I Don't Need a Man

"I Don't Need a Man" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut studio album, PCD (2005). It was written and produced by Rich Harrison, with additional writing from Nicole Scherzinger, Vanessa Brown and Kara DioGuardi. The song was released as the fifth single from the album on September 25, 2006 in the United Kingdom. It became their fifth top-ten single to enter the UK Singles Chart.

"I Don't Need a Man"
Single by the Pussycat Dolls
from the album PCD
B-side"We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going"
ReleasedSeptember 25, 2006 (2006-09-25)
StudioRecord Plant (Los Angeles)
GenrePost-disco
Length3:39
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Pussycat Dolls singles chronology
"Buttons"
(2006)		 "I Don't Need a Man"
(2006)		 "Wait a Minute"
(2006)
Music video
"I Don't Need a Man" on YouTube

Background

"I Don't Need a Man" was written and produced by Rich Harrison, with additional writing from Nicole Scherzinger, Vanessa "VV" Brown and Kara DioGuardi.[1] Ron Fair provided additional and vocal production for the song. The song was recorded for the group's debut album PCD (2005) and predominately features Scherzinger's vocals with background vocals by VV Brown.[1][2] Tal Herzberg engineered and used Pro-Tools for the track, as well as playing bass for the production. Horns were led and arranged by Jerry Hey, with further contributions from Garry Grant, Dan Higgins and Bill Reichenbach. Wurlitzer, piano and glockenspiel were played by Fair. 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.[2]

The song was released alongside b-side "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" which is a medley of the 1975 Labelle song "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going'" written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan and the 1980 single "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" by The S.O.S. Band. The Dolls' version was produced by Far with additional production and Pro-Tools by Herzberg. Lead vocals are credited to Scherzinger whilst Melody Thornton, Carmit Bachar and Kaya Jones are credited with additional vocals. There are no credited background vocals on the song.[2] "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" first appeared in September 2004 on the soundtrack to the animated film Shark Tale. An extended play—I Don't Need a Man EP—was released digitally on June 19, 2007 in North America.[3]

Composition

"I Don't Need a Man" is a post-disco song with a length of three minutes and thirty-nine seconds.[4][5] According to EMI Music Publishing's digital sheet music for the song, "I Don't Need a Man" 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.[5] "I Don't Need a Man" has been described as a song that finds the self-objectifying group flipping the script for female empowerment.[4] Caroline Bologna of HuffPost writes that the song is about masturbation.[6] Stephen Thomas Erlewine likened the song to the music of Beyoncé.[7] Rebecca Deczynski of Nylon magazine wrote that it's a prequel to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008).[8]

Critical reception

Rebecca Deczynski of Nylon magazine listed "I Don't Need a Man" in her list of 12 songs that defined girl power, appreciating the "crystal-clear" messaging behind it.[9] People magazine contributors also lauded its themes, deeming it as one of PCD's better songs.[10] musicOMH's John Murphy acknowledged its synth production.[11]

Chart performance

In comparison with PCD's previous four singles, "Don't Cha", "Stickwitu", "Beep", and "Buttons", "I Don't Need a Man" was slightly less successful.[12] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 21, with first-week sales of 5,448 digital downloads in the last week of September 2006.[13] The following week, it sold 13,220 copies and peaked at number seven, becoming the Pussycat Dolls' fifth consecutive top ten single as its parent album, PCD, surpassed sales of one million copies.[14] The same week the song reached the summit of the UK R&B Chart and number eight of the Scottish Singles Chart, both charts are compiled by the Official Charts Company.[15][16] "I Don't Need a Man" was also the group's fifth consecutive top ten in the following countries: peaking at number five in the Netherlands,[17] number six in Australia,[18] number seven in Belgium (Flanders) and New Zealand,[19][20] and number nine in Ireland.[21] In the United States it became their lowest charting song on Billboard Hot 100 at number 93.[22]

Music video

The music video for "I Don't Need a Man" was directed by Chris Applebaum and was first announced and described by group member Ashley Roberts in a blog entry on their official website.[23]

The music video premiered on the group's website on April 17, 2007 and on MTV's TRL the following day.[24]

The first verse begins with Roberts doing her nails dressed in white clothing. The video features Nicole Scherzinger singing, Carmit Bachar doing her hair and Jessica Sutta having a shower as they prepare to go out. In the chorus, the Dolls mimic a hair salon scene. During the second verse, the video shows Kimberly Wyatt in a bath getting ready to go out, Melody Thornton putting on her make-up and Scherzinger singing. In the second chorus, it shows the Dolls performing a dance routine before breaking into different slides of the Dolls dancing separately. Following this, it shows Scherzinger and Thornton singing "Let it Go", a bridge in the middle of the song but actually Scherzinger is singing to Bachar's vocals. This then breaks to more dance clips of the Dolls with Scherzinger singing. The video concludes with the Dolls performing another dance routine against a black background in the final chorus before confetti falls down.

