Nicole Scherzinger’s New Single Tries To Feel Like The First Time

noah | September 27, 2007 12:15 pm
Last month, I wondered if Her Name Is Nicole, the forthcoming solo album from former Pussycat Doll leader Nicole Scherzinger, was en route to becoming a flop–the first single, the T.I.-featuring “Whatever U Like,” had lousy sales and bad iTunes feedback (it wound up not even cracking the Hot 100) and a second song, “Super Villain,” leaked shortly after “Like” tanked. Now, a third song from the album (“Baby Love,” featuring will.i.am) has made its way out to the Internet, and for some reason the PR people working the record are gamely calling the song her “first single.” Are attention spans in this decade really that short?

In addition to “Baby Love,” and its lengthy, at-sea video, being pushed out and rechristened as the album’s first radio offering, the release date for Her Name Is Nicole has been pushed back from Oct. 16 to Nov. 6. Last-minute reworking or schedule fine-tuning on the part of her label? Either way, here’s hoping the powers that be retool that godawful cover.

The most surprising thing out of all this? “Baby Love” actually isn’t a terrible song–its airy acoustic-guitar balladry actually makes me think of some of the tracks on the Siobhan Donaghy album, albeit in more Americanized, “soulfully sung” form, although the recessed vocals on the chorus sound kind of weird, given that they’re supposed to be the big punch of proclaming love and all.

Nicole Scherzinger – Baby Love feat. will.i.am [YouTube] Earlier: Pussycat Doll Goes Solo, World Goes Back To Whatever It Was Doing Five Minutes Ago