Sexy! No No No...

In April 2007, the group announced that they would release a new album in November of that year.[1] The production and songwriting began with producer Brian Higgins meeting each member of the group individually, and discussing their life since the release of Chemistry (2005).[2] Higgins took inspiration from these discussions in his songwriting, with bandmate Nicola Roberts explaining that "it's important he's up to date with where we are. Our songs have to reflect us so that's why we do it."[2] "Sexy! No No No..." was then written by Girls Aloud with production team Xenomania.[3] 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, California.[4]

In July 2007, Girls Aloud announced that they would release "Sexy! No No No...", as the first single from Tangled Up, in September 2007.[5] The radio premiere of the song was scheduled for the morning of 20 July 2007 on BBC Radio 1,[6] however, it leaked in full online earlier the same day at 02:21 GMT.[7] "Sexy! No No No..." was released for digital download on 31 August 2007,[8] while it was also made available on two different CD single formats on 3 September 2007.[9] The first disc included a live version of "Something Kinda Ooooh" (2006), recorded at the Bournemouth International Centre.[10] The second CD format featured Tony Lamezma's "Yes Yes Yes" Mix of "Sexy! No No No..." and also a new track as a b-side, entitled "Dog Without a Bone".[11] The b-side was originally written in 2006 in an attempt to come up with a lead single for the group's first compilation album, The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits, however, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was released instead.[12] "Dog Without a Bone" was Popjustice's song of the day on 20 August 2007.[13]

"Sexy! No No No..." is an electropunk song,[14] which consists of three songs welded together, according to journalist Peter Robinson: one with a samba rhythm, one with a sped-up sample and a breakbeat, and an intro from elsewhere.[16] The track opens with Cole singing over "spooky" instrumentation.[6] Her vocals have been vocodered and she sings "Cause I've been sitting back, no chance of falling / Hoping that nothing ever blows, no no / Boy, did you ever think that loving would be / Nothing more than walking me home, no no".[17][18] As the chorus begins, the song incorporates a sample from Scottish rock band Nazareth's 1975 track "Hair of the Dog",[15] and the group starts singing, "Did you tell him? No no no / Give him kisses? No no no / Whisper honey? No no no / You're delicious? Hell no".[18] John Murphy of musicOMH noted that "Sexy! No No No.." is not "structured like a proper pop song - there's no verse-chorus-verse".[19] The instrumentation of "Sexy! No No No..." is composed of multi-layered guitar riffs and "euphoric woo woo-oo harmonies",[17] while the song's structure follows as introduction, chorus, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, middle eight, verse.[6] A Newsround reviewer described the lyrical content, saying that Girls Aloud are "trying a different approach to getting the guy", in that "instead of being 'sexy', they've backed off."[20]

The music video was directed by Trudy Bellinger,[16] and premiered on 13 August 2007.[28] It opens with Cheryl singing the introduction, as she and the group are seen wearing latex catsuits while standing in front of shiny red material.[29] The material is being used by a seamstress who is starting work on a dress. As the chorus begins, the camera zooms out to show the girls wearing giant inflatable red dresses. The seamstress starts putting large pins into her dress, poking their way around the girls, until the pins start tearing into their dresses. The pins tear the dresses off and the girls are back in their catsuits, surrounded by the threads of their dresses. Journalist Peter Robinson deemed the video "iconic" and "stylish".[16]

Girls Aloud first performed "Sexy! No No No..." at the T4 on the Beach special on 22 July 2007. The group also performed it at Dance X on 18 August 2007,[30] at ITV1 special Saturday Night Divas on 3 November 2007,[31] and at the V Festival in 2008.[32] The same year, "Sexy! No No No..." served as the introduction for the Tangled Up Tour.[33] During the first part of the performance, the girls were suspended on wires as they hovered in the air in black cloaks.[33] As the song's chorus began, Girls Aloud removed their cloaks to reveal stage outfits designed by Julien Macdonald.[34] For 2009's Out of Control Tour, "Sexy! No No No..." was remixed with parts of "Disturbia" by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna.[35] In 2013, the song was performed during the second act of the Ten: The Hits Tour.[36]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Tangled Up.[3]

• Guitar – Nick Coler, Owen Parker
• Keyboard – Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Toby Scott
• Mastering – Dick Beetham for 360 Mastering
• Mixing – Jeremy Wheatley
• Production – Brian Higgins, Xenomania
• Programming – Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Toby Scott
• Songwriting – Girls Aloud, Nazareth, Xenomania
  • Contains a sample of "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth (Dan McCafferty, Darrell Sweet, Manny Charlton, Pete Agnew)
• Vocals - Girls Aloud
• Published by Warner/Chappell Music and Xenomania Music