"It Girl" is a song by American recording artist
Jason Derulo
Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), known professionally as Jason Derulo (; formerly stylized as Derülo), is an American singer and songwriter. , released as the second single from his second studio album, ''
Future History
A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors of science fiction and other speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction. Sometimes the author publishes a timeline of events in the history, whi ...
'' on August 9, 2011. The song was written by Derulo,
E. Kidd Bogart
Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and film & television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyc ...
, Lindy Robbins and
Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou, who also handled the song's production. Musically, "It Girl" is a
mid-tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
pop and
R&B love song, that features a
whistling
Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...
intro
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...
and an
acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
. Lyrically, it revolves around Derulo singing the praises of the perfect girl he found after searching all over.
The song received positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, who praised its catchy production and radio-friendly lyrics. They also added that it has the potential to overshadow the commercial success of Derulo's debut single, "
Whatcha Say" (2009). "It Girl" peaked at number 17 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, number six on the US
Hot Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart, and at number 10 on the US
Pop Songs
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
chart. Outside of the United States, "It Girl" peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top 20 of the charts in Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway.
The accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
of "It Girl" was directed by
Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos.
Tilley directed, pro ...
and filmed at a mansion in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...
. It portrays a fictional relationship between Derulo and his love interest played by actress
Tika Sumpter
Euphemia LatiQue Sumpter, better known as Tika Sumpter, is an American actress, singer, producer, television host, and model. Sumpter began her career as the host of '' Best Friend's Date''. From 2005 to 2010, she appeared in the daytime soap ope ...
. To promote the song, Derulo performed the song live on televised shows, including ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'', ''
The Wendy Williams Show
''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar-Me ...
'', ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' and ''
The X Factor Australia
''The X Factor'' is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The first season of the show premiered on Network Ten on 6 February 2005. Ten dropped ''The X Factor'' after ...
''. The official remix of the song premiered online in February 2012, and features Derulo's former girlfriend
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
.
Background and development
"It Girl" was written by Jason Derulo,
E. Kidd Bogart
Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and film & television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyc ...
, Lindy Robbins and
Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou, who also produced the track.
The
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
process was handled by Jens Koerkmeier.
It was
mixed by Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios in
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
.
The song's
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
s,
whistle
A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s,
bass,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
and drum programming were provided by Eman, with additional keyboards and drum programming by Koerkmeier and Andrew Goldstein.
On July 29, 2011, the audio of "It Girl" was uploaded to Derulo's official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
account. When speaking of the song, Derulo told ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'', "I wanted to put myself in a position as if I'd found my It Girl, to make myself feel like if I found that one true love. I've basically described what it would be like if I found her." Derulo further elaborated about the concept of the song in another interview with Matt Elias of
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
:
An 'It Girl' to me is someone who is selfless, someone who's always thinking about others before she thinks about herself. You know, my mom is a very charitable woman, so I'd want someone who is in line with that kind of thought process. I also like a girl who's polite. I feel like that's a lost art, and just saying 'please' and 'thank you' goes a very long way with me. That's just so lost these days. So, ladies, it's OK to say 'thank you.'
Derulo explained that he did not believe in the possibility of "It Girl" to be the next single from ''Future History''.
However, his peers believed that it was very distinct from the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
, "
Don't Wanna Go Home
"Don't Wanna Go Home" is a song by American recording artist Jason Derulo, released as the lead single from his second studio album, ''Future History'', on May 23, 2011. The song was written by Derulo, Chaz Mishan, David Delazyn, William Attaway, ...
" and that response motivated him to pick it as the second single.
He believed that showing the difference in the new album was important in picking the single. He did not want to put another dance song so that his fans do not assume that the entire album consisted of
uptempo
A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
songs.
He concluded that "growing up has definitely taken place. My music has always been a representation of who I am and I guess I speak differently, my demeanour is different."
Composition
"It Girl" is a mid-tempo
pop and
R&B love song,
built on a finger-clicking
beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
.
The song is set in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
with a moderate tempo of 95
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ( ...
