Pretty Girl Rock
Encyclopedia
"Pretty Girl Rock" is a mid-tempo
R&B
and pop
song, that incorporates an interpolation of "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr.
. The song makes use of heavy drum
s and slinky piano
and is built on bouncy
R&B beats
. Sara Anderson from AOL Radio
noted that it "weaves in piano trills, prominent backbeats, ska slang 'eh's and self-awareness." According to Georgette Cline from The Boombox, the song is a "self-love anthem" that showcases Hilson's "attempt at uniting women over their shared beauty rather than the jealousy that drives them apart." Luke Gibson from Hip Hop DX noted that lyrics such as: "Girls think I'm conceited 'cause I know I'm attractive / Don't worry about what I think, why don't you ask him?", capture the attitude of a Fabolous
or Jadakiss
track." Chad Grischow from IGN Music referred to "Pretty Girl Rock" as a "girl-power jam" and noted that Hilson "exudes confidence" with the lines: "Pretty as a picture / Sweet as a Swisher / Mad cuz I'm cuter than the girl that's with ya."
and editors of USA Today
, all considered it to be the stand out track from No Boys Allowed. Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine
wrote that the song, "comes on like a cat fight, but it eventually reveals itself to be a tough-loving 'love yourself' anthem, a stately but danceable approximation of Dove's campaign for 'real beauty'". Matthew Horton of BBC Music
called it a "lovely single", while Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
called it "swaggering". Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
wrote that, "Though Ne-Yo gives 'Pretty Girl Rock' an addictive sheen, it's the remix featuring some memorable verses from Kanye West
that gets the point across best." Kyle Anderson of MTV Newsroom
praised Hilson's "confidence and sweetness" on the song, and described the beat as "funky and sick." Becky Bain of Idolator
called it a "saucy R&B number" and wrote that "the song's not too bad". Chad Grischow of IGN Music wrote that, "there are plenty of reasons to despise 'Pretty Girl Rock', but the twinkling girl-power jam is too charming and catchy to stay mad." Karen Tye of Adelaide Now wrote that it is "catchy, sparkly pop but complete with mindless lyrics."
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart at number 76 on the issue dated November 20, 2010, and peaked at number four on the issue dated February 12, 2011. The song also peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart. On June 7, 2011, "Pretty Girl Rock" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), for selling over 1,000,000 digital copies. In Canada, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted and peaked at number 81.
On the New Zealand Singles Chart
, the song debuted at number 12 on December 27, 2010, and peaked at number 11 on January 10, 2011. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ), for selling over 7,500 copies. In Ireland, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted at number 50 on Irish Singles Chart
on January 13, 2011, and left the chart the following week. In the United Kingdom, it debuted on the UK Singles Chart
at number 53 on January 22, 2011, before dropping 38 places to number 91 the following week. "Pretty Girl Rock" also charted on the UK R&B Singles Chart
, where it peaked at number 17. On the Austrian Singles Chart
, the song debuted at number 50 on June 10, 2011, and peaked at number 21 in its third week, spending a total of eight consecutive weeks on the chart. In Germany, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted and peaked at number 14 on the German Singles Chart on June 27, 2011, and spent a total of ten consecutive weeks on the chart.
for "Pretty Girl Rock" was directed by Joseph Kahn
. Hilson told Kahn that she did not want the video to be about her, since she felt that the song was very much about herself. During an interview with MTV News
while on the set of the video, she explained the video's concept, saying, "In this video, I do nine changes, and it's almost like I have to slip in and out of multiple personalities because I'm doing, what, 10 different eras, from the '20s straight up until 2010, which is me." She also said, "[The video is my] way of paying homage to groundbreaking women, strong women who were fearless and so bold and so confident that they made women feel that way ... And I hope to do the same." Kahn came up with the idea of paying homage to some female singers in the video. He discussed about it with Hilson, who chose the singers she loved and grew up inspired by, to portray in the video. The completed video premiered on 106 & Park
on November 11, 2010.
The video opens in black-and-white
and shows Hilson portraying Josephine Baker
, before transforming into Dorothy Dandridge
. The video then switches to color and Hilson is shown portraying lead singer Patty from the singing group The Andrews Sisters
. She is then seen channeling Diana Ross
as lead singer of The Supremes
, before switching to Donna Summer
while wearing a blue sequined mini-dress. Hilson then portrays Janet Jackson
from the military
-inspired "Rhythm Nation
" music video. Lastly, she is shown as lead singer T-Boz of the R&B girl group TLC
wearing blue silk pajamas from their "Creep
" music video. At the end of the video, Hilson is shown dressed as herself in a simple T-shirt and jeans, singing in front of a black backdrop.
