Do It Like a Dude

"Do It Like a Dude"
Single by Jessie J
from the album Who You Are
Released 18 November 2010 (2010-11-18)
(see release history)
Format CD single, digital download,
Genre Dance, electronica, R&B
Length 3:15
Label Lava, Island
Writer(s) George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jessica Cornish, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams, Peter Ighile
Producer The Invisible Men, Parker & James, mixed by James F Reynolds
Jessie J singles chronology
"Do It Like a Dude"
(2010)		 "Price Tag"
(2011)

"Do It Like a Dude" is the debut single by English singer-songwriter Jessie J. She co-wrote the song with George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile. The track was produced by The Invisible Men with Parker and James and was included in her debut album, Who You Are. It was released as a download in November 2010 in the United Kingdom with a physical release in January 2011. It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, number eight in New Zealand and Belgium, and number eleven in Ireland. "Do It Like a Dude" was awarded Best Song at the 2011 MOBO Awards.

Contents

Background

I was writing some songs in the studio, but I was bored with the song I was writing and there were two boys—two producers called Parker and James—and one of them wears [his] trousers ridiculously low. So I just started free styling like a dude, and it was fun. I wanted to write a song that was tongue-in-cheek and a parody of a stereotypical male. But also, I wanted the song to be empowering for girls, but not kind of an "I hate men" song - because I don't, and I don't say that in the song. It's about feeling hardcore.

Jessie J[1]

"Do It Like a Dude" was written by Jessie J, George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile[2] and was produced by The Invisible Men with Parker & James.[3] Cornish originally wrote the song with Rihanna in mind because "Rude Boy" was released at the time, partly inspiring Cornish to write the song. She then sent the song to her label, Island Records, before sending it to Rihanna's management. Island then insisted the song become Cornish's first single, since they thought it was 'amazing'.[4] In April 2011 Cornish stated that she wishes to perform "Do It Like a Dude" with Rihanna, "I wanna ask her, I really wanna ask her if we can perform it together.. either on her tour or at V Festival or one of the big festivals. I definitely think that she would kill it."[5]

Composition

"Do It Like a Dude" is a pop, pop rock[6] and R&B[7] song which features hip hop beats[8] and rock riffs.[9] According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing at Musinotes.com, "Do It Like a Dude" is set in common time with a tempo of 140 beats per minute. Written in the key of D minor, the song features a basic chord progression of Dm–F–C–B♭. J's voice spans from the low note of A3 to the high note of D5.[6] According to PopMatters' Max Feldman, J speaks patois on the song.[10] J said to Artistdirect that "Do It Like a Dude" is about equality and self-confidence.[11]

Reception

Critical response

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic noted "Do It Like a Dude" as one of the best tracks from Who You Are.[12] Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review stating, "Now here's how to make an entrance into the capricious, peacock-packed party of pop."[8] Rolling Stone's Erika Berlin awarded the "fierce" song three out of five stars and praised its chorus.[9] Max Feldman of PopMatters called the song's chorus "chunky and cheeky, with some infectious chilli-infused pre-choral warbling", but criticised J's "patois" vocals.[10]

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, "Do It Like a Dude" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 25 on 28 November 2010 as the third highest new entry of the week.[13] Following a decline during December, the single climbed 13 places to number 21 on 26 December and again climbed a further 3 places the week after to a number 18. Following the announcement that Jessie J had topped the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll, "Do It Like a Dude" propelled 13 places into the top 10 at number 5 on 9 January 2011. On its second week in the Top 10, the single climbed 3 places to a peak of number 2; being beaten to the top spot only by Bruno Mars' "Grenade". The single has now gone on to sell over 500,000 copies in the UK alone.[14] In the Republic of Ireland, the single also saw a chart placement on the Irish Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 11.[15]

Music video

The video was filmed on 25 and 26 October 2010, The video was directed by Emil Nava, An explicit version premiered 9 November 2010 and a clean version the next day on 4 Music. It was filmed in a dark hall tower. In the music video for Price Tag, as J says the words "video hoes", a scene of her wearing the same outfit as in her "Do It Like a Dude" video.

