I Don't Need a Man

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other

"I Don't Need a Man" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written and produced by Rich Harrison, with additional writing from Nicole Scherzinger, Kara DioGuardi, and Vanessa Brown. The song was released as the fifth single from the album on September 25, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records. Musically, it draws from 1980s music and includes elements of dance, pop, and R&B. Inspired by Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I" (2000), the song is a post-disco that features feminist themes and rejects objectification and co-dependency, while part of the chorus alludes to masturbation. It has been compared to works by Beyoncé and Inner City.

"I Don't Need a Man" was met with a warm reception from music critics for its catchiness, themes, and sound. Commercially, it gave the Pussycat Dolls fifth consecutive top-ten single in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Over the years, the song has appeared on lists of the best feminist songs and best songs about masturbation by various publications. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Chris Applebaum, highlights the group members' femininity, and was compared to the film Grease (1978) by member Ashley Roberts. It received a nomination for Sexiest Video at the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards. Retrospectively, critics have noted the song's influence on recordings by artists such as Beyoncé and Meghan Trainor.

Background

The Pussycat Dolls originated as a burlesque dance ensemble founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1993. Over the years, the troupe gained popularity which resulted in Antin striking a deal with Jimmy Iovine—then president of Interscope Geffen A&M Records—to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand and create a pop girl group, with Iovine assigning the project to producer Ron Fair.[1] 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 the debut album, PCD (2005).[2][3] Amongst the recruits, Rich Harrison wrote and produced "I Don't Need a Man".[4] Additional songwriters include, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, who assumed the majority of the vocals and is the only member of the group to have songwriting credits on their album, Kara DioGuardi, and Vanessa "VV" Brown. Brown was hired by Fair to record backing vocals for the group's album.[5] During one session, she unintentionally wrote the song's middle-eight while improvising the improvising bassline. Brown was surprised her contribution was kept.[6] Fair provided additional and vocal production for the song. Tal Herzberg engineered and used Pro-Tools for the track. Further engineering was carried out by Scotty Beats, JD Andrew, Mike Hogue, and Mike "Angry" Eleopoulos. Peter Mokran mixed "I Don't Need a Man" at the Record Plant studios in Los Angeles.[4] Member Ashley Roberts first confirmed on the group's website that "I Don't Need a Man" would be released as the fifth single in Europe.[7]

Music and lyrics

Script error: No such module "Listen".

Musically, "I Don't Need a Man" is a post-disco song,[8] featuring elements of dance,[9] pop and R&B while channeling 1980s tropes.[10][11] The uptempo track,[12] is backed by "blaring horns",[8] "shuffling coconut beat",[13] glockenspiel,[4] synths,[11] the piano, and the Wurlitzer.[4] It has a length of 3:39 and is composed in the key of D minor and set in common time, with a moderate groove of 105 beats per minute. The group's vocal range spans from the low note of A3 to the high note of D5.[14] Critics have liken the sound to the works of Beyoncé and Inner City.[9][11] Scherzinger was inspired to write "I Don't Need a Man" after Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I" (2000),[15] which featured feministic themes such as economic independence from men.[16] Similarly, "I Don't Need a Man" advocates for female empowerment and reminds listeners "that there’s a difference between wanting a man and needing one."[8][17] The song also rejects objectification and co-dependency,[18] while the chorus ends with lyrics alluding to masturbation:[19] "I don't need a ring around my finger / To make me feel complete / So let me break it down / I can get off when you ain't around."[20] Thematically, critics have noted the song is a prequel to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008) and Meghan Trainor's "No" (2016).[21][22]

Reception

Critical

Following, PCDTemplate:'s release, Elysa Gardner from USA Today highlighted "I Don't Need a Man" as one of the album's "better tracks" adding it "[sparkles] despite [the group's] superficiality."[23] Linda McGee of RTÉ was confident would "get much airplay in the future" noting it grabs the listener's attention instantly.[12] Likewise, Emily Tan from Idolator wrote that after "one round of listening to [the song], single women, gay men and the like will be ready to get dolled up for a great night out."[17] Chuck Arnold and Ralph Novak from People magazine lauded the song's themes and production, deeming it as one of the album's best songs.[8] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine regarded the songs as one of the album's catchiest songs.[9] Nick Butler from Sputnikmusic found the song to be a departure in theme from the rest of the album, although still deemed it a good song.[24] John Murphy from MusicOMH appreciated its synth instrumentation.[11] Spence D. from IGN acknowledged the attempts to sound unique but felt it ultimately blends with other pop songs in mainstream radio.[13] A writer for The Irish Times criticized the song for its formulaic themes writing, "It's the oldest chick trick in the book - act all independent and we'll come running back, begging like dogs. The laugh is, we fall for it every time."[25]

