Wikipedia

Scream (Timbaland song)

"Scream" is a song by American producer and rapper Timbaland, released as the fifth and final single from his second studio album Shock Value (2007). The song features vocals from American singer and songwriter Keri Hilson and the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls at the time Nicole Scherzinger. Mosley and Hilson co-wrote the song with American producer Danja, who co-produced the song with Timbaland. Mosley Music Group, in association with Blackground Records and Interscope Records, serviced the song to mainstream radios in the United States in December 2007.

"Scream"
Single by Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger
from the album Shock Value
ReleasedNovember 10, 2007 (2007-11-10)
StudioHit Factory Criteria (Miami)
Genre
Length
  • 5:41 (album version)
  • 3:44 (radio edit)
  • 3:51 (video edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Timbaland
Timbaland singles chronology
"Apologize"
(2007) 		"Scream"
(2007) 		"Chop Me Up"
(2008)
Keri Hilson singles chronology
"The Way I Are"
(2007) 		"Scream"
(2007) 		"Hero"
(2008)
Nicole Scherzinger singles chronology
"Supervillain"
(2007) 		"Scream"
(2007) 		"Puakenikeni"
(2009)
Music video
"Scream" on YouTube

"Scream" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with a majority of them praising Hilson's vocal performance, while one reviewer deemed Timbaland's vocals as creepy. The song charted moderately, possibly due in part to the continuing success of Timbaland's previous single "Apologize". It peaked within the top ten in countries like New Zealand and Sweden and in the top fifteen tier in countries like Australia and Ireland. Despite being released first in the United States, the song did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, being his only single in the United States from Shock Value not to do so. The accompanying music video portrays Timbaland being caressed by two other women while Hilson and Scherzinger are in separate scenes performing seductive movements in isolated areas.

Background

edit

"Scream" was written and composed by Timbaland (as Tim Mosley), Danja (as Nate Hills) and Keri Hilson.[1] Mosley and Hills produced the track and provided instrumentation for it with both playing the keyboard and bass while Timbaland plays on the drums.[1] Danja is credited on the song for playing the guitars with musicians Kevin Rudolf and Dan Warner.[1] The song was recorded and programmed by sound engineers Demacio "Demo" Castellon and Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica at the Hit Factory Criteria in Miami while the two mixed the track at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles.[1] Castellon and Araica were assisted by James Barton in mixing the track while editing for the song was conducted by Ron Taylor using Pro Tools technology.[1] The gospel-tinged song has been described as "funky and seductive" in sound with a sexy groove.[2][3][4] Sean Fennessey of Vibe Magazine describes "Scream" as an "alluring", "repetitious" song "with a whirring sexuality."[5] "Scream" is the final single released from Shock Value (2007). Mosley Music Group, in association with Blackground Records and Interscope Records, serviced the song to mainstream radios on December 11, 2007, in the United States.[6] "Scream" was later released around the world between February and March of the following year in digital, extended play and CD single formats.[7][8][9][10]

Critical reception

edit
 
"Scream"
A 32-second sample of the chorus of "Scream".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club described the song, along with "Bombay" and "Fantasy", as an attempt to maintain modern appeal, writing that they "capture hip-hop icons desperately trying to pin down the quicksilver sound of today before it becomes yesterday's style."[11] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times was dismissive of Timbaland's vocals through the album, writing that "he's ... creepy coming on to Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger."[12] Daniel Incognito of Sputnikmusic praised Keri Hilson's vocals on "Scream" and "Miscommunication", writing that "she displays an intoxicating mix of talented R&B vocals with intelligence, personality and poise."[13] Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews described Hilson and Scherzinger's performances as the "dirtiest and most erotic ... of all time".[3] Norman Mayers of Prefix Magazine labeled "Scream" and "Miscommunication", which also features Hilson, as "winners", while commenting that Hilson naturally fits in with Timbaland's songs.[4]

Ivan Rott of About.com, however, expressed his discontent, implying that the song itself would compel one to scream.[14] Andrea Park of The Online Gargoyle shared the same thoughts in her review of the album, stating that "The flat quality of this album was most apparent in the five songs with accompanying female vocalists."[15] Houston Chronicle writer Zharmer Hardimon finds that Keri Hilson's vocals bests those of Nicole Scherzinger while David Hyland of WESH Orlando feels she overdoes the singing, writing that she's "operating under the mistaken impression that her weak voice is some powerful instrument that is bursting forth."[16][17] A writer for Toronto Star praised "Scream" and "The Way I Are" as some of the album's most interesting tracks.[2]

Chart performance

edit

"Scream" was a moderate hit in many international territories. In Canada, the song first entered the Canadian Hot 100 on the issue dated January 12, 2008, at number ninety-two, during the week that Timbaland's "Apologize" held the top position.[18] It steadily ascended the chart until the issue dated February 16, 2008, when it peaked at number forty-one.[19] "Scream" fared better in Australia, where it peaked on the Australian Singles Chart at number twenty on the week of March 9, 2008, and was present on the chart for a total of fourteen weeks.[20] On the issue dated January 28, 2008, the song debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number thirty-two.[21] It quickly ascended into the top twenty and, by the sixth week, had peaked at number nine.[21] In Ireland, "Scream" debuted on the chart at number fifteen on the issue dated February 7, 2008.[22] The song ascended in the top twenty and on the week ending March 13, 2008, it reached its peak at number ten, rising from number nineteen the week before.[23] In Sweden, the song debuted at number thirty-one on the week ending January 10, 2008.[24] The following week, it moved up twenty places to number eleven and by the fourth week, the song had moved up into the top ten, peaking at number eight.[24] It amassed a total of fifteen weeks on the chart, spending its last week at number sixty.[24]

