"Pretty Girl Rock" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Keri Hilson Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...

, taken from her second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, '' No Boys Allowed'' (2010). It was released as 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 ...

internationally and was the second single from that album released in the United States. The song was written by

Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...

and

Chuck Harmony Charles T. Harmon (born 1979),Gerrick D. Kennedy''Los Angeles Times'', February 24, 2015. better known as Chuck Harmony, is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a three-time Gram ...

, who also handled its production. It includes a sample of "

Just the Two of Us Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...

", which was written by

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (1972) ...

, William Salter and

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian American, Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions ...

.Matthew Horton
"Hey, Pop Stars! Beware The Curse Of Kanye West,"
''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', May 1, 2012. "Pretty Girl Rock" 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 ...

R&B song that features a slinky piano and bouncy R&B beats. Lyrically, the song is a cheeky ode to

self-empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...

. Critical reception towards the song was mixed to positive. Music critics noted it as the standout track on the album, and praised its catchy production. However, critics were of disparate opinions on the song's lyrics. In the United States, "Pretty Girl Rock" peaked at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and at number four on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

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), for selling over 1,000,000 digital copies. Internationally, the song reached the top 20 in Germany and New Zealand, and the top 30 in Austria and Slovakia. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by

Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn may refer to: *Joseph Kahn (director) (born 1972), a film and music video director *Joseph Kahn (journalist) (born 1964), American journalist * Joseph Kahn (shipping executive) (1916–1979), American businessman See also *Joseph Hahn ...

and features Hilson portraying an array of mostly African American female icons of the past, including

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in ''Ca ...

The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the Swing music, swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andre ...

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

and

T-Boz Tionne Tenese Watkins (born April 26, 1970), better known by her stage name T-Boz, is an American singer and actress. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Watkins rose to fame in the early 1990s as a member of the girl-group TLC. She has won four Grammy ...

of the R&B girl group

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

. The video received positive response from critics and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2011 BET Awards, and Best Dance Performance at the 2011

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...

. Hilson promoted the song through live performances on various televised shows, including ''

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 ''

Germany's Next Topmodel ''Germany's Next Topmodel'' (often abbreviated as ''GNTM'') is a German reality television series, based on a concept introduced by Tyra Banks with ''America's Next Top Model''. The competition is hosted by Heidi Klum who also serves as the le ...

'', as well as in live concerts such as, the VH1 Divas Salute the Troops and the 84th Annual

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...

. A version featuring rapper

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

served as the albums closing track. R&B girl group

RichGirl RichGirl was an American R&B vocal girl group consisting of four members: Audra Simmons, Christina "Brave" Williams, Kristal Lyndriette Smith (then known as Lyndriette and now known as Kristal, a member of June's Diary) and Amber Streeter (no ...

and American rapper

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...

have also released their own remixes to "Pretty Girl Rock", and American rock band

Parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

have covered the song.

Background and release

"Pretty Girl Rock" (titled "Pretty Girls" during production) was written by

and

, who also produced the track. It features a sample of the 1981 single "

", which was written by

, William Salter and

. It was recorded in 2010 at Westlake Recording Studios and Vanilla Sky Studios in Los Angeles, California. According to Hilson, the song was Ne-Yo's idea. She said, "I remember Ne-Yo playing it for me in the studio. I loved it as soon as I heard it!" Hilson debuted the song at the

Beats By Dr. Dre Beats Electronics LLC (also known as Beats by Dr. Dre, or simply Beats by Dre) is an American consumer audio products manufacturer headquartered in Culver City, California. The company was founded by music producer Dr. Dre and record company exec ...

concert in New York City on September 29, 2010. Later that same day, ''

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 ...

'' magazine unveiled the single cover and confirmed that it would serve as the second single from Hilson's second studio album, '' No Boys Allowed'', following its

, " Breaking Point". In an interview with

4Music 4Music is a British music television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. The original incarnation was launched on 15 August 2008, and until 29 June 2022, showed a mix of music and entertainment programming. It ...

, Hilson explained the concept of the song:

I'm giving you an example of how I think every woman should feel about herself. No matter what anyone tells you – you're too tall, you're too short, you're too big, you're too skinny ... there's so many 'rules' to society's view of beauty. I wanted to dispel that and get rid of that. We're all beautiful in our own unique ways, you just have to find that happy place within yourself. And that's what the record's all about.