The video begins with a close-up shot of Jessie's black bejeweled lips as she sings. The scene then intercuts with: someone being tattooed, a woman slicing a pig's trotter, a woman doing some chemical experiments and licking a bottle of "poison", before following Jessie dancing in an orange hoodie and entering the flat where alt-looking women are seen throughout the video. The video also features Jessie dancing with back-up dancers, and a party with people acting fiercely. The video ends with Jessie, clad in a revealing, plunging white top and black costume bra, shaking her head exaggeratedly and laying down, disappearing from the scene.
In the clean version, graphically explicit shots (i.e. the close-up of two women kissing and drinking scenes) were removed, except for Jessie's studded lips (which are frequently shown compared to the explicit version).

Live performances

J performed an acoustic rendition of "Do It Like a Dude" at the 2011 BRIT Awards launch on 13 January 2011.[16][17] On 27 April 2011 she sang the song on MuchMusic's New.Music.Live.[5][18] Also, the Jessie presented the song in the 2011 MTV VMAs.

Cover versions

Track listings

Digital EP[22][23]
No. Title Length
1. "Do It Like a Dude" (Explicit Version) 3:14
2. "Do It Like a Dude" (Labrinth Mix) 3:42
3. "Do It Like a Dude" (Curtis Lynch Jnr Mix) (feat. Lady Chan) 3:26
4. "Do It Like a Dude" (Jakwob Mix) 4:27
5. "Do It Like a Dude" (Acoustic Version) 4:19
CD Single[24]
No. Title Length
1. "Do It Like a Dude"   3:53
2. "Do It Like a Dude" (Labrinth Mix) 3:42

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2010–11) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[25] 66
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[26] 62
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[27] 8
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[28] 19
Denmark (Tracklisten)[29] 16
France (SNEP)[30] 71
Germany (Media Control AG)[31] 41
Ireland (IRMA)[32] 11
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[33] 95
New Zealand (RIANZ)[34] 8
Scotland (The Official Charts Company)[35] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 29
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[37] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2011) Position
UK Singles Chart[38] 24

Certifications

Country Certification
United Kingdom Gold[39]
New Zealand Gold[40]

Release history

Region Date Label Format
United Kingdom 18 November 2010[22] Universal Republic Digital download
Australia 26 November 2010[41]
United States 7 December 2010[42]
Germany 18 March 2011[43] CD single

