Ouch (song) - Background

Background

The single was released digitally on 29 September 2008 and then received as a physical single the following week. The CD single features six different versions of the song, including three remixes. "Ouch" has been defined as the response single to the group's second single "I Swear" as both songs deal with the issue of cheating within a relationship. The key difference between the two tracks is that "Ouch" involves the man in the relationship cheating whereas in "I Swear" it's the woman. In contrast the track's accompanied music video, whick leaked four month's prior to the song's single release, tells the same story as the song lyrics The song reached the B-list on BBC Radio 1. The single reached a peak of #22 on the UK Singles Chart making it the second consecutive single by the group to peak within the top thirty. "Ouch" combines elements of pop, British hip hop as well as R&B or blue-eyed soul. The song is accompanied by backing that combines both a violin and a piano melody. As with all N-Dubz songs, it was penned by the group themselves with group member, Fazer being credited for its production. The song is slow to mid-paced and features Tulisa taking on high and emotive vocals throughout the song. Dappy raps in the verses with Fazer rapping towards the end. The whole structure of the track revolves around a call-and-response argument between two lovers who in this case are played by the group members. The track is also significantly different from other N-Dubz songs in the sense that the song is opened with Tulisa singing the first verse as aposed to their regular tradition of Dappy opening the song rapping. The group planned on releasing the track much earlier than they did, but due to conflict with previous label Polydor Records they were unable to until they were signed with All Around The World.

We came to a standstill after the MOBO’s because we were having problems with the label and we weren’t agreeing on the path they chose for us. We kept bringing them singles like Ouch and they said ‘No, we don’t like it!’ and they kept trying to put us with new writers, with new producers. It was like – if you want to start doing this to us, you might as well get three little kids off the street and re-make them because that’s not why we came here.

The song's concept involves a real story of infidelity where Tulisa plays the role of the girl being cheated on by her boyfriend, which in the song's storyline is played by Dappy. Tulisa elaborated on the song's concept in an interview with FemaleFirst:

Ouch is a part two to I Swear, and it's basically the other way round to I Swear, it's me being a girl, coming home, finding my boyfriend cheating on me. And then Dappy and Fazer come from a boys point of view and they're sort of asking for me back, "it's not my fault", that kind of business. It's all about a whole debate between a woman and man after finding out the mans cheated. It's just a whole storyline, the whole aftermath of it. The video's got a whole storyline too that people can relate to.

An exclusive acoustic performance of "Ouch" was performed by the group in bathroom showroom for BBC Switch's program "Sound." The acoustic version was later made available for download on iTunes during the single's promotion period before the release of "Papa Can You Hear Me?" "Ouch" is featured as track number fourteen on the setlist for the group's "Uncle B Tour." The Jorg Schmid remix of "Ouch" features as track number three on disc number two on the compilation album "Clubland 14". The lyric "My name is Shanikwa and what?" became so much of a popular catchphrase among the group's fans that it was imprinted and made available on specialised T-shirts for fans to wear.