What's Your Pleasure?

"What's Your Pleasure?"
Single by Belladonna
from the album Pretty In Poison
Released	December 10th, 2012
Format	CD; Digital Download
Recorded	2012
Genre	Pop/R'n'B
Length	3:45
Label	Next Generation
Writer(s)	D. Atkins; R. DeKay; M. Frost; O. Silverton; J. Valenti
Producer	Rodney Jerkins
Certification	Gold
Belladonna singles chronology

"What's Your Pleasure?" is the debut single by 90's-inspired pop girl group Belladonna. They worked with American producer Darkchild to reproduce his style from the late 90's for the song, and released it exclusively in the UK as their debut. Despite a rocky start for the band, they managed to achieve moderate airplay and a top 5 hit, which was certified gold.

Background[edit | edit source]

"What's Your Pleasure?" was the result of a writing session between all five band members, who agreed that they should all contribute to the writing credits of their debut single. With a song prepared, Joanna approached Darkchild to work with them on the song. With their desire to pursue a 90's throwback sound, they collaborated with Darkchild to bring his old sound to life. Their musical inspiration for the song was Darkchild's work with Destiny's Child, and they took a lot of time and care to build up a textured five-part harmony.

Reception[edit | edit source]

Belladonna were hit with early criticisms of being indistinctive, uninspired and generic, which threatened the release of the single until they decided to forge ahead with the single anyway despite the trouble. The decision not to court the critics turned out to be a surprise success, as when the single was released it landed squarely in the top 5, and radio stations entered the song into moderate rotation. The girls also had a decent showing on the digital charts, despite never becoming a formidable digital force.

Tracklisting[edit | edit source]

Promo CD

What's Your Pleasure? (Album Version)
What's Your Pleasure? (Instrumental)
What's Your Pleasure? (Call-Out Hook)

CD

What's Your Pleasure?
Boyfriend
Empty Room
What's Your Pleasure? (S&M Club Mix)
What's Your Pleasure? (Whips Off The Chain Dub)

Digital EP

What's Your Pleasure?
Boyfriend
Empty Room
What's Your Pleasure? (Alex K Extended Dance Mix)
What's Your Pleasure? (mrTimothy Club Mix)
What's Your Pleasure? (Recovery Radio Edit)

Music Video[edit | edit source]

The 'What's Your Pleasure?' video doesn't have much of a storyline, instead it features each of the five girls in their own individual setting, representing a different fantasy. Rebecca's is a dirty hotel room; Joanna's is a jungle retreat, Odette's room as a floral theme, Maxine's has a futuristic vibe and Danielle's is a disco nightclub (implying a backroom). Each girl is shown singing their respective parts in their individual rooms, and when they are not singing there are shots of them dancing around. Toward the end of the song, four of the girls slide down poles that appear at the back of their rooms, gathering together in Joanna's scene where they dance together for the remainder of the song.

Chart Performance[edit | edit source]

Expectations were not high for the girls' debut single due to their difficulties with initial press; the girls only chose to follow through with the single at its intended time due to a quiet spot on the schedule. In a short space of time they were somehow able to win over some public favour, with the song landing in the top 5 upon release. Initially, the song fell quickly, but in 2013 the song stabilised and lasted on-chart long enough to become a gold-certified hit. The song also broke through on radio in 2013 due to its stable chart performance, eventually peaking at #11. Digitally, the song had a meagre showing, but it charted within the top 5.