| Beep | |
| Cover: | Beep.png |
| Border: | yes |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am |
| Album: | PCD |
| B-Side: |
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| Genre: |
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| Length: | 3:49 |
| Producer: |
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| Chronology: | The Pussycat Dolls |
| Prev Title: | Stickwitu |
| Prev Year: | 2005 |
| Next Title: | Buttons |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
"Beep" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It features will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, who also composed the song with additional writing from Kara DioGuardi and Jeff Lynne, and additional production from Ron Fair. The song contains a sample of "Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released as the third single from PCD on February 6, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
Upon its release, "Beep" received mixed reviews from music critics. In the United States, the song failed to replicate the commercial success of its predecessors, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, it peaked atop the charts in Belgium and New Zealand, while reaching the top ten in Australia, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The Pussycat Dolls, conceptualized by choreographer Robin Antin in 1993, began as a modern burlesque revue at the Viper Room in West Hollywood.[1] Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the show gained popularity in Hollywood, even featuring select female celebrities in live cameo performances, including the likes of Brittany Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Carmen Electra, Christina Aguilera, Christina Applegate, Eva Longoria, and Gwen Stefani. Antin eventually struck a deal with Jimmy Iovine—the then-president of Interscope Geffen A&M Records—to develop The Pussycat Dolls into a brand beyond the live show, and create a pop girl group; Iovine assigned the project to producer Ron Fair.[2] Iovine considered the Pussycat Dolls as one of the "label's high-priority projects" and began enlisting various producers and songwriters to "ensure [a] maximum radio friendl[y]" sound for their debut album, PCD (2005).[3] [4]
"Beep" is a hip hop inspired pop song written by William Adams, Kara DioGuardi, and Jeff Lynne, and composed in the key of G minor. The orchestral string hook is a sample of Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman" (1975).[5] Critics noted that the song was similar to The Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" (2005), also produced and written by will.i.am.
IGN's Spence D. noted that "the song is a mixed bag, tossing together slick strings for that orchestrated pop vibe, then mixing that up with a loping, though downplayed, funk groove. It's like two songs in one, though one of the songs feels like a throwback to '80s sterile pop."[6] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the "girl-empowerment song"[7] has a time signature set in common time, with a tempo of 104 beats per minute. The melody is mainly composed with cinematic strings. The bridge changes the song dramatically, featuring a sitar and introducing an Indian or Bollywood-style influence (as was popular in music of the early 2000s), with a stomping, custom-made beat.
The spoken-word, staccato chorus is accented by repeated bleep-censor sounds—hence the title, "Beep". At the end of each line, where an explicit or sexual word is likely expected by the listener, a bleep censor is heard instead, leaving the "missing" word open to interpretation. For example, will.i.am., from the male perspective in the chorus, says: "It's funny how a man only thinks about (bleep)" and "You got real big brains, but I'm lookin' at your (bleep)". The females then respond with: "I don't give a (bleep), keep lookin' at my (bleep), 'cause it don't mean a thing if you're lookin' at my (bleep). I'mma do my thang while you're playin' with your (bleep)".
The verses use harmonic laughter from the Dolls, rather than bleep censors, to cover any scandalous lyrics. The bulk of the song primarily critiques the male objectification of women, and asserts that a man cannot always have what he wants, sexually. Nicole Scherzinger, the group’s lead vocalist, opines that "Every boy's the same, since up in the seventh grade; they've been tryin' to get with me, trying to ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha" and "I keep turnin' 'em [men] down, but they always come around, askin' me to go around; that's not the way it's goin' down". She then reasserts female dominance in the song, "…they [men] only want what they want, my ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha; they only want what they want, but nah-uh-uh, nah-uh-uh". The second verse explains that "Yes means yes; no means no, and I don't wanna go".
