 = Yo @-@ Yo ( Nicola Roberts song ) = 
 
 " Yo @-@ Yo " is a song by British recording artist Nicola Roberts , released as the third and final single from Roberts ' debut solo album Cinderella 's Eyes on 6 January 2012 . Originally , " Yo @-@ Yo " was set to be Roberts ' debut single , but " Beat of My Drum " was selected in its place . " Beat of My Drum " and " Lucky Day " , Roberts ' previous singles , garnered positive comments from critics , but failed to impact commercially . " Yo @-@ Yo " was written by Roberts , Maya Von Doll and Dimitri Tikovoi while it was produced by latter , and was the first song to be composed by the group . Roberts also claimed the track had defined her musical style . 
 " Yo @-@ Yo " is a 1950s @-@ themed electropop and synthpop song in which Roberts sings about an undecided lover . The song received positive reviews from critics , who compared Roberts ' vocals to those of singer Kate Bush . Commercially , it was a failure , charting at number 111 on the UK Singles Chart . A music video was released on 30 November 2011 ; the video sees Roberts repeatedly changing outfit for a party in which she finds her love interest cheating on her , ending with an aggressive confrontation . It garnered positive critical responses although the low @-@ budget drew criticism . Roberts performed " Yo @-@ Yo " at London 's G @-@ A @-@ Y nightclub and on the Alan Titchmarsh Show , among other occasions . 
 
 = = Background and writing = = 
 
 Nicola Roberts , who began her musical career as one fifth of the band Girls Aloud , struggled with loneliness and increasing isolation during her time with the group . A busy schedule and constant media criticism found her describing the time as a " blur " . Her exhaustion and troubles with negative media comments led to a state in which she had to harden herself , claiming that inside she was " dying " . These events inspired her debut album Cinderella 's Eyes . " Yo @-@ Yo " was the first song she had written with Maya von Doll and Dimitri Tikovoi for the album . The recording was also one of the first songs Roberts wrote , and it helped define her musical style . Roberts blogged about the production of the track , writing that : 
 The production ’ s incredible . The beat is just so constant and powerful . That was the first song that I wrote with Dimitri and Maya . I felt like I ’ d found my sound . And I was kind of looking at it like an outfit . So it was , ‘ if this was an outfit , what would this song need now ? ’ So we had the pretty dress , which was the chorus . We had the lovely shoes , which was the verse . ‘ But what do we need to really set this song off ? A big , fancy , bow in the hair would really set this song off . ’ So when I got to the middle eight I wanted to go really erratic , almost like taTu on All The Things She Said . I wanted it to be proper fucked up and crazy – hands in the air . 
 
 = = Release = = 
 
 Roberts ' debut single , " Beat of My Drum " , garnered acclaim from critics , but failed to impact commercially , charting at 27 in the United Kingdom . She released a follow @-@ up single , " Lucky Day " , which likewise garnered positive responses , but was even less successful commercially , charting at number 40 on both the Scottish and UK Singles charts . Writing as a guest blogger on the website Holy Moly in September 2011 , Roberts announced that " Yo @-@ Yo " would be released as the third single from Cinderella 's Eyes , initially citing a November release date ; the release was later delayed until January 2012 . Roberts had originally intended for " Yo @-@ Yo " to be the first single from the album , but " Beat of My Drum " was instead chosen at the " last minute " . Roberts stated that " it felt right to go with " the latter song . " Yo @-@ Yo " was released digitally on 2 January 2012 , with Roberts announcing on her official website that the single would be released in CD format featuring a live performance of the song in addition to the demo version of her song " Sticks + Stones " seven days later . Additionally , two EPs were released on 6 January 2012 . 
 