Ed Easton Jr. from radio station WXRK wrote that the video was "different, creative and fun" and awarded it eight out of ten stars. Billy Johnson, Jr. from Yahoo! Music
called the video "very nice" and wrote that Hilson's portrayal of Janet Jackson was her "best remake" in the video. Mariel Concepcion from Billboard
magazine commented that the "video made her like the song [even more]." Nicole James from MTV Buzzworthy gave Hilson 100 bonus points for the authenticity of the wig she wore portraying T-Boz. Becky Bain from Idolator was unsure if the video "was [a] nice homage to the women in music who have come before her," or if Hilson was "just playing a hilarious game of dress up." At the 2011 BET Awards
, the video was nominated for Video of the Year
. On October 20, 2011, the video received a nomination for 'Best Dance Performance' at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
.
on November 25. Hilson was dressed in pink and performed the song on My Princess Academy
's "Castle of Dreams" float high above a pink castle. On December 3, Hilson performed "Pretty Girl Rock" at the VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert. She took to the stage dressed in a gold bustier with high-waisted pants and a fringe-laden jacket, to perform the song in front of an audience that included members of the US Armed Forces. Hilson was backed by four female dancers, who wore stylized military jackets. Mawuse Ziegbe from MTV News wrote that, "Hilson brought her saucy, sexpot swagger to the stage." The promotion of the song continued on December 7, when she performed a remixed version of "Pretty Girl Rock" on Lopez Tonight
, dressed in a silver and black leotard
. Hilson later performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on December 14 on the Today Show, mixing the track with James Blunt
's single "You're Beautiful
". For the performance, she wore a glittery multi-colored jacket over a black blouse, skin-tight jeans and stilettos.
A day before the release of No Boys Allowed, Hilson performed the song at Billboard
's first live Tastemakers event in New York City
on December 20. On January 4, 2011, Hilson gave a Motown-themed performance of "Pretty Girl Rock" on Late Night with David Letterman
, by paying tribute to Diana Ross and The Supremes with her two female back-up singers. On January 25, she performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, also mixing Blunt's "You're Beautiful" into the song. Backed by four female dancers, Hilson wore a white button-down shirt, knee-length pants and black heels. Robbie Daw from Idolator wrote that, "Keri Hilson amped up the sex factor." On June 9, Hilson performed a remix of the song on the finale of Germany's Next Topmodel, as models strutted down the runway.
Source:
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
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...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song, that incorporates an interpolation of "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...
. The song makes use of heavy drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and slinky piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and is built on bouncy
Bounce music
Bounce music is an energetic style of New Orleans hip hop music which is said to have originated as early as the late 1980s, but is typically believed to have begun with the 1991 single "Where Dey At" by MC T.Tucker and DJ Irv...
R&B beats
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
. Sara Anderson from AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
noted that it "weaves in piano trills, prominent backbeats, ska slang 'eh's and self-awareness." According to Georgette Cline from The Boombox, the song is a "self-love anthem" that showcases Hilson's "attempt at uniting women over their shared beauty rather than the jealousy that drives them apart." Luke Gibson from Hip Hop DX noted that lyrics such as: "Girls think I'm conceited 'cause I know I'm attractive / Don't worry about what I think, why don't you ask him?", capture the attitude of a Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
or Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
track." Chad Grischow from IGN Music referred to "Pretty Girl Rock" as a "girl-power jam" and noted that Hilson "exudes confidence" with the lines: "Pretty as a picture / Sweet as a Swisher / Mad cuz I'm cuter than the girl that's with ya."
Critical reception
"Pretty Girl Rock" received positive reviews from most music critics. Andy Kellman of Allmusic, Mikael Wood of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
and editors of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, all considered it to be the stand out track from No Boys Allowed. Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
wrote that the song, "comes on like a cat fight, but it eventually reveals itself to be a tough-loving 'love yourself' anthem, a stately but danceable approximation of Dove's campaign for 'real beauty'". Matthew Horton of BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
called it a "lovely single", while Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called it "swaggering". Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
wrote that, "Though Ne-Yo gives 'Pretty Girl Rock' an addictive sheen, it's the remix featuring some memorable verses from Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
that gets the point across best." Kyle Anderson of MTV Newsroom
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
praised Hilson's "confidence and sweetness" on the song, and described the beat as "funky and sick." Becky Bain of Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
called it a "saucy R&B number" and wrote that "the song's not too bad". Chad Grischow of IGN Music wrote that, "there are plenty of reasons to despise 'Pretty Girl Rock', but the twinkling girl-power jam is too charming and catchy to stay mad." Karen Tye of Adelaide Now wrote that it is "catchy, sparkly pop but complete with mindless lyrics."
