Boomerang (Nicole Scherzinger song)

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"Boomerang"
Single by Nicole Scherzinger
ReleasedMarch 8, 2013 (2013-03-08)
Recorded2012
Studio
  • The Bunker (Paris, France)
  • Record Plant (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length3:18
Interscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Nicole Scherzinger singles chronology
"Try with Me"
(2011) 		"Boomerang"
(2013) 		"Fino all'estasi"
(2013)
Music video
"Boomerang" official music video

"Boomerang" is a song by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, originally intended for her then-upcoming second studio album. It was written by Azengo, Morgan Jackson, Danny Mercer, Anthony Preston, and Sandy Wilhelm, with production by Wilhelm under his production name of Sandy Vee, Preston, and will.i.am. The song was released as a single on March 8, 2013 by Interscope. It is a dance and pop song with uplifting lyrics that speak about coming back up when you get knocked down, with music critics drawing comparisons to "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson. Critical reception of the former from critics was mixed, with criticism for the simple lyrics but praise for the chorus being catchy.

Despite selling over 30,000 copies in its first few days or release, and topping the UK midweek chart, "Boomerang" had been overlooked by UK radio stations BBC Radio 1 and Capital FM due to it not being deemed relevant for their respective audiences. In the end, the song was playlisted by Capital FM and made its single chart debut in Scotland at number two, while reaching number six in the United Kingdom and number nine in Ireland. An accompanying music video featuring a kaleidoscope camera effect, geometric and black and white checkerboard backgrounds drew further comparisons to the works of Janet Jackson, La Roux, Madonna, and the song "Scream & Shout" by willi.am and Britney Spears. The visual received positive reviews from critics, with them praising the choreography and showcase of Scherzinger's body.

By 2014, Scherzinger had left her long-term record label Interscope and signed a new multi-album deal with RCA Records. "Boomerang" was Scherzinger's last release under Interscope, and upon announcing her second studio album, Big Fat Lie (2014), she confirmed that the song was now a standalone single. Scherzinger stated that the song belongs to a body of work which had been scrapped, and was one of five scrapped projects recorded between her first and second albums.

Background and release

A man in a beanie hat and sunglasses looks at the camera
will.i.am had previously collaborated twice with Scherzinger for the Pussycat Dolls single "Beep" (2006) and her solo single "Baby Love" (2007).

Following the international release of her debut studio album

The X Factor.[8]

In November 2012, Scherzinger revealed her new

10th series, Scherzinger had doubts, noting that the live shows of the competition would clash with plans to release a new album worldwide in November that same year.[8]

However by February 2014, Scherzinger had left her long time

Sony are believers, so I'm excited for new music to come out finally."[17]

Music and lyrics

Musically, "Boomerang" is a

Idolator's Sam Lanksey described the song as "fizzy" with a layered production.[18] The music was recorded in Paris, France at The Bunker Studios, with further production and vocals recorded at Record Plant studios in Los Angeles, California.[19] The "synth-spangled" song contains a "fuzzy, club-friendly" beat.[18][20] A review from The Irish Times compared the song to "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", a 2012 single by Kelly Clarkson, calling "Boomerang" a less subtle version.[21]

Lyrically, "Boomerang" is about "not letting the haters keep you down", opined Lanksey. The song centers around getting back up when you get knocked down and not giving up.[18] Scherzinger sings about her ability to turn things around for the better. With "wide-eyed determination", she sings: "You can turn me down, you can throw me now/ The harder out, the harder I come back around".[20] Scherzinger said she related to and resonated with the song due to its uplifting nature, saying "I love this track as I can really relate to the lyrics because I don't always feel on top of the world and fierce and fearless. I have my doubts and days where I wonder if I should just throw in the towel", also noting that the "song givers her strength".[22] One of the key aspects of the chorus is layered vocals from Scherzinger, with the word "Oh!" repeated multiple times.[18]