Music video

edit

The music video for the song premiered on Yahoo! Music on January 15, 2008, and was directed by Justin Francis.[25] The video begins with Timbaland singing while being massaged and seduced by two women. It then shows cuts of Timbaland, Scherzinger and Hilson singing with and without Balaclavas under a car park. At the conclusion of the second chorus, Scherzinger is shown singing in an elevator while performing in front of a 1965 Buick Riviera and a Ford Mustang with and without a balaclava. The next scene displays Timbaland and his two friends planning a robbery with intercuts of Scherzinger, Hilson and Timbaland singing in front of a car. The video concludes with Timbaland and his two friends walking into the targeted house.

Track listings

edit

Credits and personnel

edit

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Shock Value, Mosley Music Group, in association with Blackground Records and Interscope Records.[1]

Recording and mixing

Personnel

  • Songwriting – Tim Mosley, Nate Hills, Keri Hilson
  • Production – Timbaland, Danja
  • Recording, mixing and programming – Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Demacio "Demo" Castellon
  • Mixing (assistant) – James Barton
  • Pro Tools – Ron Taylor
  • Drums – Timbaland
  • Keyboard and bass – Timbaland, Danja
  • Guitar – Kevin Rudolf, Dan Warner, Danja

Charts

edit

Certifications

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

edit
Region Date Format Label(s)
United States December 11, 2007 Mainstream radio[6]
Worldwide February 15, 2008 Digital download[7]
  • Blackground
  • Interscope
Australia February 23, 2008 Single download[8]
Belgium
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Worldwide March 7, 2008 Extended play[10]
Single download[9]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f Shock Value (inlay cover). Fergie. Mosley Music Group, Blackground Records, Interscope Records. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b "TIMBALAND". Toronto Star. Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Juon, Steve "Flash". "Timbaland :: Timbaland Presents Shock Value :: Blackground Records/Interscope". RapReviews. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Mayers, Norman. "Album Review: Timbaland - Shock Value". Prefix Magazine. Prefix. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  5. ^ "Music - Revolutions: Timbaland - Timbaland Presents Shock Value". Vibe. 15 (5): 98. May 2007. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Airplay Archive". FMQB. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c Sources for Scream (feat. Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger) Single release worldwide:
  8. ^ a b c Sources for Scream (feat. Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger) single released worldwide on February 23, 2008:
  9. ^ a b c Sources for Scream (feat. Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger) single released worldwide on March 7, 2008:
  10. ^ a b c Sources for Scream (feat. Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger) EP release worldwide:
  11. ^ Rabin, Nathan (April 10, 2007). "Timbaland: Shock Value| Music". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  12. ^ Powers, Ann (April 2007). "More like a startle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  13. ^ Incognito, Daniel. "Timbaland - Shock Value (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  14. ^ Rott, Ivan. "Timbaland Presents Shock Value Review". About.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  15. ^ Park, Andrea. "CD review: Timbaland, "Shock Value"". The Online Gargoyle. University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  16. ^ Hardimon, Zharmer (April 8, 2007). "You're a great producer, but please stop rapping". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  17. ^ Hyland, David. "Timbaland's 'Shock Value' Has Shockingly Limited Value". WESH Orlando. Orlando Hearst Television Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 - January 12, 2008". aCharts. acharts.us. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  19. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 - February 16, 2008". aCharts. acharts.us. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  20. ^ "australian-charts.com - Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  21. ^ a b "charts.nz - Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  22. ^ "TOP 50 SINGLES, WEEK ENDING 07 February 2008". Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  23. ^ "TOP 50 SINGLES, WEEK ENDING 13 March 2008". Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  24. ^ a b c "swedencharts.com - Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream". swedencharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  25. ^ "Premieres on Yahoo! Music". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  26. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  27. ^ "Issue 948" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  28. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  29. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  30. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  31. ^ "Timbaland Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  32. ^ Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger — Scream. TopHit. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  33. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 20. týden 2008 in the date selector.
  34. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream". Tracklisten.
  35. ^ "The ARIA Report: European Top 20 Charts – Week Commencing 24th March 2008" (PDF). ARIA. March 24, 2008. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 23, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  36. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger: Scream" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  37. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  38. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  39. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  40. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson & Nicole". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  41. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 2008" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  42. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  43. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream". Top 40 Singles.
  44. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream". VG-lista.
  45. ^ "Romanian Top 100 – Issue nr: 16/2008 (28 Aprilie - 04 Mai 2008)" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  46. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Mar 6, 2008". TopHit. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  47. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  48. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200818 into search.
  49. ^ "Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger – Scream". Singles Top 100.
  50. ^ "Turkish Top 20". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
  51. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  52. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  53. ^ "Timbaland Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  54. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2008". offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  55. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2008". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  56. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 2008" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  57. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  58. ^ "Urban Top 20 Of 2008" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 2009. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  59. ^ "British single certifications – Timbaland/Hilson/Scherzinger – Scream". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scream_(Timbaland_song)&oldid=1257415493"