Chart performance
In the United States, "Pretty Girl Rock" entered the 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...
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart at number 76 on the issue dated November 20, 2010, and peaked at number four on the issue dated February 12, 2011. The song also peaked at number 24 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...
chart. On June 7, 2011, "Pretty Girl Rock" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), for selling over 1,000,000 digital copies. In Canada, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted and peaked at number 81.
On the 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...
, the song debuted at number 12 on December 27, 2010, and peaked at number 11 on January 10, 2011. It was 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 selling over 7,500 copies. In Ireland, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted at number 50 on 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...
on January 13, 2011, and left the chart the following week. In the United Kingdom, it debuted on the 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 ...
at number 53 on January 22, 2011, before dropping 38 places to number 91 the following week. "Pretty Girl Rock" also charted on the UK R&B Singles Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, where it peaked at number 17. On the 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...
, the song debuted at number 50 on June 10, 2011, and peaked at number 21 in its third week, spending a total of eight consecutive weeks on the chart. In Germany, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted and peaked at number 14 on the German Singles Chart on June 27, 2011, and spent a total of ten consecutive weeks on the chart.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Pretty Girl Rock" was directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
. Hilson told Kahn that she did not want the video to be about her, since she felt that the song was very much about herself. During an interview with 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...
while on the set of the video, she explained the video's concept, saying, "In this video, I do nine changes, and it's almost like I have to slip in and out of multiple personalities because I'm doing, what, 10 different eras, from the '20s straight up until 2010, which is me." She also said, "[The video is my] way of paying homage to groundbreaking women, strong women who were fearless and so bold and so confident that they made women feel that way ... And I hope to do the same." Kahn came up with the idea of paying homage to some female singers in the video. He discussed about it with Hilson, who chose the singers she loved and grew up inspired by, to portray in the video. The completed video premiered on 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on November 11, 2010.
The video opens in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
and shows Hilson portraying Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
, before transforming into Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
. The video then switches to color and Hilson is shown portraying lead singer Patty from the singing group The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
. She is then seen channeling Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
as lead singer of The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, before switching to Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
while wearing a blue sequined mini-dress. Hilson then portrays Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
from the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
-inspired "Rhythm Nation
Rhythm Nation
"Rhythm Nation" is the second single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Background:...
" music video. Lastly, she is shown as lead singer T-Boz of the R&B girl group TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
wearing blue silk pajamas from their "Creep
Creep (TLC song)
"Creep" is the Grammy-winning first single by American R&B group TLC from their second studio album CrazySexyCool, released on October 31, 1994 by LaFace Records...
" music video. At the end of the video, Hilson is shown dressed as herself in a simple T-shirt and jeans, singing in front of a black backdrop.
Ed Easton Jr. from radio station WXRK wrote that the video was "different, creative and fun" and awarded it eight out of ten stars. Billy Johnson, Jr. from Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
called the video "very nice" and wrote that Hilson's portrayal of Janet Jackson was her "best remake" in the video. Mariel Concepcion from Billboard
Billboard (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...
magazine commented that the "video made her like the song [even more]." Nicole James from MTV Buzzworthy gave Hilson 100 bonus points for the authenticity of the wig she wore portraying T-Boz. Becky Bain from Idolator was unsure if the video "was [a] nice homage to the women in music who have come before her," or if Hilson was "just playing a hilarious game of dress up." At the 2011 BET Awards
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
, the video was nominated for Video of the Year
BET Award for Video of the Year
The BET Award for Video of the Year is given to the most popular music video released the same or previous year of the year the awards are handed out. The award is only given to the performing artist or group in the video. The award is not handed out to the video directors and producers...
. On October 20, 2011, the video received a nomination for 'Best Dance Performance' at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
.
Live performances
On November 22, 2010, Hilson performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She later performed the song at the 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day ParadeMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
on November 25. Hilson was dressed in pink and performed the song on My Princess Academy
My Princess academy
My Princess Academy is a website and same-named attendant virtual princess world that empowers girls to be a “new kind of Princess” by teaching the “4 Pillars” of being a real princess -- generosity, intelligence, beauty and confidence. Created for girls ages three to seven, lets girls create...