Commercial

In the United Kingdom, "I Don't Need a Man" debuted at number 21 one on the UK Singles Chart in the last week of September 2006, selling 5,448 digital downloads.[26] The following week it peaked at number seven, selling an additional 13,220 copies, giving the Pussycat Dolls their fifth consecutive top-ten single on that chart.[27] Furthermore, the song peaked at number one on the UK R&B Chart and eight on the Scottish Singles Charts, which are compiled by the Official Charts Company's (OCC).[28][29] That same week, its parent album, PCD, crossed the one million mark in sales in the UK.[30] The OCC ranks "I Don't Need a Man" as the Pussycat Dolls' tenth most successful song on the singles chart.[31] In May 2021, it garnered a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling more than 200,000 copies in the UK.[32] The song was also the Pussycat Dolls fifth consecutive top-ten single in Australia[33]—where it received gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shifting more than 35,000 units)[34]—, Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia),[35][36] Ireland,[37] the Netherlands,[38] and New Zealand.[39] The song reached the top 20 in Austria,[40] Finland,[41] France,[42] Germany,[43] Italy,[44] and Switzerland,[45] and failed to enter the top twenty in Canada,[46] the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),[47] the Czech Republic,[48] Denmark,[49] Sweden,[50] and the United States.[51]

Recognition

"I Don't Need a Man" on listicles
Publication List Rank Ref.
BuzzFeed 50 Girl Power Anthems To Pump Up Your Life
17
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[52]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Cosmopolitan 50 Feminist Songs That’ll Have You Feeling So Damn Powerful
26
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[53]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Glamour 50 Girl Power Anthems To Pump Up Your Life
Listed
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[54]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
HuffPost 22 Sexy Songs That Give Female Masturbation The Love It Deserves
9
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[19]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Marie Claire 40 Galentine's Day Songs That Are All About Female Empowerment
19
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[55]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Nylon The 12 Best Girl-power Anthems Of the Aughts
Listed
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[21]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Pitchfork The 13 Best Pop Songs About Women Masturbating
8
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[20]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Pride.com 20 Girl Anthems That Made Me A Feminist
19
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[56]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Thought Catalog 50 Girl Power Anthems To Pump Up Your Life
38
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
[57]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Music video

The music video for "I Don't Need a Man" was shot towards the end of July 2006.[7] The following month, Chris Applebaum was confirmed to be the director for the visual.[58] In a blog entry, Roberts deduced that the music video was feminine and simple comparing it to "a modern day scene from Grease (1978).[7] She elaborated the showed their "female ways" in the video like, doing their hair and makeup and shaving their legs.[7][59] The group performs choreographed dance routines which include a seated one, mimicking a hair salon scene.[60] A writer for The Irish Times described the videos as "raunchy".[25] At the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards the video received a Sexiest Video nomination.[61]

Track listings and formats

<templatestyles src="Col-begin/styles.css"/>

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of PCD and Tidal.[4][66]

Recording
Personnel

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Charts

<templatestyles src="Col-begin/styles.css"/>

Certifications

Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom

Release history

Release dates and formats for "I Don't Need a Man"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Netherlands September 25, 2006 CD Universal Music
[79]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
United Kingdom Template:Hlist Polydor
[62][80]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Germany October 9, 2006 Digital download (EP)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Universal Music
[63]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Australia October 30, 2006 CD
[81]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Germany November 10, 2006
[64]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
France February 26, 2007
[82]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
United States June 19, 2007 Digital download (Hit 3 Pack)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:Hlist
[65]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Navbox musical artist

Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b c d Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named People review
  9. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UK
  28. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UKrandb
  29. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SCO
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BPI
  33. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AUS
  34. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ARIA
  35. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BEFLA
  36. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BEWAL
  37. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IRE
  38. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Dutch100
  39. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NEW
  40. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AUT
  41. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FIN
  42. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FRA
  43. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GER
  44. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ITA
  45. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SWI
  46. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CAN
  47. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CIS
  48. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CZE
  49. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DEN
  50. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SWE
  51. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Billboardhot100
  52. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  53. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  56. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  60. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  62. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  63. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  64. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  65. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  66. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  67. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  68. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  69. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
  70. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  71. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  72. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  73. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  74. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  75. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  76. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  77. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  78. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  79. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  80. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  81. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
  82. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=I_Don%27t_Need_a_Man&oldid=3151178"