Call the Shots

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2007 single by Girls Aloud

title: "Call the Shots" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2000s-ballads", "2007-singles", "2007-songs", "fascination-records-singles", "girls-aloud-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-xenomania", "songs-about-heartache", "songs-written-by-brian-higgins-(producer)", "songs-written-by-lisa-cowling", "songs-written-by-miranda-cooper", "songs-written-by-tim-powell-(producer)", "dance-pop-songs", "europop-songs", "electropop-songs", "downtempo-songs"] description: "2007 single by Girls Aloud" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_the_Shots" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 2007 single by Girls Aloud ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameCall the Shots
coverGirls Aloud - Call the Shots.png
borderyes
typesingle
artistGirls Aloud
albumTangled Up
B-side
written2005–2006
released26 November 2007
recorded2007
* Electropop<ref name"AllMusic"
* downtempo{{cite webfirst
length3:44
labelFascination
writer
producer
prev_titleSexy! No No No...
prev_year2007
next_titleCan't Speak French
next_year2008
misc
::

| name = Call the Shots | cover = Girls Aloud - Call the Shots.png | border = yes | type = single | artist = Girls Aloud | album = Tangled Up | B-side = | written = 2005–2006 | released = 26 November 2007 | recorded = 2007 | genre =

The song was produced by Xenomania. In 2008, the song won the award for the Popjustice £20 Music Prize, an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by music website Popjustice to the singer(s) of the best British pop single of the past year. "Call the Shots" proved to be commercially successful upon its release, charting at number three on the UK Singles Chart, continuing the band's string of hits by becoming their sixteenth consecutive single to chart within the top ten, and being later certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry. The song also peaked at number nine on the Irish Singles Chart.

The accompanying music video was directed by Sean de Sparengo, and features the girls in purple dresses performing on Malibu Beach at night with flames and white fabric surrounding them. Each member of the band is also shown other locations, following several story lines. "Call the Shots" was promoted through numerous live appearances, including a high-profile performance on The X Factor, and has since been performed on four of Girls Aloud's subsequent concert tours. Several artists and bands including Coldplay and Mark Morriss have covered the song.

Background

The first part of "Call the Shots" to be composed was the instrumentation, which was done by Xenomania in 2005. The lyrics of the song were written in 2006, Polydor Records originally intended to release it as a single for The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006) the same year, but was deemed "too downbeat, when a greatest hits single needs to be a celebration." Nicola Roberts, Cheryl Cole, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh recorded vocals for the song in London, England, while Nadine Coyle recorded her vocals in Los Angeles.

Release

An early version of "Call the Shots" leaked online in September 2007. On 16 November 2007, Tangled Up was released, with "Call the Shots" being released for digital download on 26 November 2007, through Polydor Records, while it was also made available on two different CD single formats the same day. The second CD format features an original composition titled "Blow Your Cover", co-written by Girls Aloud with Xenomania. The Tony Lamenza remix of "Call the Shots" was intended for inclusion on the CD single at first; however, the Xenomania club mix was selected instead. The Tony Lamenza remix was included on the Singles Box Set, released in 2009.

Composition

The sheet music to "Call the Shots" is written in the key of D major, setting a moderate tempo of 126 beats per minute. Unlike previous singles released by the band, the song follows the verse–chorus form. The lyrics are concerned with the ending of a relationship, and opens with a repetitive melody followed by Coyle singing, "Static tone on the phone, I'll be breaking again / Must be something better babe". As the chorus begins, the five members of the group trade lines and sing, "Just 'cause you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me / It really doesn't faze me how you spend your time", with Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stating that "only anterograde amnesia could wipe [this part] from your brain". Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy said that the instrumentation of "Call the Shots" was based on 1990s dance productions, and added that it incorporated "oohs" and "ah ah ahs" that "reverberate around an infectious chorus," while John Lucas of Allmusic wrote that the song showcased a more mature side from Girls Aloud.