's "Castle of Dreams" float high above a pink castle. On December 3, Hilson performed "Pretty Girl Rock" at the VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert. She took to the stage dressed in a gold bustier with high-waisted pants and a fringe-laden jacket, to perform the song in front of an audience that included members of the US Armed Forces. Hilson was backed by four female dancers, who wore stylized military jackets. Mawuse Ziegbe from MTV News wrote that, "Hilson brought her saucy, sexpot swagger to the stage." The promotion of the song continued on December 7, when she performed a remixed version of "Pretty Girl Rock" on Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
, dressed in a silver and black leotard
Leotard
A leotard is a skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs free. It was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard ....
. Hilson later performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on December 14 on the Today Show, mixing the track with James Blunt
James Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
's single "You're Beautiful
You're Beautiful
"You're Beautiful" is a pop rock song co-written by British singer James Blunt, Sacha Skarbek, and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam . It was released as the third single from the album in 2005. In the UK and Australia the song reached number one and number two respectively...
". For the performance, she wore a glittery multi-colored jacket over a black blouse, skin-tight jeans and stilettos.
A day before the release of No Boys Allowed, Hilson performed the song at Billboard
Billboard (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...
's first live Tastemakers event in New York City
New 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...
on December 20. On January 4, 2011, Hilson gave a Motown-themed performance of "Pretty Girl Rock" on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
, by paying tribute to Diana Ross and The Supremes with her two female back-up singers. On January 25, she performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, also mixing Blunt's "You're Beautiful" into the song. Backed by four female dancers, Hilson wore a white button-down shirt, knee-length pants and black heels. Robbie Daw from Idolator wrote that, "Keri Hilson amped up the sex factor." On June 9, Hilson performed a remix of the song on the finale of Germany's Next Topmodel, as models strutted down the runway.
Track listing
-
- Digital download
- "Pretty Girl Rock" – 4:04
-
- Germany CD single
- "Pretty Girl Rock" (Jost & Damien Radio Mix) – 3:26
- "Pretty Girl Rock" (featuring Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
) – 4:16
-
- UK 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...
- UK Digital EP
- "Pretty Girl Rock" – 4:04
- "Pretty Girl Rock" (CahillCahill (band)Cahill are a dance group, based in Liverpool, UK consisting of producers Anton Powers, Tim Condran and Scott Rosser. They are best known for their 2008 single, Trippin' On You, which features vocals from Nikki Belle.-Background:...
Radio Edit) – 3:23 - "Pretty Girl Rock" (Cahill Dub Remix) – 5:39
- "Pretty Girl Rock" (Cahill Club Remix) – 6:09
Credits and personnel
- Kevin “KD” Davis – mixingMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
- Moses Gollart – assistant vocal recording engineer
- Charles “Chuck Harmony” Harmon – songwriter, producer
- Keri Hilson – additional arrangements, lead vocals
- Bryan “The Beard” Jones – vocal recording engineer
- Chang and Mike “TrakGuru” Johnson – vocal recording engineer
- Jerel Lake – assistant mixing engineer
- Sam Salter – songwriter
- Shaffer “Ne-Yo” Smith – songwriter
- Bill Withers – songwriter
Source:
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2010–11) | 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... |
81 |
| Australian Urban 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... |
29 |
| 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... |
21 |
| 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... |
81 |
| German Singles Chart | 14 |
| 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... |
50 |
| 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... |
11 |
| Slovak Airplay Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... |
25 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
62 |
| UK R&B Singles Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
17 |
| 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 ... |
53 |
| 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... |
24 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
4 |
| US Pop Songs | 25 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | RIANZ 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 |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Radio and release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 12, 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... |
Interscope Records Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:... |
| October 19, 2010 | Rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may... radio |
||
| October 26, 2010 | Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... |
||
| Ireland | January 6, 2011 | Digital download | Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
| Switzerland | January 7, 2011 | ||
| United Kingdom | January 9, 2011 | Digital download, Digital Remixes EP | Polydor Records Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... |
| Spain | January 17, 2011 | Digital download | Universal Music |
| France | January 19, 2011 | ||
| Norway | |||
| Sweden | January 24, 2011 | ||
| Netherlands | February 11, 2011 | ||
| Australia | March 25, 2011 | ||
| Austria | March 27, 2011 | Digital EP | |
| Germany | June 10, 2011 | CD single |