Somebody
by Natalie La Rose (featuring Jeremih)

Album: released as a single (2015)
Charted: 2 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Born and raised in Amsterdam, Holland, Natalie La Rose moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer and dancer at the age of 20. In 2013 she inked a deal with Flo Rida's International Music Group (I.M.G.) label, two years after she'd told the rapper at an ESPY Awards after-party that she was going to work with him one day.
  • This is La Rose's debut single. The song is a reworking of Whitney Houston's 1987 chart topper "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" with updated lyrics that celebrate a club-inspired romance. "It's a fun and funky song," remarked La Rose. "It's feel-good, and it reminds me of summertime. I love to be around people, have a great time, and dance. That's what it stands for."
  • The song features Jeremih who croons the hook. La Rose explained: "While we were recording Jeremih happened to be in Miami for a Big Dreams for Kids Back to School Event and Flo invited him to the studio to sing on it. He nailed it on the first take!"
  • Jeremih recorded his vocals around the time he was in the Hot 100 with his own retooling of a classic late 20th century tune. The R&B vocalist's "Don't Tell 'Em" was a reworking of Snap!'s "Rhythm Is A Dancer."
  • Asked by Billboard magazine what attracted her to Whitney Houston's hit tune, La Rose replied: "I'm a huge fan of '80s music and grew up listening to that. I heard this beat and told Flo Rida we should write to it. He came up with 'I wanna dance with somebody,' and we switched up the lyrics a little to make it more nowadays. But eventually we found out the beat wasn't available, so we had to create a new one."

    "It took nine different versions - we were so married to the other beat, so it was hard to get used to. Flo Rida has a great ear. I wouldn't say I take my sound from him, but definitely the work ethic."
  • The background vocals that go "shots, shots, shots, shots..." is copped from the song "Shots" by LMFAO featuring Lil Jon.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.