Scream (Kelis song)
Encyclopedia
"Scream" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelis
, taken from her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone
. The up-tempo electro-dance
, techno synthpop
song was written by Kelis and Jean Baptiste
, and co-written and produced by David Guetta
and El Tocadisco
. It was released in October 2010, as the album's third single by will.i.am music
, to coincide with the European leg of the Kelis' All Hearts tour. It was mainly met with positive reception from music critics, who praised the song's genre-shifting production and the empowering message in Kelis' lyrics.
Described as a song which lends itself to live performances, "Scream" was compared to songs by Dutch disc-jockey Fedde Le Grand
, although critics noted that Kelis' vocals were layered as oppose to sung. An accompanying music video was directed by Rankin
, and features several different scenes based around fashion and colors. Kelis is seen in couture outfits
and neon bodypaint, as well as running on a treadmill in a London estate. The video was also produced in digital 3D
. "Scream" was performed live on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
and the Summer Sets concert series for Vevo
. "Scream" became a minor hit in Belgium, where it reached top-twenty on the Flanders Ultratip chart.
and techno song with elements of house
. The music and lyrics were written by Kelis, Jean Baptiste
, David Guetta
and Roman de Garcez
. NME
s Gavin Haynes commented on the song during his technical review of Flesh Tone
. He said "Scream" had a blues
melody which makes use of rinky dink
sounds, an instrument often played at music festivals. Many other critics stated how the song's composition could be split into different sections, sometimes like "a beat-free beach house piano-based meditation" while at other times, sounding like "haughty electroclash ingenue". Nick Levine from Digital Spy
noted that "Scream" had distinct shifts in genre, from house verses to electronica
choruses. Levine also pointed out that Kelis takes on a rap music style during the choruses. In the song's bridge
, the main melody "evaporates" before returning with "staccato
notes" and Kelis speaking, instead of singing, over a midsection with electronic percussion. Disc jockey
Ron Slomowicz (from About.com
) said it was the type of song that was best experienced live.
network. She also performed the song on October 5, 2010 on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
, where it was reported that things did not go as planned. According to The Mirror, the singer was left partially exposed after a small wardrobe malfunction
, near the end of the performance. "Scream" only charted in Belgium, where it peaked at number eighteen on the Belgium Ultratip Flanders chart.
's Jess Harvell gave the song a mixed review saying "All of this subgenre synthesizing
is a bit shameless. It's also frequently great, at least if you're already enamored with big, bright, synthetic dance music." However, Sal Cinquenmani of Slant Magazine
liked the song because it represented Kelis well: "another Guetta track, 'Scream' comes closest to capturing the long-established anti-establishment bent of Kelis's work". Sarah Bee of BBC Music agreed compared the song to works by Dutch house
DJ Fedde Le Grand
, saying that the overall effect was "Wow!". David Buchanan of the New York
and Chicago
-based online music publication Consequence of Sound said "Scream defies its namesake by coming off like a plea for optimism and kindness set to alternating piano and dance beats; Kelis never drops the ball on her seamless rhythm here, though her vocals (which precede her own name in the fame game) tend to be locked in on a single delivery of keys that come across layered into the techno rather than sung upon it." Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
agreed with the other reviewers. He said "although 'Scream' is not an instant hit, it continues to spread Kelis' message of dance or be danced on". He concluded by saying "for a woman who claims here that she hadn't 'had faith in such a long time', it sure sounds like she's found her Mecca."
for "Scream" premiered on September 28, 2010. It was fillmed the last days of August 2010 and was direcred by John "Rankin
" Wadell. "Scream" was also filmed in digital 3D
, and released to Kelis' YouTube
page a week after the original version premiered. The video begins with Kelis running on a treadmill, facing the camera, on the Wendling Estate in Gospel Oak
, London, UK. This scene is intersected with several others including: ones where Kelis wears an elaborate purple headpiece and matching bodysuit, a scene where she is covered in neon glow-in-the-dark bodypaint, and wearing a black head piece that resembles wings. During the chorus, Kelis is seen against a white backdrop with large fake eyelashes as she waves her hands to the music. She is then seen wrapped in chains trying to break free. Leading in to the next verse, the video transitions back to the opening treadmill scenes. When the chorus plays for the second time, Kelis wears a headpiece with several thin black rods sticking out of it and dances in time to the music. Other scenes include more neon bodypaint shots, and a new scene where she swings from a rope hanging from the ceiling, while wearing a sparkling black wig. The video ends with a shot of Kelis, in the bodypaint, saying "Scream".
The treadmill scenes were filmed at the Wendling Estate and nearby Bacton Tower in London, UK. Other scenes were filmed in Ibiza
, Spain. According to Digital Spy
's Robert Copsey, the concept of the video was a simple one, "Kelis wearing various couture
outfits", while Robbie Daw, from the music news website Idolator, later described the video as a collection of fashion snapshots and ensembles. "There are various shots of Kelis in some OTT fashion ensembles (huge fake eyelashes, lace winged hat, chains) with a recurring image of her in a human body suit, jogging in place." Ron Slomowicz from About.com
said "Live, the crowd goes ballistic [for this song]. The video brilliantly tries to bring that feeling to you as a viewer by presenting the songstress in blue and red 3d."
