Hole in the Head
Encyclopedia
"Hole in the Head" is a dance-pop
song performed by Sugababes
, released in October 2003 as the lead single from their third studio album Three
(2003). It was written by Brian Higgins
, Miranda Cooper
, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Niara Scarlett
, Keisha Buchanan
, Mutya Buena
, and Heidi Range
, and co-produced by Higgins and Jeremy Wheatley.
The song reached number one in the United Kingdom and Denmark, becoming the group's third domestic number one single and first Danish chart-topper. It also managed to chart in the top ten in Austria, Ireland, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. "Hole in the Head" is the first (and to date only) single by Sugababes to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
, peaking at number 96.
and filmed on various locations in London
in September 2003.
The video shows the girls wearing heavy make up whlie dressed in gothic-like clothing and accessories and dancing around. They are also shown dating a rock band called Erased with whom they go to a gig
with. The girls discover the band getting intimate with other girls during the show. In the end, while the band is performing in front of the crowd, the girls come out first grabbing the guys and throwing them off the stage and start damaging the instruments. There is an uncensored version of the video, with extra footage in it. Aside from being the original explicit version of the song, there is also a scene where Buchanan gives the middle finger to the camera.
stated that the song was "one of the most satisfying pop phenomenons" and praised the group's upbeat vocals. Peter Robinson of The Guardian
described the song as an "incendiary lead single". Alan Braidwood of BBC
gave a favorable review by suggesting that the song was "quality pop".
, reaching #96. It did, however, top the American Club Play chart and also reach #24 on the country's Mainstream Top 40 Pop Chart.
UK CD single 1
UK CD single 2
US CD single/US digital single
US digital EP
"Hole in the Head"
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 performed by Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, released in October 2003 as the lead single from their third studio album Three
Three (Sugababes album)
-Canceled US Edition:-Charts:-Certifications:-Release history:-Setlist:¹Performed at the first Concert...
(2003). It was written by 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...
, 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...
, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Niara Scarlett
Niara Scarlett
Niara Scarlett is a British born singer-songwriter, perhaps most famous for her work with British production house Xenomania. Scarlett appeared on a number of dub, garage, grime, and house singles in the latter half of the 1990s and the 2000s.-Background:...
, Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Buchanan
Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan is an English singer-songwriter and was a founding member of the BRIT Award-winning girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buchanan had six number one singles and two number one studio albums, making the Sugababes one of the most successful British pop acts...
, Mutya Buena
Mutya Buena
Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena is an English recording artist who rose to fame as a member of girl group the Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buena had four UK number one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-platinum albums. After leaving the group in December 2005, she released her...
, and Heidi Range
Heidi Range
Heidi India Range is an English singer, songwriter and member of the Sugababes. Range was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, although she left the group after two years of its formation with no album released...
, and co-produced by Higgins and Jeremy Wheatley.
The song reached number one in the United Kingdom and Denmark, becoming the group's third domestic number one single and first Danish chart-topper. It also managed to chart in the top ten in Austria, Ireland, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. "Hole in the Head" is the first (and to date only) single by Sugababes to chart 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...
, peaking at number 96.
Music video
The music video for "Hole in the Head" was directed by Matthew RolstonMatthew Rolston
Matthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
and filmed on various locations 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...
in September 2003.
The video shows the girls wearing heavy make up whlie dressed in gothic-like clothing and accessories and dancing around. They are also shown dating a rock band called Erased with whom they go to a gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
with. The girls discover the band getting intimate with other girls during the show. In the end, while the band is performing in front of the crowd, the girls come out first grabbing the guys and throwing them off the stage and start damaging the instruments. There is an uncensored version of the video, with extra footage in it. Aside from being the original explicit version of the song, there is also a scene where Buchanan gives the middle finger to the camera.
Reception
"Hole in the Head" received positive reviews from music critics. NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stated that the song was "one of the most satisfying pop phenomenons" and praised the group's upbeat vocals. Peter Robinson of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described the song as an "incendiary lead single". Alan Braidwood of 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...
gave a favorable review by suggesting that the song was "quality pop".
