Nicola Roberts - BBC Breakfast Show Interview

Nicola Robert's interviews have been pretty much the same lately, with the British singer being asked "how was it like stepping out of Girls Aloud? Were you nervous?" etc. and Nicola hasn't really had the chance to talk about just herself and her solo music. However, on Nicola's recent visit to BBC's Breakfast Show, sticks + stones' lyric video was played and they spent half the time properly getting into the song's personal subject matter of being called "ugly", which she spoke about openly so it's an interesting insight into Nicola's world.

Then there's her totally cute interview at The Crush earlier this week.

Big News: Nicola Roberts unveils "sticks + stones"

Firework. Raise Your Glass. Born This Way. Who Says. All of those songs above were released by Katy Perry (ridiculously successful pop artist with a gorgeous face and a lovely pair of tits); P!nk (an outspoken pop rebel that's scored with the masses); Lady Gaga (2009's breakout pop artist that have people believing she's a God); Selena Gomez (produced by the Disney machine and selling by the millions to little girls across the world). Then you have Nicola Roberts. Now, while Nicola's music and voice combined beats all those pop tarts I just mentioned, she hasn't exactly found success as a solo act, away from Girls Aloud.

But just yesterday, Nicola premiered a ballad called sticks + stones off her upcoming debut solo album Cinderella's Eyes. First single Beat of My Drum didn't go down well with British audiences, stalling at #27, and as for her upcoming second single Lucky Day, no one really knows how it's going to do.

But this is different. See, while Katy may be screeching BAABBYY YOU'RE A FIIIIIIIRRRREEEWOOOOOOOOORK off the top of a castle in Europe, Selena Gomez running around the streets telling her little fans "Who says you're not perfect?" etc., Nicola's telling the tale as the one getting taunted. And it's not that difficult to see why, since Nicola's always got a bit of a reputation as the "ugly one", "quiet one", "angsty one" in Girls Aloud, and has experienced this massive criticism in the public eye.

But through this album cut, Nicola tells the tale through her eyes. The simple piano-backed ballad has lyrics directly referencing to those comments such as:

Couldn't you tell lies to me? / Couldn't you say I'm pretty?
Sticks and stones hurt just a little
With all the mean words they're ugly / Starting to see I'm lucky
How funny that I was too young for so many things / Yet you thought I'd cope with being told I'm ugly / Over and over I'd read it, believe it
I am pretty in my mirror, easy to pretend

Then there's the line that directly reference to joining Girls Aloud and winning Popstars: The Rivals when she was 17 with:

17 and I thought I'd won the jackpot / Seems I didn't read between the lines of this one

I'm still gobsmacked by this brutal honesty, tbh

Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day live @ Sainsbury Super Saturday

Growing in confidence with each live performance is Nicola Roberts, who's moved on from her tanked debut single Beat of My Drum to the safer in comparison second single Lucky Day. The summery pop tune was televised live for the first time at Sainsbury Super Saturday where Nicola turned in one of her better live performance, with much emphasis placed on her vocals, sung along to a backing track that doesn't get too loud, since Nicola tends to get ahead of herself and let her warbling opera-tic vocals run amok.

Also, I'm slayed by that intro. And my Ginger Princess is really looking gorgeous now.

Big News: Nicola Roberts unveils album cover + tracklisting!

Let's be real. Out of all of the Girls Aloud solo projects, Nicola has the highest quality music. But since her debut single Beat of My Drum tanked on the chart, a lot is riding on her second single Lucky Day, released on the 18th of September. Nevertheless, the Ginger Queen revealed the artwork for debut album Cinderella's Eyes, out September 4th. The cover is flawless obviously, but I didn't expect anything less than perfect, much unlike Cheryl Cole's cheap looking Messy Little Raindrops album sleeve.



Sophisticated, classy, gorgeous. But will anyone actually buy it? Fingers crossed the album does well and sells on quality alone, and Nicola becomes everyone's favourite indie/mainstream pop singer.



Check out the track listing below:



1. Beat Of My Drum

2. Lucky Day

3. Yo-Yo

4. Cinderella’s Eyes

5. Porcelain Heart

6. i

7. Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime

8. Say It Out Loud

9. Gladiator

10. Fish Out Of Water

11. Take A Bite

12. sticks + stones



Looks like the flawless Girls Aloud-esque Beat of My Drum b side Porcelain Heart has made the final tracklisting! It's a good day, y'all.

Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day [Music Video Premiere]

Even while flashing her knickers at us, Nicola Roberts looks bored. You may have beat to her drum before, but that was a hard hitting electronica number that failed to catch on in the UK, peaking only at a measly #27 on the UK Singles Chart. However, there's hope in Nicola as Beat of My Drum and it's B-sides Porcelain Heart and Disco, Blisters And A Comedown were absolutely flawless.



The edit of the music video for Lucky Day without the special effects leaked earlier, but with the special effects, it's not a dramatic change. In fact, I was kind of hoping for effects seen in Cher Lloyd's video for the so bad it's good debut single Swagger Jagger, mixed with the effects used in Allison Iraheta's effing flawless pop video Friday I'll Be Over U. Instead, all we get are some lame lighting effects following the motion of Nicola's hands. Meh.



Still, the song fits that kind of lazy summer song where you're not too lazy to go listen to a ballad, but one where you're home, tired, and would like to put on a feel good record. And that's exactly what Lucky Day is.

What Cheryl Cole should do next.

Simply because the pop music scene is rather painfully slow at the minute. Here's what Britain's best pop star Cheryl Cole should do next.

1. Severe all ties with The X Factor. On the other side of the drama, we saw headlines of The X Factor US and FOX bosses ripping Cheryl to shreds firing her, and then replacing her with the rather, rather dull and emotionless Nicole Scherzinger. Of course, it's not the first time The X Factor has made use of her and thrown her under the bus. She did come under fire with X Factor UK reject Gamu and she was only on The X Factor UK because she'd be the reason millions tuned in to watch Simon Cowell's manipulative reality tv singing competition The X Factor. It's time to axe The X Factor out of your life, Chez.

2. Get together with Girls Aloud. And I don't mean a permanent reunion, no. Nicola Roberts' solo material, Cheryl's performing skills and Girls Aloud's image as British girl group icons is more than enough for me. Furthermore, there's only room for one British girl group giant, currently held by The Saturdays, and some rookie girl groups - Parade, Wonderland, Belle Amie etc. at any one point. Girls Aloud needs to get together for a one off reunion at the Olympics 2012 Ceremony London will be hosting, and to make it their biggest and best live performance ever. I'm hoping for a medley including The Promise, Sound of the Underground, Sexy! No No No.. and Something Kinda Ooooh. A couple of arena dates for a reunion tour could work as well if the Olympics gig doesn't happen.

3. Record better solo material. We all know Cheryl knows very well how to work a crowd, bringing in fierce choreography, confidence that would shake Nicola Roberts to the core, and a nice outfit that would have every straight man in the world sit up. But her albums are shit. No, no, her singles are fine, namely the pop classics Fight For This Love, Parachute, and 3 Words (the album) cut Stand Up. But we all know her albums as a whole underwhelm and overall are just really terrible. She's already started work on her third album and has been recording in LA, so let's hope she's landing some better material this time round, not some Britney rejects.

4. Perform her comeback single at the London Olympics. Yes I do want Cheryl/Girls Aloud to be involved at the Olympics somehow. It's only right. She's Britain's biggest popstar and Girls Aloud are.. Girls Aloud. This performance shall be on the same level as her Fight For This Love performance at the 2010 Brit Awards and slay everyone watching.

Then she'll have the world at her feet in minutes. Sounds like a good plan. Get to work Cheryl.

Nicola Roberts - Beat of My Drum live @ Daybreak

Nicola Roberts has been stepping up her act as a solo pop act over the various live performances. Without Cheryl's fierce dancing, Nadine's never failing vocals, Kimberley's bum (lol I had to), and Sarah's boisterous loudness, Nicola has to rely on herself to really sell her performances now. When she first stepped out to deliver her live performances, she was awkward, timid, terrified and way too shy for a song this big (in performance level).

However, after some live performances done, Nicola dropped by British breakfast television show Daybreak to turn in one of her best performances ever, smiling and finally being confident on stage again.

Nicola's finally gonna be a threat, y'all.

Nicola Roberts - Beat of My Drum live @ T4 on the Beach

All of the UK's top pop artists are all busy busy busy this summer, playing their pop hits to sold out summer gigs. T4 on the Beach just started and the Ginger Queen aka Nicola Roberts brought her summery debut single Beat of My Drum to the summer festival. Nicola seemed to have fun basking in the sunshine and jumping around, with her ever chilling opera-drama-filled voice booming through the speakers.. Before it started to take a minor detour when a little random guy comes running on the stage donning Nicola's "Team Ginger" jacket and randomly adding his "beats" to the song.