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
, taken from her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone
Flesh Tone
Flesh Tone is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Kelis, first released on May 14, 2010. Recorded while the singer was an unsigned artist and while pregnant with her first child, the record is an ode to motherhood and is a distinct departure from the urban sound of her previous...
. The up-tempo electro-dance
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
, techno synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
song was written by Kelis and Jean Baptiste
Jean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
, and co-written and produced by David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
and El Tocadisco
DJ Tocadisco
-Biography:Tocadisco was born Roman Böer on 8 June 1974, and grew up in a small city near Cologne, Germany. He plays several instruments and played in different bands in his youth....
. It was released in October 2010, as the album's third single by will.i.am music
Will.i.am music group
will.i.am music group is a vanity label founded by hip hop artist will.i.am of the The Black Eyed Peas. Other than will.i.am, there are popular artists such as Fergie, Macy Gray and Sérgio Mendes signed to the label...
, to coincide with the European leg of the Kelis' All Hearts tour. It was mainly met with positive reception from music critics, who praised the song's genre-shifting production and the empowering message in Kelis' lyrics.
Described as a song which lends itself to live performances, "Scream" was compared to songs by Dutch disc-jockey Fedde Le Grand
Fedde le Grand
Fedde le Grand is a Dutch house DJ and producer whose single "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" / "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" reached number one on the UK's singles and the top 5 in the Dutch singles chart, and spent five weeks in the Spanish dance chart...
, although critics noted that Kelis' vocals were layered as oppose to sung. An accompanying music video was directed by Rankin
Rankin (photographer)
John Rankin Waddell, working name Rankin, born 1966, is a British portrait and fashion photographer.-Life and career:Waddell was brought up in St Albans, Hertfordshire. At the age of 21, whilst studying accounting at Brighton Polytechnic, he realized that his interests lay elsewhere and dropped...
, and features several different scenes based around fashion and colors. Kelis is seen in couture outfits
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
and neon bodypaint, as well as running on a treadmill in a London estate. The video was also produced in digital 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
. "Scream" was performed live on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
and the Summer Sets concert series for Vevo
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
. "Scream" became a minor hit in Belgium, where it reached top-twenty on the Flanders Ultratip chart.
Style and composition
"Scream" is an up-tempo, electro-danceElectronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and techno song with elements of house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
. The music and lyrics were written by Kelis, Jean Baptiste
Jean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
, David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
and Roman de Garcez
DJ Tocadisco
-Biography:Tocadisco was born Roman Böer on 8 June 1974, and grew up in a small city near Cologne, Germany. He plays several instruments and played in different bands in his youth....
. NME
NME
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...
s Gavin Haynes commented on the song during his technical review of Flesh Tone
Flesh Tone
Flesh Tone is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Kelis, first released on May 14, 2010. Recorded while the singer was an unsigned artist and while pregnant with her first child, the record is an ode to motherhood and is a distinct departure from the urban sound of her previous...
. He said "Scream" had a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
melody which makes use of rinky dink
Rinky Dink
Rinky Dink is a 1962 instrumental hit by Dave "Baby" Cortez.Rinky Dink is a mobile musical sound system that operates on power provided by two bicycles and solar panels. It tours the world as part of many musical festivals and parties and is a prime example of how green electricity can be generated...
sounds, an instrument often played at music festivals. Many other critics stated how the song's composition could be split into different sections, sometimes like "a beat-free beach house piano-based meditation" while at other times, sounding like "haughty electroclash ingenue". Nick Levine from 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....
noted that "Scream" had distinct shifts in genre, from house verses to electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
choruses. Levine also pointed out that Kelis takes on a rap music style during the choruses. In the song's bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, the main melody "evaporates" before returning with "staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
notes" and Kelis speaking, instead of singing, over a midsection with electronic percussion. Disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
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....
) said it was the type of song that was best experienced live.
Release and chart performance
The release of "Scream" was announced to coincide with the European leg of Kelis' All Hearts tour. Kelis first performed "Scream" on September 16, 2010 for the Summer Sets concert series with the VevoVevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
network. She also performed the song on October 5, 2010 on The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
, where it was reported that things did not go as planned. According to The Mirror, the singer was left partially exposed after a small wardrobe malfunction
Wardrobe malfunction
A wardrobe malfunction is a euphemism for accidental exposure of intimate parts. It is different from flashing, as the latter implies a deliberate exposure...
, near the end of the performance. "Scream" only charted in Belgium, where it peaked at number eighteen on the Belgium Ultratip Flanders chart.
