"Beat of My Drum" | ||||
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Single by Nicola Roberts | ||||
from the album Cinderella's Eyes | ||||
B-side | "Disco Blisters and a Comedown" "Porcelain Heart" |
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Released | 2 June 2011 | |||
Format | CD single, digital download | |||
Recorded | July 2010 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:56 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Nicola Roberts, Maya von Doll, Diplo (credited as Wesley Pentz), Dimitri Tikovoi | |||
Producer(s) | Tikovoi | |||
Nicola Roberts singles chronology | ||||
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"Beat of My Drum" is a song by British recording artist Nicola Roberts. It was released on 2 June 2011, by Polydor Records, as the lead single from Roberts' debut solo album, Cinderella's Eyes (2011). The song was simultaneously released with the on air on sale method, receiving no prior promotion. "Beat of My Drum" was written by Roberts, Dimitri Tikovoi, Maya von Doll and Diplo, and was initially produced by Roberts and Tikovoi. Written to feel British and fun, Roberts intended "Beat of My Drum" to be a song which people could sing and dance.
"Beat of My Drum" is a dance-pop song which incorporates elements of indie pop, and has been compared to the work of artists including M.I.A. and Major Lazer. Lyrically, the song discusses Roberts' time in the girl band she was a part of, Girls Aloud; while part of the group, she felt undervalued in comparison to other members. "Beat of My Drum" garnered universal acclaim from music critics, with some describing it as more original than solo releases by other members of Girls Aloud; it was also compared to the work of artists such as Kelis and Robyn. Commercially, "Beat of My Drum" failed to make a large impact.
In the United Kingdom, it charted at number 27, and number 26 in Scotland. In Ireland, the song peaked at number 37. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Wendy Morgan. It displayed Roberts performing in a hall with dancers. Roberts performed the song for the first time at the 2011 T4 on the Beach, as well as various other chat shows.
Before embarking her solo career, Roberts was one fifth of British girl band Girls Aloud. Roberts claimed that she found the experience of going solo troubling. She revealed that she struggled to cope with life in the public eye and the constant media attention. In particular, she received negative attention concerning her image. The experience led her to start to develop her debut album, which, lyrically, reflected the difficult times she experienced in Girls Aloud. On "Beat of My Drum", Roberts describes herself as a "baby in the corner". Roberts helped to write all of the tracks on Cinderella's Eyes, with the lyrics telling stories of things that happened in her life. "Beat of My Drum" was co-written with Maya von Doll, Diplo and Dimitri Tikovoi. She stated that she had always wanted "Beat of My Drum" to be something different from the music that other pop singers were presenting in the charts. Roberts stated that "Beat of My Drum" is "a song everyone can sing and dance to". Roberts stated that she felt the song had a "fun concept" with a British influence.