Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock” is a sonic heat seeker that has raced up the charts with the purpose and quickness of a discharged projectile. One reason for the estrogen-centric song’s success is its infectious groove and how Hilson coated the quick-hitting verses with her Decatur, Ga. swag — a powerful mixture that attaches the song to your subconscious like a tattoo.
The chanteuse and talented songwriter addressed how her apparent flaunting of her womanhood ambushed some of her
fans and critics’ sensibilities, as they always saw her as being so sweet that she could overdose a honeybee. At first, Hilson admits, she was nervous about how a song that trumpeted her obvious beauty would be taken by music fans.
“It’s been No. 1 for two weeks, so I’ve had lots of time to reflect on that feeling. It will never, ever cease to amaze me,” she says. “You never expect how people are going to receive your records. You know what I mean? You do it and you’re in the studio in a moment in time; the rest is up to God and the fans. And then consumers gravitate [to] it, vote for it and request it and all of that. It’s a great feeling.”
The song’s various meanings add to its allure. Some folks see it as an anthem of unabashed conceit. Others see it as a declaration of complete self-acceptance. Here at the Thom Thom nightclub in suburban L.A., Hilson sets the record straight about what the song means to her.
“Yah, some people do take the message completely wrong; that didn’t upset me,” she says. “[The song is] all about not seeking validation from other people, men or women. Sometimes we do so much for others and we seek validation in expensive things: handbags, heels, makeup … It’s part of my job, it’s what I do, but I don’t place any high value on it. [Validation’s] got to come from within. So that’s what the message of the song is about.”
–terry shrophire