Critical reception

The song was met with mixed reviews from music critics. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy praised the song, awarding it four out of five stars. In his review, Copsey said: "The metaphor's not without its confusing moments, but that's exactly what makes her so endearing." He went on to praise the song's overall production, "she sings with wide-eyed determination over a fuzzy, club-friendly beat courtesy of will.i.am – who for once supplies a relatively pop-by-numbers melody that grows on the ears".[20] A reviewer writing for The Irish Times said that "Boomerang" was exactly the type of song needed to "January out and usher February in", calling the song "jolly good fun".[21] Sam Lanskey, for Idolator, gave a mixed review, stating: "Scherzinger is back with a new single, but despite the unholy union of Scherzinger and will.i.am, who produced the song, it's actually pretty good!" Lanskey later went on to praise the production, which "is taut and synth-spangled, and that chorus is an earworm".[18] "John Dingwell, writing a review for the Daily Record, said, "Boomerang is a brassy banger that will appeal to younger music fans but scratch the surface and there's only limited shelf life to it."[23] Similarly, Gigwise's Grace Caroll wrote an article called "Big Stars, Bad Songs", in which she criticized the lyrics in "Boomerang", calling the song "a generic dance-fuelled fizzle that sounds slightly like every other pop song you've ever heard".[24]

Commercial performance

Shortly after its release, newspapers the Daily Record and the Daily Mirror both reported that "Boomerang" was not playlisted by radio stations BBC Radio 1 and Capital FM, amongst others. Radio 1 confirmed that it had not playlisted the song "due to the amount of other releases this week" and added that there were "more important releases at the station at the moment".[25][26] Similarly, despite Scherzinger appearing on Capital FM to promote the release, it "wasn't deemed 'relevant' by radio bosses". Despite this, "Boomerang" shifted 32,520 copies and had peaked at number one in the midweek; this led to the song being playlisted by Capital FM. Scherzinger acknowledged the feat on Twitter, when she tweeted "Woohoo! We finally made a #Boomerang believer out of them."[25][27]

On March 14, 2013, "Boomerang" debuted on the

Scottish Singles Chart.[31]

Music video

Background

The

behind the scenes footage during the episode of The X Factor airing in the first week of December 2012.[10] On December 19, 2012, a brief five second preview of the video was released online; in the preview, a kaleidoscope camera effect is used.[33] The music video for the song was released on January 25, 2013.[13]

Synopsis

Woman wearing a leather jacket is shown with rainbow outline/shadow
Scherzinger in the music video with the kaleidoscope camera effect.

The concept for "Boomerang" features Scherzinger in a number of different outfits and settings, with added camera effects. It begins with TV screens set out in a plus shape, each screen shows a different part of Scherzinger dressed in a black leather and lace dress, with a multi-colored woven leather jacket The kaleidoscope effect is used giving Scherzinger a rainbow colored shadow, this is interspaced with scenes of Scherzinger in a room full of surveillance cameras and a geometric black and white room.[34][35] As the song transitions into the chorus, she then appears in front of white backdrop "as multiple copies of herself are seen dancing across the screen".[36] Other scenes include Scherzinger in a latex dress, with cornrows and also dancing in hotpants and stilettos.[35] MTV News' Michael Depland compared the "spectacular face" delivered by Scherzinger to those made by contemporary R&B singer Brandy Norwood in the music video for "What About Us?" (2002).[37]

Reception

Capital FM praised the video; a reviewer writing for the network said the "energetic" video showcases Scherzinger's "best dance moves".[36] Meanwhile, in an article for the HuffPost, the video was praised by the staff for showing off her "impeccable body".[38] A reviewer for Rap-Up praised Scherzinger's style in the "sizzling" video, saying: "The Pussycat Doll and X Factor alum brings some sex and style as she struts around in the artsy visuals."[35] The video won the Music Award at the Social TV Awards for scoring 6,147,811 views, two weeks after premiering on Vevo.[39]

