The Saturdays’ “What About Us”: Hear Their Debut U.S. Single

Sam Lansky | December 13, 2012 6:13 am

Hotly tipped (by us, at least) British girl group The Saturdays are preparing for a big stateside push with a new E! reality series, Chasing the Saturdays, because the inheritors to the throne left by Spice Girls and Girls Aloud should absolutely be introduced to America by way of a Kardashians-esque reality series. Now their debut U.S. single has dropped and it’s — well, it’s a song! It’s definitely a song. 

That’s not to say it’s terrible — it’s not! — but it’s not what we were expecting from the creators of shimmering pure pop gems like “Higher” and “All Fired Up.” Adopting a weird island affectation (sort of like when Britney Spears pretends to be British), it’s dance-pop shot through with ragga flavor, with an obligatory guest feature from Sean Paul, ostensibly as a concession to the urban market. Then again, the hook is already stuck in our heads, so maybe they do know what they’re doing.

While the beat is pounding enough to nab the girls a chart hit, it doesn’t feel true to the spirit of The Sats. Then again, maybe it isn’t supposed to. Listen below.

The Saturdays — “What About Us” (feat. Sean Paul)