Single Review: Nadine — “Go To Work” (Xenomania Revival Part 2)

Songwriting and production team Xenomania are responsible for most of Girls Aloud’s hit singles. They also created such great pop moments as Cher’s “Believe” and Mini Viva’s “Left My Heart In Tokyo”.

Britain’s primary purveyors of marvellous pop music have remained uncharacteristically quiet in the recent past, but now Brian Higgins and co. are ready for a triumphant return to the charts.

The Xenomania revival was spearheaded by The Saturdays member Mollie King last week. Ex-Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle follows suit with her first solo single in seven years.

Let’s take a close look at Nadine’s new song “Go To Work” to see whether Xenomania have still got their magic.

The Artist

Born in Northern Ireland, Nadine Coyle first tasted fame when she took part in the Irish version of Pop Idol in 2001. The singer made it to the finals and won a place in the band Six. Then it became public that she had lied about her age, being only sixteen instead of eighteen. Nadine was quickly excluded from the group, leaving Six in the awkward position of no longer having six members.

What seemed like the end of Nadine’s career turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to her. One year later she appeared on the UK show Popstars: The Rivals and became one-fifth of a new girlband called Girls Aloud. The group scored twenty-one top ten singles in the UK, all of them written and produced by Xenomania.

When Girls Aloud went on a three-year hiatus in 2009, all eyes were on Nadine’s solo plans. Widely regarded as the strongest vocalist in the girlband, she recorded and produced her first solo record all on her own. The critically acclaimed album, Insatiable, reached the top fifty in the UK and the top twenty in Ireland, which is rather impressive, given that it was only available at Tesco grocery stores. After Insatiable, Nadine reunited with her Girls Aloud bandmates for a final best-of record and one last tour.

In the four years since then, Nadine has shed her last name and worked on a triumphant return to the spotlight. With both Xenomania and major label Virgin EMI behind the singer, her current approach couldn’t be more different from her first solo endeavour. This time around, it’s an all-out assault on the singles charts. And, without doubt, it’s a make-it-or-break-it moment for Nadine.

The Song

“Why don’t you go to work, do your nine to five?”

“Go To Work” opens with the kind of slick pop beat we’ve come to expect from Xenomania. Nadine announces the title of the song, and well-placed echoes lead into the first verse. The pre-chorus that follows features just the right amount of repetitions to be catchy without becoming annoying after a few listens.

We’ve arrived at the chorus, the heart of every pop song. While the melodies aren’t as catchy as they could have been, the simple yet powerful hooks still burn themselves into your brain. The singer’s soulful voice is foregrounded in the first part of the chorus. Then the beat kicks back in and drags you onto the (metaphorical) dancefloor, on which you stay for the post-chorus.

Next up is… wait. Another verse? Then another pre-chorus? And then another chorus? We’ve gotten so used to Xenomania meddling with the typical verse-chorus form that it comes as a surprise to find them sticking to it with “Go To Work”.

Compared to Mollie King’s “Hair Down”, Nadine’s new single is less frantic, less over-the-top, less complex. “Go To Work” follows the principle of less-is-more, playing to the singer’s strengths by allowing her to carry the track with her signature vocals. The lyrics aren’t groundbreaking, but the sonic kick into a lazy man’s behind is certainly more interesting than Mollie’s desire for dancing.

At the end of the day, “Go To Work” doesn’t exactly revolutionise pop, as other Xenomania tracks have done in the past. Nevertheless, it’s a joyful and powerful banger that impressively combines Nadine’s strong vocal performance with irresistable pop hooks. And that’s really all we need from a Nadine + Xenomania track, isn’t it?

Final Rating: 9/10

The Video

Everyone loves office videos, especially when they involve a confident popstar in a gorgeous red outfit and a half-naked man. The juxtaposition of an ordinary work space and the fantasy world of pop music is intriguing. Money is thrown into the air, people dance, the singer struts around and turns a boring office day into a dance party.

But are there neon lights, you ask? Of course there are!

And what about beauty shots of the sassy pop diva lipsyncing the track? Don’t worry, you’ll find those, too.

The concept isn’t new, but then again you can’t reinvent the wheel over and over again. The main objectives are that the music video fits the track and that it’s executed well. Both is clearly the case here. This is how mature pop should sound and look like.

Follow Nadine and Xenomania on their respective social media and purchase “Go To Work” wherever music is sold.