Reception

Critical response

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Girls_Aloud_-Call_the_Shots-_Out_of_Control_Tour.jpg" caption="Girls Aloud performing "Call the Shots" on the [[Out of Control Tour]] (2009)."] ::

Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy rated the song four out of five stars, writing that it is "more tasteful" than few of Girls Aloud's previous releases. while Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that Tangled Up "begins disappointingly" with "Call the Shots" as the opening track because the song's structure is "a bit commonplace" compared to Girls Aloud's previous singles such as "Biology" (2005). In 2008, the song won the Popjustice £20 Music Prize – Girls Aloud's fourth win. Popjustice writer Peter Robinson deemed it as the "greatest pop song of the 21st century."

Chart performance

Following the availability of "Call the Shots" due to the release of Tangled Up, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number nine. The following week, "Call the Shots" rose six places to peak at number three. It managed to stay at number three the following week, but slipped to number five in its fourth week. Through the Christmas week chart, the single managed to stay in the top ten, returning to its debut position of number nine. "Call the Shots" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. On the chart issue of 22 November 2007, the song debuted at number 44 in Ireland, reaching a new peak at number 9 the following week.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Call the Shots" was directed by Sean de Sparengo and filmed in October 2007. The video features the girls in purple dresses performing on Malibu Beach at night with flames and white fabric surrounding them. The girls are also shown in different locations with individual story lines. Cole is seen looking out of a sunny window after an argument with her boyfriend. Walsh is sat in front of a mirror, putting on make-up; her boyfriend comes to get her and they hug, though she appears to be sad. Coyle is seated on a couch, flipping through photographs featuring her and a man. She takes a lighter to the photos and sets them alight. Roberts is lying down by a swimming pool, running her fingers through the water. A young man walks up to her with a bouquet of flowers and tosses them into the water. Harding watches her boyfriend (Adam Karst) in the shower and goes through his phone. The video premiered on 17 October 2007.

The music video showcased the Samsung SGH-F210 Purple, which Girls Aloud promoted in partnership with Phones4U as part of an advertising campaign at the time.

Live performances and covers

Girls Aloud first performed "Call the Shots" at a charity ball in aid of children's charity UNICEF on 10 November 2007. The band also performed the song on The X Factor on 17 November 2007, on The Paul O'Grady Show on 21 November 2007, on This Morning on 27 November 2007, and on Top of the Pops on 25 December 2007. "Call the Shots" was performed on 2008's Tangled Up Tour, and, later that year, at The Girls Aloud Party TV special held by ITV1, and at the V Festival. For 2009's Out of Control Tour, the band began the performance on a smaller, specially-constructed stage in the centre of the arena, and flew back to the main stage before it ended. The same year, Bloc Party covered the song for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. In 2013, the song was performed during the second act of the Ten: The Hits Tour. "Call the Shots" was also covered by several artists and bands such as Coldplay, David Jordan, Fyfe Dangerfield, Malcolm Middleton, and Mark Morriss.

Formats and track listings

  • CD single – Part 1
  1. "Call the Shots" – 3:44
  2. "Rehab" (Live Lounge cover) (Winehouse) – 3:42
  • CD single – Part 2 and Digital download
  1. "Call the Shots" – 3:44
  2. "Call the Shots" (Xenomania club mix) – 4:50
  3. "Blow Your Cover" (Girls Aloud, Cooper, Higgins, Jody Lei, Xenomania) – 3:27
  4. "Call the Shots" (video) – 3:43
  • The Singles Boxset
  1. "Call the Shots" – 3:44
  2. "Rehab" (Live Lounge cover) – 3:42
  3. "Call the Shots" (Xenomania club mix) – 4:50
  4. "Blow Your Cover" – 3:27
  5. "Call the Shots" (Tony Lamezma's Sniper mix) – 7:22
  6. "Call the Shots" (Tony Lamezma's radio edit) – 3:29
  7. "Call the Shots" (video) – 3:43

Digital EP

  1. "Call The Shots" – 3:44
  2. "Rehab" – 3:42
  3. "Call the Shots" (Xenomania club mix) – 4:46
  4. "Blow Your Cover" – 3:27
  5. "Call the Shots" (Tony Lamezma's Sniper mix) – 7:21
  6. "Call the Shots" (radio edit) – 3:29

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Tangled Up.

