Neha Patil (Editor)

Right There (Nicole Scherzinger song)

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Format
  
Digital download

Length
  
4:22

Genre
  
Pop R&B

Label
  
Interscope

Right There (Nicole Scherzinger song)

Released
  
May 17, 2011 (2011-05-17)

Recorded
  
2010; Record Plant Recording Studios (Los Angeles)

"Right There" is a song recorded by American singer Nicole Scherzinger for her debut studio album, Killer Love (2011). Written by Ester Dean, Frank Romano, Daniel Morris and co-written and produced by Jim Jonsin, the Island-flavored midtempo pop song sees Scherzinger singing about her lover and telling other women to stay away. "Right There" first impacted radio as Scherzinger's third international single on April 1, 2011, after previous singles met success in the United Kingdom. "Right There" was Scherzinger's third consecutive top three single from her debut album. The song was then re-released on May 17, 2011 in the United States, as Killer Love's lead single, and was remixed to feature two new verses from American rapper 50 Cent. It has reached over 125 million views on YouTube making it VEVO certified.

Contents

The song became successful in many countries reaching the top ten in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, Scotland and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Right There", reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Scherzinger's most successful US single as solo artist to date. The song was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 500,000 copies of the single. "Right There" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, in addition to peaking at number seven in Ireland, where it also became one of her highest charting releases.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics for having a R&B-heavy sound on a pop record. Scherzinger performed "Right There" live for the first time on American Idol, to coincide with the song's US release. The show's judges and studio audiences gave her a standing ovation, with the media later praising Scherzinger's vocal and dancing abilities. An accompanying music video, directed by Paul Hunter, sees Scherzinger dancing along the streets of downtown Los Angeles, California. The video became Scherzinger's first Vevo certified solo music video

Background and release

Scherzinger joined The Pussycat Dolls in May 2003 and the group scored four U.S. top ten hits: "Don't Cha" (2005), "Stickwitu" (2005), "Buttons" (2006) and "When I Grow Up" (2008). After her breakthrough with the group, she began work on her debut studio album. The project, titled Her Name is Nicole, saw Scherzinger record 75–100 songs, with some of the songs later ending up with the group. After a number of pushbacks the entire project was scrapped at the request of Scherzinger. She attempted to launch her debut album for a second time on May 2010, with a brand new "rock, funk, soul edge" sound, and a brand new single "Nobody Can Change Me". The song was recorded in a nighttime studio session while she was competing on season 10 of the U.S. reality competition, Dancing with the Stars, and was mastered on May 23, 2010, ready for its premiere on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS FM radio show the following day. Following its radio premiere, the song was planned to be released on iTunes on May 25, 2010. However, for reasons unknown, the song was never released. Scherzinger continued to work on her debut solo album in 2010, recruiting Moroccan producer RedOne, finishing Killer Love before its release in 2011.

Following the success of "Poison" and "Don't Hold Your Breath" in the United Kingdom, Scherzinger decided to release a third single from her album. Scherzinger revealed that she started recording some new material for the US release of Killer Love. David Griffiths from 4Music described the song as similar to "Rude Boy" (2009) by Rihanna, only politer in tone. The similarities are not surprising considering that both "Rude Boy" and "Right There" were co-written by Dean. Additionally, an alternate version of the song was recorded with 50 Cent, to be included on the US version of Killer Love. Scherzinger originally revealed via Twitter that she is currently working on an original track writing, "[e]xcited [to] be prep[aring] [for] my next single coming up. What music vid[eo] would u like to see next?". The tweet was soon followed up by another, where Scherzinger tweeted "Friday [night] In the studio...this record is CRAZY! SICK, SEXY, COOL! I [love] recording in the studio so much. [Can't] wait [for] [all of you] [to] hear!". During an interview with Vibe magazine the songs' producer, Jim Jonsin revealed that 50 Cent added two verses on Scherzinger's song from the album.

On April 20, 2011, Scherzinger announced that "Right There" will be the next single from the album while tweeting, "Shooting #RIGHTTHERE video [with] my boy [50 Cent] [...]. Along with the message, she also posted a photo of the two on the set. The track is Scherzinger's third single in the United Kingdom and the lead single in the United States. The song issued as a digital download in North America on May 17, 2011 and was later serviced to contemporary hit radio and rhythmic radio in the US on May 24, 2011.

Composition

"Right There" was recorded in 2010 at the Record Plant Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was written by Ester Dean, Frank Romano, Daniel Morris and co-written and produced by Jim Jonsin. "Right There" is a pop and R&B, song with a duration of 4:22. Instrumentation consists of "reggae guitar strums and brazen beats" which glistens throughout the song. Eliot Glazer compared the beat to the guitar riff of Stevie Nicks' song "Edge of Seventeen" (1982). Lyrically, the song is about the protagonist "[talking] about all the things she likes her man to do," In lyrics such as "Me like the way that you hold my body / Me like the way that you touch my body." In the pre-chorus she becomes territorial with her man, and warns other girls away: "No I ain’t never gonna let no girl take him from me / Never gonna let no girl steal him from me." Throughout the song Scherzinger sings in a Caribbean-influenced vocal style. Then, 50 Cent comes in with his verse, rounding out the song with his male perspective. According to Nadine Cheung of AOL Radio Blog, "the rapper drops an uncanny lyrical reference to Destiny's Child." Robert Copsey noted that 50 Cent " [adds] extra fizz to an already provocative and hip-grinding bottle of pop." On ITV1's Daybreak, Scherzinger defended criticism towards her track that was labeled "too raunchy", she described it as "a beautiful love ballad."