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of PCD and Tidal.[2][29]

Recording
Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Certifications and sales for "I Don't Need a Man"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[56] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[57] Silver 200,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for "I Don't Need a Man"
Country Date Format Version Label Ref
United Kingdom September 9, 2006 Contemporary hit radio Single Polydor
[58]
September 25, 2006 Digital download
[25]
Netherlands CD single Universal Music
[59]
Germany October 9, 2006 Digital download EP
[26]
November 10, 2006 CD single Maxi single
[27]
United States June 19, 2007 Digital download EP A&M
[28]

References
  1. VV Brown is credited as having written the middle 8 of the song as seen by The Guardian and also ASCAP —
  2. PCD (Media notes). The Pussycat Dolls. A&M Records.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. "Music - I Don't Need a Man - EP by The Pussycat Dolls". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  4. Arnold, Chuck; Novak, Ralph. "Picks and Pans Review: The Pussycat Dolls". People. Time Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  5. "Pussycat Dolls - I Don't Need a Man Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  6. Bologna, Caroline (August 27, 2015). "22 Sexy Songs That Give Female Masturbation The Love It Deserves". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "PCD - The Pussycat Dolls". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  8. Deczynski, Rebecca (February 26, 2015). "2 Best Girl Power Anthems of the Aughts". Nylon. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  9. Deczynski, Rebecca (February 26, 2015). "12 Best Girl Power Anthems of the Aughts". Nylon. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  10. "Picks and Pans Review: The Pussycat Dolls". People. September 19, 2005. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  11. Murphy, John. "The Pussycat Dolls – PCD: Album Reviews". musicOMH. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  12. Miller, Andrew (March 21, 2007). "Official NZ Music Chart & Chartbitz March 21 2007". Scoop. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  13. Jones, Alan. "Scissor Sisters score chart-topping double". Music Week. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
  14. Jones, Alan (October 2, 2006). "Scissor Sisters enjoy second week reign on UK charts". Music Week. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  16. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  17. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  18. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  19. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  20. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Don't Need a Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  22. "The Pussycat Dolls Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  23. "The Pussycat Dolls". PCDmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2007-03-14. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  24. "You see it first! PCD's I Don't Need A Man video!". Interscope Records. April 17, 2007. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  25. "I Don't Need A Man (UK Version) - The Pussycat Dolls". 7digital (UK). Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  26. "Musik – "I Don't Need a Man - EP" von The Pussycat Dolls" (in German). iTunes Store (DE). Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  27. "I Don't Need a Man: Musik: the Pussycat Dolls" (in German). Amazon.de. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  28. "I Don't Need a Man - EP by The Pussycat Dolls - Download I Don't Need a Man". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  29. "PCD credits". Tidal. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  30. "Issue 903" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  31. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  32. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  33. "The Pussycat Dolls Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  34. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200704 into search. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  35. "Hitlisten.NU – The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in Danish). Tracklisten. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  36. "The Pussycat Dolls: I Don't Need a Man" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  37. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  38. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  39. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  40. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  41. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man". Top Digital Download. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  42. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  43. "Nielsen Music Control" (in Polish). Nielsen Music Control. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  44. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200641 into search. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  45. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man". Singles Top 100. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  46. "The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  47. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  48. "The ARIA Report - 2006" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  49. "Jaaroverzichten - 2006 Single" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  50. "Rapports Annuels - 2006 Single" (in French). Ultratop 50. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  51. "Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2006" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  52. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2007" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  53. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2006" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  54. "2006" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  55. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 2007" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  56. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  57. "British single certifications – Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need a Man". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  58. "Upfront - 09.09.06: Radio playlists". Music Week. United Kingdom: Future Publishing Ltd. September 9, 2006. p. 12. ISSN 0265-1548.
  59. "I Don't Need a Man" (in Dutch). Bol.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.