References

  1. ^ Azzopardi, Chris (28 April 2011). "Just Jessie". PrideSource. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5yOsvVJ7u. Retrieved 3 May 2011. 
  2. ^ "ASCAP ACE - Search Results". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=881826379&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1. Retrieved 7 February 2011. 
  3. ^ "Jessie J's Debut Album "Who You Are" Gets Pushed Up A Month". MOG. MOG Inc.. 3 February 2010. http://mog.com/blog_post/content/1533/2753530. Retrieved 7 February 2010. 
  4. ^ "Jessie J Glad She Kept Rihanna Song for Herself". Rap-Up. 6 January 2011. http://www.rap-up.com/2011/01/06/jessie-j-glad-she-kept-rihanna-song-for-herself/. Retrieved 9 February 2011. 
  5. ^ a b Barnes, Marcus (27 April 2011). "Jessie J takes her roadshow to Canada with another raunchy television performance". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1380727/Jessie-J-takes-roadshow-Canada-raunchy-television-performance.html?ito=feeds-newsxml. Retrieved 3 May 2011. 
  6. ^ a b "Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdVPE.asp?ppn=MN0092244. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  7. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (16 January 2011). "Universal and Sony Music plan 'instant pop' to beat piracy". guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/16/universal-sony-music-singles-release. Retrieved 12 May 2011. 
  8. ^ a b Levine, Nick. "Jessie J: 'Do It Like A Dude'". Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5y933j7bG. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  9. ^ a b Berlin, Erika (26 January 2011). "Jessie J - 'Do It Like a Dude'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 April 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5y6ojdoDj. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  10. ^ a b Feldman, Max (20 April 2011). "Jessie J: Who You Are". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/138705-jessie-j-who-you-are/. Retrieved 3 May 2011. 
  11. ^ "Jessie J Talks "Do It Like a Dude," Personal Style and Spiky Lips". Artistdirect. 6 April 2011. http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/jessie-j-talks-do-it-like-a-dude-personal-style-and-spiky-lips/8771855. Retrieved 3 May 2011. 
  12. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Who You Are at Allmusic. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  13. ^ "Archive Chart". Theofficialcharts.com. 4 December 2010. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/2010-12-04/. Retrieved 2011-01-09. 
  14. ^ "Price Tag Suits Jessie J". The Official Charts Company. 6 February 2011. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/chart-news/price-tag-suits-jessie-j/. Retrieved 12 February 2011. 
  15. ^ J debuts on Irish Singles Chart, Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  16. ^ "Jessie J – 'Do It Like A Dude' Live @ Brit Awards 2011 Launch (Video)". SoulCulture. Soul Culture Media. 16 January 2011. http://www.soulculture.co.uk/blogs/jessie-j-do-it-like-a-dude-live-brit-awards-2011-launch/. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  17. ^ "Video: Jessie J Sings in Subway Station". 13 January 2011. http://www.rap-up.com/2011/01/13/video-jessie-j-sings-in-subway-station/. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
  18. ^ Thompson, Jody (27 April 2011). "Duet it like a dude: Jessie J wants to team up with Rihanna at V Festival". AOL Music. AOL UK. http://music.aol.co.uk/2011/04/27/jessie-j-rihanna-at-v/. Retrieved 3 May 2011. 
  19. ^ "Talay Riley in the Radio 1Xtra Live Lounge". BBC. 24 January 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xmwlp. 
  20. ^ "BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge - Volume 6 - Tracklist". Amazon. 31 October 2011. http://www.amazon.co.uk/BBC-Radio-1s-Live-Lounge/dp/B005LSNXZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325009363&sr=8-1. 
  21. ^ "Fenech-Soler in the Live Lounge". BBC. 20 February 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/sessions/2011-02-05_fenechsoler. 
  22. ^ a b "Do It Like a Dude (Universal Republic, digital EP)". MusicBrainz. 25 Nov 2010. http://musicbrainz.org/release/2dd9fa8c-dca6-4dfa-9561-73a0f1e46a15.html. 
  23. ^ "Do It Like a Dude (We7 listen & sales)". We7. http://we7.com/album/Jessie-J/Do-It-Like-A-Dude. 
  24. ^ "LastFM » Jessie J » Do It Like A Dude (single)". Last.FM. 7 Dec 2010. http://last.fm/music/Jessie+J/Jessie+J-+Do+It+Like+A+Dude. 
  25. ^ http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20110221-0001/Issue1094.pdf
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  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude" (in Dutch). Ultratip. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  28. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude" (in French). Ultratip. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  29. ^ "Danishcharts.com – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude". Tracklisten. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  30. ^ "Lescharts.com – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  31. ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
  32. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association.
  33. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude" (in Dutch). Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  34. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  35. ^ "Archive Chart". Scottish Singles Top 40. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  36. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Jessie J – Do It Like a Dude". Singles Top 60. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  37. ^ "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  38. ^ "The Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of the Year". BBC. 31 December 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018sjyc. 
  39. ^ "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  40. ^ "Radioscope>Gold/Platinum singles". Radioscope Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. http://www.radioscope.net.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=61. Retrieved 2011-04-04. 
  41. ^ http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/do-it-like-a-dude/id405617892
  42. ^ http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/do-it-like-a-dude-single/id406225280
  43. ^ http://www.amazon.de/dp/B004NGL55Q
Jessie J
Studio albums
Singles
"Do It Like a Dude" • "Price Tag" • "Nobody's Perfect" • "Who's Laughing Now" • "Domino" • "Who You Are"
Promotional singles
Featured singles
"Up"
Other songs
"Repeat" • "My Shadow"
Concert tours
Related articles