Remixes

A number of remixes were commissioned by Interscope Records, to accompany the song. The remixes EP which contained versions including by electro-pop producer and artist Frankmusik, pop duo The Sound of Arrows, and UK house DJs Wideboys.

Critical reception

Eliot Glazer from MTV Buzzworhty was impressed of the song saying, "It's pretty refreshing to see a vocally talented artist like Nicole Scherzinger tap into a more R&B-heavy sound on a pop record. David Griffiths of 4 Music listed "Right There" as one of the best bits of the album. He also described the song as a "better and polite version of Rihanna's "Rude Boy" (2009). Lewis Corner of Digital Spy awarded the song four out of five stars describing it as a "provocative and hip-grinding bottle of pop". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave "Right There" a B rating and commented that "The ex-Pussycat invites Fiddy to frolic on her own personal Scherzy Shore, purring come-ons in a vaguely Caribbean patois." Scott Shetler of PopCrush hoped for a slightly stronger lead single, but noted that the hook grows stronger with repeated listens. He also added that 50 Cent "adds little to the track". Becky Bain of Idolator agreed saying "not sure how much Fiddy adds to this song." However she said, "adding a superfluous rap verse to your pop song never seems to go out of style. All the better to make your mark on as many charts as possible, my dear!" Adeshola Adigun for DJ Booth echoed Shetler's commenting: "While there’s nothing ground-breaking about new single Right There, it’s one of those songs that you could definitely get down to, after more than a couple drinks at the club[.]"

Ben Norman from About.com, in a review for Killer Love described the vocal manipulation on "Right There" as "unimpressive and deceiving". However he praised the songs' production. The Guardian's Johnny Dee criticized the song for being a "shameless Rihanna rip-off". He also said that the song "is also one of those ridiculous sex songs that completely dispenses with mystery and eroticism and ends up making the fine art of making love sound like DIY instructions." Pip Ellwood for Entertainment-Focus wrote that the "Scherzinger does misfire once or twice like the cod-Jamaican 'Right There'." Andrew Unterberger of Pop Dust was unimpressed of the song criticizing for echoing the sound of Rihanna and the "ridiculous and lazy lyrics."

Chart performance

"Right There" made its first chart appearance at number fifty-eight on the UK Singles Chart on the chart dated May 15, 2011. During its fourth week it leaped from number fourteen to number three selling 51,355 copies. Music Week's Alan Jones attributed the high sales to Scherzinger's performances at the final of Britain’s Got Talent and on the The Graham Norton Show. "Right There" became Scherzinger's fourth consecutive top ten single as a solo artist behind "Heartbeat" (2010), "Poison" (2010), and "Don't Hold Your Breath" (2011). Counting her singles with The Pussycat Dolls, it is her eighteenth hit single. The song has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 200,000 copies of the single. As of December 2011, the song has sold 308,000 copies in the United Kingdom and was one of the best-selling songs of 2011. It also remained on the chart for 23 consecutive weeks. In Ireland "Right There" debuted at number twenty-two on May 26, 2011. In its fifth week, the song peaked at number seven where it remained in the top ten for several weeks.

"Right There" entered the New Zealand Singles Chart at number thirty-four on October 8, 2012, giving Scherzinger her first chart entry as a solo artist in the country. The song entered the top-ten on its fifth week peaking at number seven for two consecutive weeks. "Right There" debuted at number forty on the Australian Singles Chart o July 17, 2011. On August 8, 2011 it peaked at number eight staying for three consecutive weeks. The song has been certified 2x platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 140,000 copies of the single. In the United States, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 4, 2011, at number 77, selling 30,000 digital copies in its first week. "Right There" became the singer's first chart solo entry since her first attempt at a solo career in 2007. The following week, the song fell to number ninety-seven. Seven weeks later it reached a final peak at number 39, becoming her highest charting single on the Hot 100, it stayed at number 39 for two straight weeks. Due to the number of digital downloads, the song reached number 33 on the Hot Digital Songs on the week ending July 21, 2011. It additionally peaked at number eight on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart issue dated September 3, 2011. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over 500,000 copies. In Canada, "Right There" peaked at number forty four.