"Pretty Girl Rock" premiered online on October 4, 2010 and was then released for digital download on October 12. The song was sent for

rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

airplay in the United States on October 19, and

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 ...

airplay on October 26. The official remix, featuring Kanye West, premiered online on November 23, 2010, and was later included on ''No Boys Allowed'' as the thirteenth track. An

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.

, featuring three additional remixes produced by

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

group

Cahill Cahill (, or ) is a name of Irish origin. It is the anglicised version of the Gaelic "Ó Cathail" meaning "descendant of Cathal". "Cathal" consists of two parts: "cath" means battle; the second could be "val" (rule), so that the name as a who ...

, were released for digital download in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2011. On June 10, 2011, "Pretty Girl Rock" was released as a Compact Disc single containing two additional remixes, in Germany.

Composition

"Pretty Girl Rock" is a

R&B song, that incorporates an interpolation of "

" by

Grover Washington Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

The song makes use of heavy drums and slinky piano and is built on bouncy R&B beats. Sara Anderson from

AOL Radio AOL Radio powered by Slacker (formerly AOL Radio powered by CBS Radio, and prior AOL Radio featuring XM) was an online radio service available in the United States only. It had over 200 free internet radio stations. History Roots AOL Radio ...

noted that it "weaves in piano trills, prominent backbeats, ska slang 'eh's and self-awareness." According to Georgette Cline from ''The Boombox'', the song is a "self-love anthem" that showcases Hilson's "attempt at uniting women over their shared beauty rather than the jealousy that drives them apart." Luke Gibson from Hip Hop DX noted that lyrics such as: "'Girls think I'm conceited 'cause I know I'm attractive / Don't worry about what I think, why don't you ask him?', capture the attitude of a

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with Bad ...

track." Chad Grischow from

IGN Music ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

referred to "Pretty Girl Rock" as a "girl-power jam" and noted that Hilson "exudes confidence" with the lines: "Pretty as a picture / Sweet as a Swisher / Mad cuz I'm cuter than the girl that's with ya."

Critical reception

"Pretty Girl Rock" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Mikael Wood 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 ...

'' and editors of ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'', all considered it to be the stand out track from ''No Boys Allowed''. Eric Henderson of

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

wrote that the song, "comes on like a cat fight, but it eventually reveals itself to be a tough-loving 'love yourself' anthem, a stately but danceable approximation of Dove's campaign for 'real beauty'". Matthew Horton of

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

called it a "lovely single", while Ken Capobianco of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' called it "swaggering". Glenn Gamboa of ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

'' wrote that, "Though Ne-Yo gives 'Pretty Girl Rock' an addictive sheen, it's the remix featuring some memorable verses from

that gets the point across best." Kyle Anderson of MTV Newsroom praised Hilson's "confidence and sweetness" on the song, and described the beat as "funky and sick." Editors of

DesiHits Background DesiHits is a multi-platform media company that produces and distributes fusion entertainment content aimed at the South Asian diaspora. The Company was founded in 2006 by Anjula Acharia-Bath, Ranj Bath and Arun Sandhu, and is headquart ...

described "Pretty Girl Rock" as an "upbeat and catchy track ... and we have to say the beat really rocks!." Rob Sheffield of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' called "Pretty Girl Rock" one of the "high points" on ''No Boys Allowed'', describing the track as "a lighter-than-air jump-rope rhyme about how hot

eri Eri may refer to: People * Eri (biblical figure) * Eri (given name), a Japanese feminine given name, including lists of people and fictional characters * Eri (king), the progenitor of the Umu-Eri and Umu-Nri-Igbo ancient Nigerian city-states * ...

is." Ben Ratliff of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote that "Pretty Girl Rock" was one of the tracks on the album that was "good enough to stop the overthinking comparisons" with

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

. He described it as "four minutes of schoolyard singsong about eri'sfabulousness." Becky Bain 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 ...

called it a "saucy R&B number" and wrote that "the song's not too bad". Chad Grischow of IGN Music wrote that, "there are plenty of reasons to despise 'Pretty Girl Rock', but the twinkling girl-power jam is too charming and catchy to stay mad." Karen Tye of ''Adelaide Now'' described it as "catchy, sparkly pop", but also added that the song is "complete with mindless lyrics." Katie Hasty 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 ...

criticized the song's lyrics for being "tacky". Hasty also mentioned that the track was intended "to empower women but fails in anti-feminist." Melinda Newman, also writing for HitFix, agreed writing that the song is "absolutely paper thin and not even remotely girl-empowering."

