirty Picture" (Paul Thomas Remix) (Feat. Kesha) – 3:37
- Dirty Picture (The Remixes)
- "Dirty Picture" (Dave Audé Radio) (Feat. Kesha) – 3:53
- "Dirty Picture" (Jason Nevins Radio Edit) (Feat. Kesha) – 3:34
- "Dirty Picture" (Dave Audé Club) (Feat. Kesha) – 7:54
- "Dirty Picture" (Jason Nevins Club) (Feat. Kesha) – 6:54
- "Dirty Picture" (Jump Smokers Extended Mix) (Feat. Kesha) – 5:13
- "Dirty Picture" (Dave Audé Dub) (Feat. Kesha) – 6:10
- "Dirty Picture" (Jason Nevins Dubstramental) (Feat. Kesha) – 6:54
- "Dirty Picture" (Jump Smokers Instrumental) (Feat. Kesha) – 4:21
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting – Taio Cruz, Fraser T. Smith
- Production – Taio Cruz, Fraser T. Smith
- Engineering – Beatriz Artola
- Mixing – Fraser T. Smith, Neil Tucker
- Mastering – Tom Coyne
Source
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 5 April 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... |
| New Zealand | ||
| United Kingdom | 3 May 2010 | |
| Netherlands | 21 June 2010 | |
| Canada | 14 September 2010 | |
| United States |