Nicola Roberts – “Beat of My Drum”

A beacon of hope for gingers everywhere

If you’re from the UK you probably know all about this gal, but for the rest of you, meet Nicola Roberts – AKA the redhead from Girls Aloud that got cropped out of all the music videos. Roberts has gone solo after many years with the “famous in the UK” Girls Aloud. Not sure what it is about British pop stars’ inability to cross over, but Roberts alone might have a good shot. Her music reminds me of the Ting Tings with just a little more range to her sound, as evidenced by the latest single “Lucky Day” (video posted below).

“Beat of My Drum” is basically Roberts’ declaration to the world to notice her and not the group she previously sang for. After almost a decade of Girls Aloud, she feels ready to do her own thing. And while she doesn’t have a tremendous voice, she does have tremendous production and a striking attitude. Look, I’m not going to try to justify this one, or pretend there’s any higher musical purpose to listening or posting this song. It’s a guilty pleasure, nothing more than an irresistible, insanely catchy, fun, guilty pleasure. Dance to the beat of her drum.

Nicola Roberts – “Beat of My Drum”

Her debut album, Cinderella’s Eyes, drops sometime this Fall