17 January 2013
It doesn’t feature the crassness of David Guetta or the Black Eyed Peas, but this wouldn’t be a Will.i.am hit without some tang of unpleasantness. ‘Scream & Shout’ was originally written and recorded by Tulisa, which gives it an Irish connection since two of her uncles from Dublin had an Irish number one single in the ’60s as folk band Emmet Spiceland with ‘Mary From Dungloe’. However, Tulisa’s producer at the time simply gave the track away to Will.i.am, who revised and released it without Tulisa getting a credit. It all ended in court, with Tulisa duly getting her writing credit.
And yet ‘Scream & Shout’ is a Will.i.am track I genuinely like. This is mostly because of the other artist here, of course; Britney turns in an uproarious performance. Her strict European accent in the verses, pitched somewhere between the aforementioned Tulisa and Nico, is a hoot, plus she drops her sassy and fierce catchphrase. It all meshes perfectly with the strict, sparse techno beats – and it keeps Will.i.am’s contribution to a minimum. Okay, he avoids the worst of his usual inanity and focuses on the party-hardy whoop-holler. Still, what makes ‘Scream & Shout’ a hugely enjoyable banger? It’s Tulisa’s creativity… and Britney’s bits!