Critical reception
The song received generally mixed to positive reviews. Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Jess Harvell gave the song a mixed review saying "All of this subgenre synthesizing
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
is a bit shameless. It's also frequently great, at least if you're already enamored with big, bright, synthetic dance music." However, Sal Cinquenmani 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 :...
liked the song because it represented Kelis well: "another Guetta track, 'Scream' comes closest to capturing the long-established anti-establishment bent of Kelis's work". Sarah Bee of BBC Music agreed compared the song to works by Dutch house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
DJ Fedde Le Grand
Fedde le Grand
Fedde le Grand is a Dutch house DJ and producer whose single "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" / "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" reached number one on the UK's singles and the top 5 in the Dutch singles chart, and spent five weeks in the Spanish dance chart...
, saying that the overall effect was "Wow!". David Buchanan of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based online music publication Consequence of Sound said "Scream defies its namesake by coming off like a plea for optimism and kindness set to alternating piano and dance beats; Kelis never drops the ball on her seamless rhythm here, though her vocals (which precede her own name in the fame game) tend to be locked in on a single delivery of keys that come across layered into the techno rather than sung upon it." Robert Copsey from 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....
agreed with the other reviewers. He said "although 'Scream' is not an instant hit, it continues to spread Kelis' message of dance or be danced on". He concluded by saying "for a woman who claims here that she hadn't 'had faith in such a long time', it sure sounds like she's found her Mecca."
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 "Scream" premiered on September 28, 2010. It was fillmed the last days of August 2010 and was direcred by John "Rankin
Rankin (photographer)
John Rankin Waddell, working name Rankin, born 1966, is a British portrait and fashion photographer.-Life and career:Waddell was brought up in St Albans, Hertfordshire. At the age of 21, whilst studying accounting at Brighton Polytechnic, he realized that his interests lay elsewhere and dropped...
" Wadell. "Scream" was also filmed in digital 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, and released to Kelis' YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
page a week after the original version premiered. The video begins with Kelis running on a treadmill, facing the camera, on the Wendling Estate in Gospel Oak
Gospel Oak
Gospel Oak is an inner urban area of north London in the London Borough of Camden below Hampstead Heath. It is bordered by the more affluent areas of Belsize Park to the west, Kentish Town to the south, Eastern Hampstead to the North and Dartmouth Park and Tufnell Park to the east...
, London, UK. This scene is intersected with several others including: ones where Kelis wears an elaborate purple headpiece and matching bodysuit, a scene where she is covered in neon glow-in-the-dark bodypaint, and wearing a black head piece that resembles wings. During the chorus, Kelis is seen against a white backdrop with large fake eyelashes as she waves her hands to the music. She is then seen wrapped in chains trying to break free. Leading in to the next verse, the video transitions back to the opening treadmill scenes. When the chorus plays for the second time, Kelis wears a headpiece with several thin black rods sticking out of it and dances in time to the music. Other scenes include more neon bodypaint shots, and a new scene where she swings from a rope hanging from the ceiling, while wearing a sparkling black wig. The video ends with a shot of Kelis, in the bodypaint, saying "Scream".
The treadmill scenes were filmed at the Wendling Estate and nearby Bacton Tower in London, UK. Other scenes were filmed in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, Spain. According to 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....
's Robert Copsey, the concept of the video was a simple one, "Kelis wearing various couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
outfits", while Robbie Daw, from the music news website Idolator, later described the video as a collection of fashion snapshots and ensembles. "There are various shots of Kelis in some OTT fashion ensembles (huge fake eyelashes, lace winged hat, chains) with a recurring image of her in a human body suit, jogging in place." 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....
said "Live, the crowd goes ballistic [for this song]. The video brilliantly tries to bring that feeling to you as a viewer by presenting the songstress in blue and red 3d."
Track listing
-
- Digital Download
- "Scream" - 3:30
-
- Digital Remixes EP
- "Scream" (AL-P of MSTRKRFTMSTRKRFTMSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
Remix) - 4:01 - "Scream" (LA Riots Remix) - 6:32
- "Scream" (Russ Chimes Remix) - 6:25
- "Scream" (RUXPIN Remix) - 4:55
- "Scream" (Shameboy Remix) - 5:38
Credits
"Scream" was recorded at 'Casa de Kelis' and mixed at 'Gum Prod Studio' in Paris.- Jean BaptisteJean Baptiste KouameJean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
– songwriter - Ryan Buendia (DJ Replay) – recording engineer
- Roman De Garcez (El Tocadisco)DJ Tocadisco-Biography:Tocadisco was born Roman Böer on 8 June 1974, and grew up in a small city near Cologne, Germany. He plays several instruments and played in different bands in his youth....
– co-producer, songwriter - David GuettaDavid GuettaPierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
– mix engineerMix 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"...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, - Neil Jacobson – background vocalist
- Kelis Rogers – songwriter, lead vocalist
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | October 10, 2010 | Digital Remixes EP Extended play An 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... |
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... |
| United Kingdom | 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... , 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... |
|
| France | October 19, 2010 | Digital Remixes EP | Universal Music |
| Germany | |||