Promotion

In the week leading up to the song's release, Scherzinger performed "Boomerang" live for the first time on BBC One's charity TV programme Let's Dance For Comic Relief on March 2, 2013,[40] and again at the Give It Up For Comic Relief charity concert in London's Wembley Arena on March 6, 2013.[41] The day after its release, Scherzinger performed the song live on The Jonathan Ross Show and on stage at G-A-Y nightclub in London, UK both on March 9, 2013.[42][43] A few days later, Scherzinger joined Lorraine Kelly on Daybreak for an interview about her career and a performance of "Boomerang".[44] Further to this, in the lead up to the release of the music video, promotional images for the single were released. Scherzinger wears a see-through black mesh dress with a light blue and pink patterned jacket, alongside an elaborate chain necklace that covers her chest and metallic silver high-heeled shoes.[45]

Track listing

Digital download[11]

  1. "Boomerang" – 3:18

Digital download – Remixes EP[12]

  1. "Boomerang" – 3:18
  2. "Boomerang" (Mathieu Bouthier Remix) – 5:51
  3. "Boomerang" (Ruff Loaderz Club Mix) – 6:25
  4. "Boomerang" (Cahill Club Remix) – 5:35

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from media notes,[19] music video credits taken from PromoNews.[32]

Recording

  • Vocals recorded at Record Plant, in Los Angeles, California.
  • Music recorded at The Bunker, in Paris, France.

Personnel

  • Nicole Scherzinger – vocals
  • Dylan "3D" Dresdow – audio mixing
  • Brian Gardner – mastering
  • Julian Prindle – recording (engineering)
  • Anthony Preston
     – co-production, vocal production, songwriter
  • Benjamin Rice – engineering assistant, mixing assistant
  • Bradford H. Smith – mixing assistant
  • Sandy Vee – co-production, mixing, engineering, recording (engineering)
  • will.i.am – production, executive production

Music video

Charts

Release history

Release history for "Boomerang"
Country Date Format Label Ref.
Ireland March 8, 2013 Digital download Universal [11]
United Kingdom March 10, 2013 Polydor [13]
New Zealand May 17, 2013 Universal [14]

References

  1. ^ Gallo, Phil (August 19, 2011). "Nicole Scherzinger Preps U.S. Album Release: 'It's a Lot Deeper Than Pussycat Dolls'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  2. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (April 20, 2011). "Nicole Scherzinger Calls New Album 'Empowering'". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  3. ^ Gallo, Phil (August 19, 2011). "Nicole Scherzinger Preps U.S. Album Release: 'It's a Lot Deeper Than Pussycat Dolls'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  4. ^ Stern, Bradley (October 18, 2016). "Nicole Scherzinger's 'Pretty,' the Pretty Messed Up Break-Up Anthem for Pretty People, Finally Sees Pretty Light of Day". MuuMuse.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  5. ^ Daniels, Colin (July 31, 2012). "Nicole Scherzinger recording new music with will.i.am". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  6. ^ PCD (Booklet). The Pussycat Dolls. Santa Monica, California: A&M. 2005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  8. ^ a b Eames, Tom (April 10, 2013). "Scherzinger 'having X Factor doubts'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  9. ^ "Nicole Scherzinger confirms new single 'Boomerang' – Music News". Digital Spy. November 29, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Nicole Scherzinger previews new single 'Boomerang' – listen – Music News". Digital Spy. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
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  12. ^
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  24. ^ Carroll, Grace (January 25, 2013). "Big Stars – Bad Songs: Nicole Scherzinger's 'Boomerang' and more". Gigwise. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
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  30. ^ Lane, Daniel (March 27, 2013). "Bastille's Pompeii is still the UK's most listened to track". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  32. ^ a b Brown, Jimmy (January 30, 2013). "Nicole Scherzinger 'Boomerang' by Nathalie Canguilhem". Promonews. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
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  42. ITV 1 (ITV
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