  • Guitar – Nick Coler, Owen Parker
  • Keyboard – Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Matt Gray, Tim Powell, Toby Scott
  • Mastering – Dick Beetham for 360 Mastering
  • Mixing – Jeremy Wheatley
  • Production – Brian Higgins, Xenomania
  • Programming – Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Matt Gray, Tim Powell, Toby Scott
  • Songwriting – Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Lisa Cowling, Giselle Somerville
  • Vocals – Girls Aloud
  • Published by Warner/Chappell Music and Xenomania Music

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "Call the Shots""] | Chart (2007–2008) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Ireland2|9|song=Call the Shots|access-date=15 January 2020|refname=ire}} | Romania (Romanian Top 100) | Russia Airplay (TopHit) | Scotland|4|artist=Girls Aloud|song=Call the Shots|date=20071208|access-date=31 August 2010}} | UK|3|artist=Girls Aloud|song=Call the Shots|date=20071208|access-date=31 August 2010}} | UK Airplay (Music Week) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 9 | | | | | | | | | | 38 | | | | | | | | | | 87 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Year-end chart performance for "Call the Shots""]

Chart (2007)PositionUK Singles (OCC)Chart (2008)PositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)UK Singles (OCC)
59
95
84
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table title="Release dates and formats for "Call the Shots""]

RegionDateFormat(s)LabelRef(s).IrelandUnited Kingdom
26 November 2007Digital downloadPolydor
::