Nicola.. You really didn't need him.

But regardless.. L! O! V! E! Dance to the beat of my drum! Dance to the beat of my drum!

Nicola Roberts - Beat of My Drum live @ Paul O' Grady

Nicola Roberts was never much of a dancer, but during Girls Aloud's Out of Control Tour, she managed to hold her ground against fellow bandmate Cheryl Cole. However, stepping out on her own as a solo artist means the never shaking confidence of the other girls can't rub off her, and Nicola still seems like a little girl coming out of her shell.

However her solo debut single Beat of My Drum is a confident, summer strutter that should go on to become one of this summer's spanking pop anthems. Nicola hasn't exactly been able to sell this song live without pulling any choreography live on the small stages. But most recently, the Ginger Princess went on the Paul O Grady Show to perform Beat of My Drum which has so far been underperforming on the chart.

She kicked things off with a little acapella intro, hitting a big note to prove all the naysayers wrong. But then the beat kicked in and Nicola crawled back into her shell. I just wish she'd show a personality as colourful as the song when she's performing. However, she did seem a lot happier than usual and smiled more during her interview which you can check out below.

Big News: Listen to Nicola Roberts b-side Porcelain Heart!

With the release of debut solo single Beat of My Drum comes the premiere of a new track from the Ginger Princess better known as Nicola Roberts in the form of a b side and Porcelain Heart is the track I'm talking about. Many have commented it sounds like it could be a Girls Aloud track, and they're right. It sounds like it could serve as a b side for Untouchable, except only with Nicola taking the vocals over the pop ballad layered with a shiny pop sheen. Then there's that last note that she works her vocals into overdrive. Brilliant. If only for the fact it could be Girls Aloud track and a pretty smashing last note.

Check it out for yourself below.

Nicola Roberts - Beat of My Drum [Music Video Premiere]

Nicola Roberts has just dropped her video for Beat of My Drum which is pretty alright. Apart from the little side ponytail look nearing the bridge of the song, she looked pretty good throughout the video. It's fun, but I kind of wished it would be more playful with colourful animations a la Allison Iraheta's video for Friday I'll Be Over U which would've definitely suited this video.

I previously compared her to Avril Lavigne during The Best Damn Thing era, but I've decided she's more like Diana Vickers, let's just hope D Vicks can fire back another pop missile along the lines of her previous stellar three singles, and we've got ourselves a pop competition. But I wouldn't count for new music from Diana till July/August.

Nicola Roberts new track: Beat of My Drum

Just yesterday I did an introduction post on Nicola Roberts and her forthcoming summer smash Beat of My Drum. The full track has made it's way online now after the world premiere of the track on Radio 1. Beat of My Drum in it's entire length is pretty good with some slick verses but some of the production on the track is a hit and miss here. Some parts of the track have a retro-tinge, and I'm not complaining, but there's something a little off here but I can't put my finger around it. Nevertheless, it's probably a grower and I'll most probably be bopping to the track all summer long.

Debut album Cinderella Eyes will be out in the UK in the Fall.



Download Link: HERE
Download Link 2: HERE

Introducing: Nicola Roberts

If you're familiar with the British pop music scene, you'll know that Girls Aloud have been girl group giants until their ever-extending hiatus when the girls all went to pursue different projects. Cheryl Cole has already had much success while Nadine Coyle flopped harder than Bey's Run The World (Girls). (By the way, Nadine will be releasing Runnin' in the US, totally forgettable, probably bringing her flopness to the States). Still, there's another dark horse that could very well threaten Cheryl's success. With Cheryl's X Factor drama still very much a PR disaster, Nicola's turning the spotlight to herself with the release of her solo single Beat of My Drum on the 5th of June.

If you're a Girls Aloud fan, you'll know that Nicola had the best voice in Girls Aloud, second to Nadine, but she's definitely a lot more quirky and her new single Beat of My Drum definitely highlights that with the Ginger Genius chanting dance to the beat of my drum! repeatedly over a chorus The Best Damn Thing era Avril Lavigne wouldn't snob at. It comes across as more playful and younger than bratty Avril's Girlfriend and sounds like it could be very well go on to be a summer hit.

The song will premiere tomorrow on Radio 1 with Scott Mills and the video will premiere on the day of the track's release. Check out a little snippet of the video for the song below.



Damn.. Who knew the Ginger Genius could move like that?