Girls

## **Girls**Single by Sugababes

**Girls** is the lead single and first track of the Sugababes' fifth studio album, *Catfights and Spotlights*. Released in 6 October 2008, it was written by band member Keisha Buchanan along with Anna McDonald and Nicole Jenkinson, while production was helmed by Si Hulbert and Melvin Kuiters. The song is built around an interpolation of "Here Come the Girls" (1970) by American singer Ernie K-Doe. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Allen Toussaint is also credited as a songwriter.

## Background

"Girls" was a moderate success around Europe in comparison with previous single, the song peaked in the top-three in Estonia, and the United Kingdom, and reached the top-twenty in Ireland and Turkey as well as the top-fifty in several countries including Slovakia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. "Girls" is used as the one of two theme songs of Dagens Mand, the Danish version of Taken Out.

### Reception

The song received positive reviews from critics. Nick Levine from Digital Spy stated that "Around it they've built a brassy, funky, 'Ronsonish' pop song with lyrics that push all the usual female empowerment buttons. The result is smart, catchy and very, very 2008 – and it sounds pretty good on the radio too. But it's also the first lead single from a Sugababes album that it's difficult to get excited about". Lucy Davies from BBC Music found that the song has them "happily stomp their attitudes all over it until you can't remember it being anyone else's."

In the United Kingdom, "Girls" entered two weeks prior to its physical release, on downloads, at number 8. The following week it climbed four more spots to number 4. The week of 13 October 2008, it climbed one spot to number 3. "Girls" marked their first lead single not to reach number 1 since their debut "Overload" in 2000. In Ireland, the song peaked at number 12 on the Irish Singles Chart. Though "Girls" was not officially released in the United States, it was used in commercials to promote American shoe store Payless and the department store J. C. Penney in 2009.

## Track listing

CD Single
1. Girls (Radio Edit) – 3:12
2. Don't Look Back - 3:10
3. Girls (Danny Dove & Steve Smart Remix) - 6:28
4. Girls (Dennis Chistopher Remix) - 7:18

The Girls Remixes (CD, Promo, Maxi-Single)
1. The Girls (Dennis Christopher Club Mix) - 7:22
2. The Girls (Dennis Christopher Radio Edit) - 3:25
3. The Girls (Dennis Christopher Secret Club Mix) - 6:44
4. The Girls (Dennis Christopher Secret Dub Mix) - 6:44
5. The Girls (Danny Dove & Steve Smart Club) - 6:33
6. The Girls (Danny Dove & Steve Smart Dub) -
7. The Girls (Funkeman Radio Edit) - 3:24
8. The Girls (Funkeman Dub) - 7:01
9. The Girls (Fred Falke Short Edit) - 6:58
10. The Girls (Fred Falke Remix) - 7:58
11. The Girls (Fred Falke Dub Short Edit) - 6:53

## Personnel

* Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Scott Garland
* Arranged By [Brass Arrangement By] – James Treweek
* Backing Vocals [Additional Backing Vocals By] – Victoria McCumisky
* Engineer – Dave Palmer
* Keyboards [Rhodes Keyboards By] – Si Hulbert
* Mixed By – Tom Elmhirst
* Mixed By [Assistant] – Dan Parry
* Producer [Vocal Production By] – Mike Stevens
* Producer, Programmed By – Melvin Kuiters, Si Hulbert
* Trumpet – Graham Russell
* Vocals – Amelle Berrabah, Heidi Range, Keisha Buchanan
* Written-By – Anna McDonald, Nicole Jenkinson
* Written-By [“Here Come The Girls” Elements Written By] – Allen Toussaint

## Music video

The music video for "Girls" was filmed on 28 August 2008, and directed by Daniel Wolfe, The video premiered on 4Music and Channel 4 on 6 September 2008.

While Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack contestant Latoya Satnarine is featured in a cameo appearance, Buchanan invited her boyfriend Dean Thomas to star in a supporting role in the video. After recruiting female fans to star in the video, producers denied accusations they were being unfair by failing to pay those who starred in the video. A spokesman for the band later stated: "No professional dancers are being asked to do anything for free. This is an opportunity for people who don’t dance for a living but who fancy their chances."

## Live performances

"Girls" was performed in The Album Chart Show, BBC's Switch's Sound, and Children in Need 2008, to name few. It was again performed with Jade Ewen in early 2010.

## Mixes and Remixes

"Girls" has eleven official mixes and remixes, namely from Danny Dove, Steven Smart, Dennis Christopher, Funkeman, and Fred Falke. A remix by Klas Ahlund ("Klas Ahlund Re-Work") was only released as a UK CD bonus track in *Catfights and Spotlights* and is currently unavailable in digital platforms.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Girls. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1622921-Sugababes-Girls
2. ↑ Sugababes – The Girls Remixes. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/2703564-Sugababes-The-Girls-Remixes
3. ↑ The Album Chart Show. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tYhbrHSZ1Y
4. ↑ Live at Sound. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9BUB4ZFFzY
5. ↑ Children in Need 2008. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvdrFB9QS24
6. ↑ Live - Hilton Rocks, UK January 2010). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j9AFvtbxME

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