In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau selected "Beep" as one of the album's highlights.[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic indicated the song as one of the standout tracks of the album.[9] When reviewing for PCD, Lisa Haines described "Beep" as a standout tune.[10] Nick Butler from Sputnikmusic wrote that the song may even be better than "Don't Cha." "'Beep', [is] pretty much the only thing here that stands up to 'Don't Cha' (it's quite possibly better, actually)."[11] People's Chuck Arnold described the song as "naughty".[12]
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote that the song is a "degrading material".[13] musicOMH's John Murphy described the song as "oddly sexless", "bland", "dull" and "just so damn safe."[14] Senior editor of Billboard magazine, Chuck Taylor described the song as "cliched and overwrought." He ended his review writing "We had higher hopes."[15] Miriam Zendle of Digital Spy described awarded the song 1 out 5 stars criticizing will.i.am for "making it sound pretentious and too try-hard" and noted that the "terrible rapping and incredibly short and repetitive sample the song" ruins any "attempt to make the song in any way sexual." She said the group miserably fail as they "go in yet another undefined direction."[16]
"Beep" debuted at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and eventually peaked at number 13, becoming the Pussycat Dolls' third consecutive top-20 hit, but failed to match the success of its predecessors "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu", which both became top-five hits. In Canada, "Beep" was not a commercial success, peaking at number 48 on the Canadian Singles Chart and number 45 on the Canadian BDS Airplay Chart.
On the UK Singles Chart, "Beep" debuted and peaked at number two, with first-week sales of 29,212 copies.[17] "Beep" was also a success in Ireland, where it peaked at number two on the Irish Singles Chart. In Europe, it peaked at number two on the European Hot 100 Singles, while performing best in Belgium, where it topped the singles chart for a week and became the Pussycat Dolls' second number-one single there after "Don't Cha".[18] The song was also a commercial success in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number two for two consecutive weeks, becoming the group's third consecutive number-two song, following "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu".[19] Elsewhere, "Beep" reached the top five in Norway, top ten in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France, and the top 20 in Sweden.
"Beep" was also successful across Oceania. In Australia, it debuted and peaked at number three for two non-consecutive weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming the group's third consecutive top-three hit there, and was certified gold by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales in excess of 35,000 copies.[20] The song was ranked as the 24th best-seller of 2006 in Australia, and was one of the group's four songs to enter the ARIA Year-End Singles Chart for 2006, alongside "Stickwitu", "Buttons" and "I Don't Need a Man". In New Zealand, "Beep" debuted at number 25 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, and the following week ascended to its peak at number one, where it spent seven consecutive weeks, becoming the group's third consecutive number-one hit there. "Beep" ended as the year's second best-seller, and is the group's most successful single there to date.[21]
The accompanying music video for "Beep" was directed by Benny Boom. It starts with Nicole Scherzinger meeting will.i.am in an elevator. will.i.am explains his attraction, to which Scherzinger replies by implying she doesn't care about him looking at her. She then enters the Pussycat Dolls' apartment and, concluding the chorus, the group begins a dance routine throughout the second verse. will.i.am then enters the room, but quickly exits as Carmit Bachar throws a bottle of water at him. The Pussycat Dolls are then seen at a nightclub and a dance break ensues. They are then seen in solo dance spots in front of a large set of speakers. Scherzinger, Bachar and Melody Thornton are seen with will.i.am, as the video comes to a close.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of PCD.[22]
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[23] | 5 |
| Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)[24] | 4 |
| Croatia (HRT)[25] | 9 |
| European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[26] | 3 |
| Greece (IFPI)[27] | 10 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100)[28] | 33 |
| Chart (2006) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[29] | 24 | |
| Australian Urban (ARIA)[30] | 6 | |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[31] | 51 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[32] | 15 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[33] | 28 | |
| European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[34] | 21 | |
| France (SNEP)[35] | 58 | |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[36] | 39 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[37] | 47 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38] | 28 | |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[39] | 2 | |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100)[40] | 84 | |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] | 39 | |
| UK Singles (OCC)[42] | 31 | |
| UK Urban (Music Week)[43] | 35 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[44] | 84 | |
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[45] | 51 |
| Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | February 6, 2006 | [46] [47] | ||
| Germany | February 27, 2006 | Maxi CD | Universal Music | |
| United Kingdom | CD | Polydor | [48] | |
| Germany | March 6, 2006 | Universal Music | ||
| Australia | March 27, 2006 | Maxi CD | [49] | |
| France | June 19, 2006 | CD |