 = = Composition and critical reception = = 
 
 " Yo @-@ Yo " features 808 drums with a " dramatic " 1950s @-@ inspired pop " pastiche " . However , the 1950s concept " goes completely out of the window " for an " unhinged " bridge , which features a club mix which speeds up the drums featured in the song . The lyrics of the track discuss an uncertain relationship , leading to vulnerability , with Roberts describing it as a " dark " song . The song references a yo @-@ yo ; this is a metaphor for Roberts herself , a spinning yo @-@ yo " on the finger of a hot ' n ' cold lover " . Described as " confessional " by Robert Copsey of Digital Spy , the song has a " conversational " performance , and Roberts ' vocals were compared to that of singer Kate Bush . 
 The song received positive reviews from music critics . Emily Mackay , writing for NME , described the chorus as a " winning " one , and noted that " the impulse @-@ speed space synths are broken @-@ heartedly beguiling " . In a separate review , Lisa Wright from NME found that while the song didn 't match the success of " Beat of My Drum " . Wright said that the song is " Not a cuss @-@ ridden introduction to Nicola ’ s re @-@ emergence as an English Syd Tha Kyd , but a questionable metaphor about being like a crap ’ 90s toy . " Robert Copsey of Digital Spy found Cinderella 's Eyes to be " frustratingly under @-@ appreciated " with " Yo @-@ Yo " being a " shining example of [ Roberts ' ] pop sensibilities " calling it " unashamedly radio friendly " . 
 
 = = Music video = = 
 
 
 = = = Synopsis = = = 
 
 The video begins with a man performing tricks with a yo @-@ yo in a white room , accompanied by shots showing Roberts in a " fashionable looking house " wearing a black silk dress . Then rapid shots show her in various other outfits , including a purple velvet dress , all the time showing the man performing tricks with the yo @-@ yo . As the chorus begins , Roberts is shown in the kitchen of the house , along with several women dancing with her . Another shot shows a man and a woman walking through a street embracing each other . This is later interspersed with shots of a fully clothed Roberts standing in a shower cubiclem getting increasingly wet . Roberts is shown leaving the house and seeing the man with whom she had danced with another woman . She returns to the house , and the man and Roberts are seen in the kitchen area with Roberts throwing a series of objects at him . 
 
 = = = Release and reception = = = 
 
 Prior to the release of the video , Roberts released still images to website 3am . These showed her in what was described as " some sort of untidy , yet fashionable looking house " , while one showed her with her legs above her head wearing " Kandee 's caramel kisses shoes " and a third and final seeing her " cosying up next to a handsome chap " . The same day , Roberts gave two more exclusive stills to website Digital Spy ; in one image , she was smelling roses , while , in the second , she was " playing with a pair of shoes " . The video was released on 30 November 2011 . After the official release , Nadia Mendoza of the Daily Mail stated the video was a departure from her previous two videos ( for " Beat of My Drum " and " Lucky Day " ) , saying that it " looks and sounds a lot more grown up as she teases viewers by stripping to her bra and frolicking in the shower . " Mendoza found that Roberts was " becoming quite the chameleon " and had " trampled all over her innocent charm to create a sex siren " , referencing her transformation throughout her videos . Katherine St Asaph , of Pop Dust , found that the video 's low budget had had a negative effect . She interpreted scenes with Roberts repeated changes clothing positively , noting " [ i ] t works because of the lyrics – what , besides other people , can mess with your feelings more than trying on clothes ? " 
 
 = = Live performances = = 
 
 Roberts performed " Yo @-@ Yo " at London 's G @-@ A @-@ Y nightclub on 24 September 2011 . She pre @-@ recorded a performance of " Yo @-@ Yo " for UK television programme The Alan Titchmarsh Show during the same taping as a performance of " Lucky Day " . The taping came after deciding " Yo @-@ Yo " would be released as the third single from the album , with Roberts saying , " I absolutely love performing Yo @-@ Yo , it 's my favourite one to do [ ... ] So I feel really close to Yo @-@ Yo . I feel like I lose myself when I 'm performing it " . After the release of the single , Roberts performed on The Album Chart Show during a special dedicated to her , performing three tracks : " Yo @-@ Yo " , " Beat of My Drum " and " Sticks + Stones " . Roberts also performed the song on British chat show Loose Women and on the Digital Music Awards . 
 
 = = Charts = = 
 
 " Yo @-@ Yo " debuted at its peak of number 111 on the UK Singles Chart . 
 
 = = Formats and track @-@ listings = = 
 
 
 = = Release history = = 
 
 
 