. It is composed in the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
of
E major
E major (or the key of E) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, ...
with Derulo's vocal range spanning from the note of E
3 to the note of B
4. According to ''
Rap-Up
''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
'', the song's lyrics find Derulo as the male protagonist singing praises of "a lovely lady", comparing her to his "greatest hit".
"It Girl" opens with a
whistling
Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...
intro
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...
and an
acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
.
In the first
verse
Verse may refer to:
Poetry
* Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry
* Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza
* Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme
* Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...
, he chants about how he searched all over and finally found the girl of his dreams.
He also affirms that the girl means much more than a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
to him.
Its
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
, which forms part of the
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, contains the lyrics: "You could be my it girl / Baby, you're the shit girl / Lovin; you could be a crime / Crazy how we fit, girl / This is it, girl / Gimme 25 to life / I just wanna rock all night long and put you in the middle of my spotlight / You could be my it girl / You're my biggest hit, girl / Let me play it loud."
Scott Shelter from Pop Crush noted that the song uses the "oh-oh-oh-oh" vocal chants after the chorus.
Release
"It Girl" was added to the B-playlist of urban radio station
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2011.
The song was released as a
digital download on
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
s worldwide from May 6, 2011.
"It Girl" impacted
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
in the United States on August 16, 2011,
and
mainstream radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
in the UK on August 24, 2011.
A digital
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. with four remixes of the song, was released in Denmark,
Ireland,
Switzerland
and the United Kingdom on September 16, 2011.
"It Girl" was made available as a
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
in Germany on November 25, 2011.
On February 29, 2012, the official remix of "It Girl" premiered online, which features Derulo's former girlfriend
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
.
The remix has a slower tempo than the original and features a new verse by Sparks.
Cristin Maher of PopCrush noted that both singers "harmonize together on the chorus, with their voices matching up beautifully".
The remix was accompanied by a video that displays behind-the-scenes footage of Derulo and Sparks spending time together.
Critical reception
"It Girl" garnered mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Describing it as "a catchy pop song with major hit potential", Scott Shetler of Pop Crush awarded "It Girl" four-and-a-half out of five stars, writing that "even though Derulo's debut produced hits like '
Whatcha Say' and '
In My Head', 'It Girl' could be his best single to date."
Shetler concluded that "every element of the song works, from the sweet whistling intro to the acoustic guitar melody to the 'oh-oh-oh-oh' vocal chants after the chorus."
Similarly, Jenna Hally Rubenstein of
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, who viewed "It Girl" as Derulo's "valiant attempt to trump his monstrous
..hit 'Whatcha Say', gave the song a positive review, writing that it is catchy and it is "perfectly crafted for radio success".
Jess Holton of ''
The Music Network
''The Music Network'' is an Australian magazine launched in 1994 by John Woodruff. In 2017, it was acquired by Jake Challenor, who serves as its publisher and editor.
History
''The Music Network'' was founded by John Woodruff in 1994, initi ...
'' noted that the song "delivers with catchy whistling and tender lyrics" and that it "will appeal to the lady fans of Derulo who like to see the romantic side of the crooner". Robbie Daw of
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
wrote that the song "comes dangerously close to being just another bland, cookie cutter R&B-pop experience, but lucky for him, that whistle gimmick in the chorus makes it a somewhat enjoyable three minutes."
Kyle Anderson of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' awarded the song a B− rating and wrote that "perhaps
eruloshould have pitched woo with something hotter than a flat midtempo beat, some acoustic flourishes, and a whistle garnish."
Shahryar Rizvi of ''
Dallas Observer
''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...
'' gave the song a mixed review, criticizing its lyrics: "
..if you read between the lines in 'It Girl', it becomes clear that Derulo has some really weird taste in women."
Lewis Corner of
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
gave the song a negative review, "with the charts now welcoming the return of the organic singer-songwriter", Derulo may not have equipped enough himself with "his own gut-wrenching ballad."
Chart performance
On the issue dated August 27, 2011, "It Girl" debuted at number 39 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and fell to number 68 the following week. After descending the Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, "It Girl" moved from number 61 to number 38 in its fifth week. It peaked at number 17 on the issue dated October 29, 2011.
On the US
Pop Songs
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
chart, "It Girl" debuted at number 34 on the issue dated September 10, 2011. The song peaked at number 10 on the issue dated November 10, 2011, becoming Derulo's fourth top-ten single on the chart.