Chart performance

In the United States, "Pretty Girl Rock" entered the US

chart at number 76 on the chart issue dated November 20, 2010, and peaked at number four on the chart issue dated February 12, 2011. The song also peaked at number 24 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. On June 7, 2011, "Pretty Girl Rock" was certified platinum by the

(RIAA) for selling over 1,000,000 digital copies. In Canada, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted and peaked at number 81 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 ...

. 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 ...

, the song debuted at number 12 on December 27, 2010, and peaked at number 11 on January 10, 2011. 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), for selling over 7,500 digital copies. In Ireland, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted at number 50 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 January 13, 2011, and left the chart the following week. In the United Kingdom, it debuted 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 ...

at number 53 on January 22, 2011, before dropping 38 places to number 91 the following week. "Pretty Girl Rock" also charted 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 ...

, where it peaked at number 17. On the

Austrian Singles Chart Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

, the song debuted at number 50 on June 10, 2011, and peaked at number 21 in its third week, spending a total of eight consecutive weeks on the chart. In Germany, "Pretty Girl Rock" debuted and peaked at number 14 on the

German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...

on June 27, 2011, and spent a total of ten consecutive weeks on the chart. "Pretty Girl Rock" entered the Slovak Airplay Chart at number 39, and peaked at number 25 the following week.

Music video

The music video for "Pretty Girl Rock" was directed by

. Hilson told Kahn that she did not want the video to be about her, since she felt that the song was already very much about herself. During an interview with

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 ...

while on the set of the video, Hilson explained that in the video she does nine outfit changes because it will show "10 different eras", starting from 1920 and up until 2010, in which she portrays herself. She also said, " he video is myway of paying homage to groundbreaking women, strong women who were fearless and so bold and so confident that they made women feel that way ... And I hope to do the same." Kahn wanted Hilson to pay homage to some female singers in the video. He discussed about it with Hilson, who chose the singers she loved and was inspired by as a youth to appear in the video. The completed video premiered on ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

'' on November 11, 2010. Pretty Girl Rock influences

The video opens 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 Hilson portraying

, before transforming into

. The video then switches to color and Hilson is shown portraying lead singer Patty from the singing group

. She is then seen channeling

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

as lead singer of

, before switching to

while wearing a blue sequined mini-dress. Hilson then portrays

from the military-inspired "

Rhythm Nation "Rhythm Nation" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, released as the second single from her fourth studio album, ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). It was written and produced by Jackson, in collaboration with Jimmy Jam and T ...

" music video. Lastly, she is shown as singer

of the R&B girl group

, wearing light blue silk pajamas from their " Creep" music video. Two background dancers appear as

Left Eye Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper and singer. She was a member of the R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Besid ...

wearing red pajamas, and

Chilli Chili or chilli may refer to: Food * Chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus ''Capsicum''; sometimes spelled "chilli" in the UK and "chile" in the southwestern US * Chili powder, the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties ...

wearing white pajamas. At the end of the video, Hilson is shown dressed as herself in a simple T-shirt and jeans, singing in front of a black backdrop. Ed Easton Jr. from radio station WNOW-FM wrote that the video was "different, creative and fun" and awarded it eight out of ten stars. Billy Johnson Jr. from

Yahoo! Music Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds of ...

called the video "very nice" and wrote that Hilson's portrayal of Janet Jackson was her "best remake" in the video. Mariel Concepcion from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine commented that the "video made her like the song ven more" Nicole James from MTV Buzzworthy gave Hilson 100 bonus points for the authenticity of the wig she wore portraying T-Boz. Becky Bain from Idolator was unsure if the video "was nice homage to the women in music who have come before her," or if Hilson was "just playing a hilarious game of dress up." The video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2011 BET Awards, and Best Dance Performance at the 2011

Live performances

On November 22, 2010, Hilson performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

''. She later performed the song at the 84th Annual

on November 25. Hilson was dressed in pink and performed the song on My Princess Academy's "Castle of Dreams" float high above a pink castle. On December 3, Hilson performed "Pretty Girl Rock" at the VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert. She took to the stage dressed in a gold bustier with high-waisted pants and a fringe-laden jacket to perform the song in front of an audience that included members of the US Armed Forces. Hilson was backed by four female dancers, who wore stylized military jackets. Mawuse Ziegbe from MTV News wrote that, "Hilson brought her saucy, sexpot swagger to the stage." The promotion of the song continued on December 7, when she performed a remixed version of "Pretty Girl Rock" on ''

Lopez Tonight ''Lopez Tonight'' is an American late-night television talk show that was hosted by the comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican-American to host a late-night ...