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, the song entered at #1, selling 58,500 copies in its first week of release. It topped the chart for a week, but fell to #5 in its second week. It spent 13 weeks in the top 75. The song has sold 183,598 copies in the UK alone. In the United States, the song is the only one by the Sugababes to chart on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
, reaching #96. It did, however, top the American Club Play chart and also reach #24 on the country's Mainstream Top 40 Pop Chart.
Track listings and formats
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Hole in the Head."UK CD single 1
- "Hole in the Head" - 3:38
- "Who" - 3:47
- "Hole in the Head" [Full Intention Vocal Mix] - 7:16
- "Hole in the Head" [Video] - 3:38
UK CD single 2
- "Hole in the Head" [Clean Radio Edit] - 3:38
- "This Ain't A Party Thing" - 4:00
- "Hole in the Head" [Gravitas Clean Mix] - 8:27
US CD single/US digital single
- "Hole in the Head" [Clean Radio Edit] - 3:38
- "Hole in the Head" [Armand Van Helden Remix] - 7:30
US digital EP
- "Hole in the Head" [Full Intention Vocal Mix] - 7:16
- "Hole in the Head" [Full Intention Club Mix] - 7:12
- "Hole in the Head" [Gravitas Dirty Mix] - 8:27
- "Hole in the Head" - 3:38
Official versions and appearances
These are the official versions and remixes and the release they appear on, of:"Hole in the Head"
| Version | Release appearance |
|---|---|
| Radio Edit | "Hole in the Head" single, |
| Album Version | Three Three (Sugababes album) -Canceled US Edition:-Charts:-Certifications:-Release history:-Setlist:¹Performed at the first Concert... , "Hole in the Head" single, Overloaded: The Singles Collection Overloaded: The Singles Collection Overloaded: The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British girl group the Sugababes. It was released by Island Records on 13 November 2006 in the United Kingdom. The main version of the album was a 15-track collection of 13 Sugababes singles and two new tracks... , Change Change (Sugababes album) Change is the fifth studio album by English girl group Sugababes, released through Island Records during October 2007 in most European territories. The album features production by Dr... [French Version] |
| Full Intention Vocal Mix | "Hole in the Head" single, Overloaded: The Remix Collection |
| Gravitas Clean Mix | "Hole in the Head" single |
| Armand Van Helden Remix | |
| Video | "Hole in the Head" single, Overloaded: The Videos Collection |
| Sessions at AOL | "Caught in a Moment Caught in a Moment "Caught in a Moment" is a pop ballad performed by British group Sugababes. It was written by Marius De Vries, Jony Lipsey, Karen Poole, and band members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range for the band's third studio album Three. Released in 2004 as the album's fourth and final single,... " single, Overloaded: The Live Collection |
| Acoustic version | Overloaded: Napster Live Session |
| Live at 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... |
"Easy Easy (Sugababes song) "Easy" is a song by British girlband Sugababes from their first compilation album, Overloaded: The Singles Collection. It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan, Amelle Berrabah and Heidi Range, and Jason Pebworth and George Astasio from the band Orson. It was produced by Brio Taliaferro,... " single |
Charts
| Chart (2003/04) | 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... |
25 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 20 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 1 |
| 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... |
2 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 11 |
| German Singles Chart | 9 |
| 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... |
2 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 23 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 11 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... |
53 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 7 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 8 |
| 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 ... |
1 |
| U.S. 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... |
96 |
| U.S.Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 24 |
Cover versions
- Ann & David Blake on Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 2Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 2Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 2 is an Irish charity album featuring a variety of artists performing acoustic cover versions of popular songs. It was released in 2004 by RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd...
- Sabrina SalernoSabrina SalernoSabrina Salerno , also known in her singing career as Sabrina, is an Italian singer, television hostess, model, actress and record producer...
when she took part in ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Hit Me Baby One More TimeHit Me Baby One More TimeHit Me, Baby, One More Time was a 2005 reality show first aired by ITV on British television and later, as a new version, by NBC in the United States; both were presented by Vernon Kay. During each programme, five former pop stars sing their biggest hit along with a cover version of a contemporary...
.