"It Girl" peaked at number six on the US
Hot Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart, giving Derulo his second top-ten single on the chart.
The song was certified Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), denoting sales of 1,000,000 copies.
In Canada, "It Girl" debuted at number 73 on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
and peaked at 37.
In Australia, "It Girl" debuted at number 16 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
on August 22, 2011 – for the week ending date August 28, 2011 – becoming the highest debuting single of that week. The following week, the song peaked at number three, and at number one on the ARIA Urban Singles Chart.
"It Girl" was certified six times Platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA), denoting shipments of 420,000 copies.
In New Zealand, the song debuted and peaked at number three on the
New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
,
becoming Derulo's highest debut in that country to date. It was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
(RIANZ), denoting sales of 7,500 copies.
In Denmark, "It Girl" peaked at number nine on the
Danish Singles Chart
Hitlisten, also known as Tracklisten, is a Danish top 40 record chart that is updated every Thursday midnight on the website hitlisten.nu. The weekly Danish singles chart Track Top-40 combines the 40 best-selling tracks from legal music downloads ...
, giving Derulo his second top ten single Denmark.
In the Republic of Ireland, "It Girl" debuted and peaked at number three on the
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
on September 16, 2011 – for the week ending date September 22, 2011.
In the United Kingdom, "It Girl" debuted and peaked at number four on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
on September 25, 2011 – for the week ending October 1, 2011
– becoming Derulo's fifth top ten song in Britain. It peaked at number two on the
UK R&B Singles Chart
The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
.
Music video
Background and development
The accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "It Girl" was directed by
Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos.
Tilley directed, pro ...
and shot at a mansion in
Malibu, sitting on a cliff overlooking the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
.
On July 19, 2011, several stills from the video were released online,
and showed Derulo at the oceanside mansion dressed in a white suit.
''
Gossip Girl
''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'' actress,
Tika Sumpter
Euphemia LatiQue Sumpter, better known as Tika Sumpter, is an American actress, singer, producer, television host, and model. Sumpter began her career as the host of '' Best Friend's Date''. From 2005 to 2010, she appeared in the daytime soap ope ...
, also appeared in the photos, and plays Derulo's "It Girl" in the video.
Derulo told MTV News that he wanted the video to look like an open book. He said,
I wanted it to be almost like a photo album, so every single scene is kind of like a picture that you're kind of looking into our relationship. So it is a 1920s vibe, it's black and white, very high fashion
''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...
—you know, you'll see me very dapper in 1920s, Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
-ish. So you'll see the cars from that era, you'll definitely feel the vibe of the house having that 1920s vibe as well. So it's very different and very intimate, and it's not a lot of dancing—it's more personal.
A behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot showed Derulo wearing different outfits, including a dark pinstripe suit with a pair of sunglasses, a rose-colored button-down shirt and white pants.
The footage also showed Derulo and Sumpter shooting a scene in a silver
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
, as well as a kissing scene between the two.
A 37-second preview of the video was released on August 12, 2011. The completed video premiered online on August 15.
Synopsis and reception
![Pepperdine University](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Pepperdine_University.JPG)
The beginning of the video is shot in
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
, and shows Derulo sitting on the hood of a corvette outside a Malibu mansion dressed in 1920s attire. In another scene, Derulo is seen dancing at an area of the mansion which is surrounded by trees. The video then shows intercut scenes in full color of Derulo at the beach, on the mansion's balcony, and in the bedroom with his love interest (played by Tika Sumpter). More scenes in full color, show Derulo on the balcony interacting with her, and also shows him singing to her in the bedroom using a microphone. During another scene, Derulo is seen dressed in all white. The video ends with a kissing scene between the two which then fades away.
Melinda Newman of
HitFix
HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
praised the concept of the video, writing: "
..when
erulo is notbusy showing off his dance moves, he is living the high life with his lady in their palatial estate. He sings to her, she wraps her legs around him, they pose in some awesome topiary gardens. It is not the most thrilling of videos, and he may want to think twice about moonwalking in a video-- someone did it before him and better-- but it is a nice change of pace from some of his more hectic, gruffer clips."