'', dressed in a silver and black leotard. Hilson later performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on December 14 on the ''

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

'', mixing the track with

James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...

's single "

You're Beautiful "You're Beautiful" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was written by Blunt, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album, ''Back to Bedlam'' (2004). It was released as the third single of the album in 2005. In t ...

". For the performance, she wore a glittery multi-colored jacket over a black blouse, skin-tight jeans and stilettos. A day before the release of ''No Boys Allowed'', Hilson performed the song at ''

's'' first live Tastemakers event in New York City on December 20. On January 4, 2011, Hilson gave a Motown-themed performance of "Pretty Girl Rock" on the ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...

'', by paying tribute to Diana Ross and The Supremes with her two female back-up singers. On January 25, she performed "Pretty Girl Rock" on ''

'', also mixing Blunt's "You're Beautiful" into the song. Backed by four female dancers, Hilson wore a white button-down shirt, knee-length pants and black heels. Robbie Daw from Idolator wrote that, "Keri Hilson amped up the sex factor." In April 2011, Hilson performed "Pretty Girl Rock" during her set at the

Supafest Supafest was an annual music festival held in Australia during April, created by Paper Chase Touring and Entertainment PTY LTD. It started in 2010, spreading out to in five major capital cities (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney), t ...

Festival in Australia, dressed in a denim jacket, black bra and cutoff shorts. On June 9, Hilson performed a remix of the song on the finale of ''

'', as models strutted down the runway. The song was added to Hilson's

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 ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

's I Am Still Music Tour in North America in July 2011, in which she served as an opening act. It was also included to the set list of Hilson's first headlining European tour in October 2011.

Remixes and cover version

R&B girl group

recorded their own remix to the song renamed "RichGirl Rock", which was included on their mixtape ''

Fall in Love with RichGirl ''Fall in Love with RichGirl'' is the debut Mixtape#Mixtapes in hip hop, mixtape by Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group RichGirl. The mixtape serves as the first official release by the group that pertains to anything concerning an album release. The ...

'' in February 2011. American rapper

also remixed "Pretty Girl Rock" and renamed it "Kimmy Girl" for her mixtape '' Black Friday'' in March 2011. American rock band

covered the song during their Mashup Mondays session for ''Billboard'' magazine in September 2011. Jessica Letkemann of ''Billboard'' magazine wrote that the band transformed "the super self-assured R&B strut of Keri Hilson's 'Pretty Girl Rock' into a sweet, poppy acoustic rock bounce."

Track listing

* Digital download # "Pretty Girl Rock" – 4:04 * Germany CD single # "Pretty Girl Rock" (Jost & Damien Radio Mix) – 3:26 # "Pretty Girl Rock" (Main Version) (featuring

) – 4:16 * UK digital EP # "Pretty Girl Rock" – 4:04 # "Pretty Girl Rock" (

Radio Edit) – 3:23 # "Pretty Girl Rock" (Cahill Dub Remix) – 5:39 # "Pretty Girl Rock" (Cahill Club Remix) – 6:09

Credits and personnel

* Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing * Moses Gollart – assistant vocal recording engineer * Charles "Chuck Harmony" Harmon – songwriter, producer * Keri Hilson – additional arrangements, lead vocals * Bryan "The Beard" Jones – vocal recording engineer * Chang and Mike "TrakGuru" Johnson – vocal recording engineer * Jerel Lake – assistant mixing engineer * Sam Salter – songwriter * Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith – songwriter * Bill Withers – songwriter Source:

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Radio and release history

References

{{Authority control 2010 singles 2010 songs Cultural depictions of Josephine Baker Keri Hilson songs Interscope Records singles Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn Songs with feminist themes Songs written by Bill Withers Songs written by Chuck Harmony Songs written by Ne-Yo Songs written by Ralph MacDonald