Background and synopsis

The music video for "Right There" was filmed in April 20–21, 2011 in downtown Los Angeles, with Paul Hunter serving as the director. Hunter had previously worked with Scherzinger on "Whatever You Like". Scherzinger in interview to MTV News she said, "I wanted to kinda keep the video pretty simple because I wanted it iconic. The way you get iconic pictures and memorable videos is just by keeping it simple." The video makes use of product placement of Belvedere. The music video premiered on VEVO.com on May 4, 2011. Two versions were premiered the same day, one being the solo version and the other one featuring 50 Cent. Scherzinger revealed she was excited to collaborate with 50 Cent saying, He did his thing on the song. He brought the energy and the spirit. He’s 50 for a reason. He’s the real deal."

The music video begins with 50 Cent rapping his verses against a blue sky, using green-screen technology. As the first verse begins Scherzinger is seen wearing a blue stomach-revealing crop top paired with leather boots and a braided ponytail walking on a ghostly downtown Los Angeles. Scherzinger is seen also performing on sliding pavements. As the first chorus begins, Scherzinger is seen wearing a Pocahontas-inspired look teamed with a fur-trimmed bolero and a fringed miniskirt. The remainder of the video features Scherzinger and the dancers busting a wide array of dance moves. Scherzinger then joins 50 Cent during his second verse. During the video's conclusion, Scherzinger instigates a sultry impromptu all-girls dance party in an empty warehouse space-turned-nightclub, and the final shot is a closeup of Scherzinger, giving a seductive look, as the video fades.

Reception

Robbie Daw from Idolator liked the video stating, "'Right There' is upbeat, fun and breezy — everything that a springtime pop video should be." A reporter from The Daily Mail commented "Nicole exudes confidence and sexiness in the video and ... she even manages to make the earth move, so to speak, as she performs on sliding pavements. The Daily Mail also noted that Scherzinger and 50 Cent were on the same shot due to clever green screen technology. Eliot Glazer from MTV Buzzworthy noted that the back-up dancers reminded that she used to lead the Pussycat Dolls as the lead singer. AOL Music's Contessa Gayles agreed saying, "She may no longer be a Pussycat Doll, but Nicole's got a whole troupe of sexy dancers backing her up." Archana Ram from Entertainment Weekly negatively criticized of 50 Cent's appearance and the use of product placement of Belvedere calling it "bit much" but she later writes that the "video is more than redeemed by Scherzinger’s warbly vocals, bump-and-grind dance moves and totally silly fashion." Jillian Mapes of Billboard commented, "effortless moves from the Dancing With The Stars winner are expected". The video was ranked at number forty-nine on AOL's Top 50 Dance Music Videos. According to Billboard, "Right There" was the most watched video on YouTube the day of its release on May 4, 2011. MTV reported that "Right There" was one of the most watched music video on its website in 2011. The video became Scherzinger's first Vevo certified solo music video.

Live performances

On May 19, 2011, Scherzinger and 50 Cent made their network television debut performance of "Right There" on the stage of American Idol. Scherzinger was dressed in a feather-draped miniskirt and skimpy bustier top, joined onstage by a team of 10 backup dancers showcasing island-inspired moves. She opened the performance in silhouette surrounded by purple light. 50 Cent showed up midway through the song wearing a fitted hat turned backward and cocked to the side along with a jacket, jeans and dangling chain, before disappearing suddenly from the stage. Gil Kaufman described Scherzingers' hula as "seductive." An editor from Rap-Up magazine agreed, saying that "The ex-Pussycat Doll heated up the stage in a show-stopping dress while performing [her] single." Amy Sciarretto praised Nicole Scherzinger's performance complimenting on her vocal and dancing abilities. Sciarretto said "Scherzinger’s performance was easily the most choreographed of the season ... However, Scherzinger never sacrificed a melody, a vocal line or a beat in favor of keeping her body moving. That’s a skill and a talent that takes lots of practice, and one that this crop of contestants is quickly learning. The duo performed the song live again together on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 24, 2011 with Scherzinger wearing low cut tangerine coloured dress and heels.

In June, Scherzinger flew to the United Kingdom to promote the single, first performing on the final of Britain’s Got Talent wearing a "Grecian-Goddess-meets-flamenco-dancer minidress with feathered skirt, teamed with glittery black ankle boots." Her performance was negatively criticised by musician Mike Stock who described Scherzinger's performance as "overtly sexual". Later the same week, on June 10, 2011 she performed it again on The Graham Norton Show wearing a tribal-print minidress. On June 11, 2011 she appeared at Capital FM's Summertime Ball performing "Poison", "Don't Hold Your Breath", "Don't Cha" and "Right There" which was watched by 75,000 people. Scherzinger further promoted her single in the United States first performing it on July 13 at the Universal CityWalk and then on July 14 on the eighth season of So You Think You Can Dance. An editor from Rap-Up magazine described the whole performance. "Dressed in a midriff-baring top, short shorts, and a sheer white blouse, the 'X Factor' judge whipped her ponytail as she commanded the stage with her troupe of dancers."

Credits and personnel

Recording
  • Recorded and mixed at Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California.
  • Credits adapted from Killer Love booklet liner notes.

    References

    Right There (Nicole Scherzinger song) Wikipedia