Cameron Matthews of
AOL Music
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
commented that the video gives "a kaleidoscopic view" between Derulo's beachfront paradise, an assortment of "edgy suits" and "a little bit of pillow talk with his new 'It Girl'."
According to Jenna Hally Rubenstein of MTV, "the romance factor in Jason's full-length 'It Girl' video is very, very high."
Live performances
![Jason Derulo 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Jason_Derulo_3.jpg)
On August 4, 2011, Derulo performed a medley of "It Girl" and "Don't Wanna Go Home" on ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''. Robbie Daw of Idolator compared his performance to
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, writing "we're used to the 21-year-old
opyingMJ's legendary moves, especially on AGT. But why not stage some original shuffling of your own at some point, Jason?". He later sang the song on ''
The Wendy Williams Show
''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar-Me ...
'' on September 30, 2011. During an Australian promotional tour for ''Future History'', Derulo performed "It Girl" at the
Westfield shopping mall in
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
, as part of a
set list
A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance.
A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
which included "In My Head" and "Don't Wanna Go Home". On October 18, 2011, he performed "It Girl" on ''
The X Factor Australia
''The X Factor'' is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The first season of the show premiered on Network Ten on 6 February 2005. Ten dropped ''The X Factor'' after ...
''. Derulo later performed the song on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' on October 25, 2011.
On November 6, 2011, Derulo performed "It Girl" at the
Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall ( ga, Halla na Cathrach Bhéal Feirste; Ulster-Scots: ''Bilfawst Citie Haw'') is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the comm ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, United Kingdom to coincide with the
2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.
The song was part of a set list which also included "Whatcha Say", "In My Head",
"Don't Wanna Go Home" and "
Breathing
Breathing (or ventilation) is the process of moving air into and from the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, mostly to flush out carbon dioxide and bring in oxygen.
All aerobic creatures need oxygen for cellular ...
". On December 3, 2011, he performed "It Girl" at radio station
KDWB-FM
KDWB-FM (101.3 MHz) is an American commercial radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, licensed to suburban Richfield. KDWB's radio format is Top 40/CHR. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, while its studios ...
's annual Jingle Ball, which took place at the
Target Center
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
.
The song was part of a set list which included "Whatcha Say", "In My Head", "
Ridin' Solo
"Ridin' Solo" is the third single from Jason Derulo's self-titled debut album, produced by J.R. Rotem. The demo originally sampled "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve, but the sample was not cleared and was subsequently replaced with electroni ...
", "Don't Wanna Go Home" and "
Fight for You".
According to Jon Bream of ''
Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'' Derulo "turned it out with sweet vocals and smooth dancing".
Formats and track listings
*Digital download
# "It Girl" – 3:12
*German CD single
# "It Girl" (Album Version) – 3:12
# "It Girl" (7th Heaven Club Mix) – 6:24
*Digital Remix EP
# "It Girl" – 3:12
# "It Girl" (Radio Version) – 3:11
# "It Girl" (Ed Case Remix) – 4:34
# "It Girl" (7th Heaven Club Mix) – 6:24
# "It Girl" (R.A.W. Club Mix) – 6:52
# "It Girl' (Ed Case Dub Mix) – 5:08
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes for ''Future History''.
*
E. Kidd Bogart
Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and film & television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyc ...
–
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
*
Jason Desrouleaux – songwriter, lead vocals
*Serban Ghenea –
mixer
*Andrew Goldstein – additional keyboards and drum programming
*John Hanes –
mix engineer
A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...
*
Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou – songwriter,
producer,
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
s,
whistle
A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s,
bass,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
, drum programming
*Jens Koerkmeier –
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, editing, additional keyboards and drum programming
*Lindy Robbins – songwriter
*Phil Seaford – assistant mix engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
, -
Release history
References
{{authority control
2011 singles
Jason Derulo songs
Contemporary R&B ballads
Pop ballads
Music videos directed by Colin Tilley
Songs written by Lindy Robbins
Songs written by E. Kidd Bogart
Songs written by Emanuel Kiriakou
Warner Records singles
Song recordings produced by Emanuel Kiriakou
2011 songs
2010s ballads