References

References

  1. Lucas, John. "Girls Aloud - ''Tangled Up'' (2007): Review".
  2. Cragg, Michael. (April 5, 2017). "Girls Aloud - 10 of the best".
  3. McCormick, Neil. (13 August 2008). "Xenomania: How to write a hit song". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
  4. McLean, Craig. (11 November 2007). "Smashed hits". [[The Guardian]].
  5. Robinson, Peter. (2009). "The Singles Boxset". [[Fascination Records]].
  6. Robinson, Peter. (10 October 2007). "Girls' 'Call…' – high class". [[Popjustice]].
  7. (26 November 2007). "Call the Shots (with Video) – EP by Girls Aloud". [[iTunes Store]]. [[Apple, Inc..
  8. (27 November 2007). "Call the Shots Pt. 2: Girls Aloud: Music".
  9. (26 November 2007). "Call the Shots: Amazon.co.uk: Music".
  10. Robinson, Peter. (12 October 2007). "Girls Aloud – 'Call The Shots' (Lamezma mix)". Popjustice.
  11. (26 November 2007). "Girls Aloud – Call the Shots (CD)". [[Discogs]]. Zink Media Inc.
  12. (12 January 2009). "Girls Aloud – Call the Shots Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Music Notes. Xenomania Songs Ltd.
  13. Petridis, Alexis. (9 November 2007). "Girls Aloud, Tangled Up". The Guardian.
  14. Murphy, John. (26 November 2007). "Girls Aloud – Call The Shots (Polydor)". [[musicOMH]].
  15. (2007). "Tangled Up (Fan Edition)". Fascination Records.
  16. Girls Aloud. (14 December 2009). "Dreams That Glitter: Our Story". Transworld.
  17. Fletcher, Alex. (26 November 2007). "Girls Aloud: 'Call The Shots'". Digital Spy.
  18. Lucas, John. "Tangled Up". [[Allmusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]].
  19. McNulty, Jennie. (19 November 2007). "Tangled Up by Girls Aloud". [[Marie Claire]].
  20. Savage, Mark. (10 September 2008). "Girls Aloud win £20 single prize". BBC News. BBC.
  21. West, Dave. (25 November 2007). "Leona tops singles chart for fifth week". Digital Spy.
  22. (2 December 2007). "Leona remains top of both charts". BBC News. BBC.
  23. McAlpine, Fraser. (2 December 2007). "Chart Report – 02/12/07". BBC.
  24. (9 December 2007). "Festive hits fly back into chart". BBC News. BBC.
  25. (16 December 2007). "Melua duet ends Leona's chart run". BBC News. BBC.
  26. Wilkes, Neil. (23 December 2007). "Leon clinches Christmas number one spot". Digital Spy.
  27. "BPI – Certified Awards Search". [[British Phonographic Industry]].
  28. "Sarah Harding: Sales and streams of Girls Aloud's back catalogue soar in tribute". [[Official Charts Company]].
  29. "Girls Aloud – Call the Shots". [[Capital (radio network).
  30. (17 October 2007). "Video: Girls Aloud – Call The Shots". Popjustice.
  31. Hannaford, Katherine. (2007-10-23). "Battle of the purple mobiles: Girls Aloud with the Samsung F210 and Sugababes with the Sony Ericsson K770i".
  32. "53 Girls Aloud Launch The New Samsung F210 Purple Phone Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures, and Images - Getty Images".
  33. Wonderland Staff. (2013-03-21). "BEST AND WORST: Girls Aloud fashion moments".
  34. (14 November 2007). "Girls Aloud headline charity ball". [[UBM plc.
  35. (17 November 2007). "Episode 20x62".
  36. (21 November 2007). "Girls Aloud – Call The Shots (Live at Paul O'Grady Show)". Girls Aloud's official website. Polydor Ltd.
  37. (27 November 2007). ". Live Show – Week 5".
  38. "Top of the Pops (UK) – Season 43 – Episode 37 – Christmas Special 2007". TV.com. [[CBS Interactive]].
  39. Levine, Nick. (20 May 2008). "Girls Aloud: The good, the bad and the bawdy". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation.
  40. (16 August 2008). "Girls Aloud cover Robyn at V Festival". [[NME]].
  41. Rosney, Daniel. "An indepth feature review on the opening of the Girls Aloud tour of 2008". DanielRosney.com.
  42. (30 January 2009). "Bloc Party at Live Lounge". [[Live Lounge]]. BBC.
  43. Corner, Lewis. (22 February 2013). "Girls Aloud begin 'Ten' UK tour in Newcastle – pictures". Digital Spy.
  44. Thompson, Jody. (17 June 2008). "Pictures: Coldplay triumph at Brixton Academy live gig return". [[Daily Mirror]].
  45. (3 April 2008). "David Jordan 'rocked the house' at the ICA last night". Popjustice.
  46. (9 March 2010). "Songs from Fly Yellow Moon, and an interesting take on Girls Aloud". [[Q (magazine).
  47. Meighan, Nicola. (21 May 2012). ""Absolutely No Interviews": Human Don't Be Angry Interviewed". [[The Quietus]].
  48. (1 December 2008). "I'm Sick by Mark Morriss". iTunes Store. Apple Inc.
  49. (10 May 2024). "Girls ALoud - Call The Shots EP".
  50. (22 December 2007). "Hits of the World: Eurocharts".
  51. "Romanian Top 100 – Issue nr: 1/2008 (14 Ianuarie - 20 Ianuarie 2008)". [[Romanian Top 100]].
  52. "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: 18 January 2008". [[TopHit]].
  53. (22 December 2007). "Top 50 Airplay Chart".
  54. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". [[Official Charts Company]].
  55. "Year End Charts: European Hot 100 Singles".
  56. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". [[Official Charts Company]].
  57. (26 November 2007). "Call the Shots (with Video) – EP by Girls Aloud". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

2000s-ballads2007-singles2007-songsfascination-records-singlesgirls-aloud-songssong-recordings-produced-by-xenomaniasongs-about-heartachesongs-written-by-brian-higgins-(producer)songs-written-by-lisa-cowlingsongs-written-by-miranda-coopersongs-written-by-tim-powell-(producer)dance-pop-songseuropop-songselectropop-songsdowntempo-songs