holler

1 a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal); "his bellow filled the hallway" [syn: bellow, bellowing, holla, hollering, hollo, holloa, roar, roaring, yowl]

2 a small valley between mountains; "he built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Appalachians" [syn: hollow]

1 shout out; "He hollered out to surrender our weapons" [syn: holler out]

2 utter a sudden loud cry; "she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle"; "I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me" [syn: shout, shout out, cry, call, yell, scream, hollo, squall]

3 complain; "What was he hollering about?" [syn: gripe, grouse, crab, beef, squawk, bellyache]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɒlə(r)

Etymology

American variant of holla or hallo.

Noun

1. A yell, shout.

   I heard a holler from over the fence.

2. By extension, any communication to get somebody's attention.

   If you need anything, just give me a holler.

3. A rural road in the appalachians in the U.S.A.
4. In South Midland and Southern (dialects of American English), a hollow.

Verb

1. To yell or shout.

   You can holler at your computer as much as you want, but it won't help anything.

"Holler" is one of the two songs picked as the first (and final) single from the Spice Girls third LP Forever. The single was released as a double A-side single (with "Let Love Lead The Way") internationally, except within the US and Canada. The single was written by Rodney and Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Mel B., Victoria, Emma, and Mel C.

The single was added to the Greatest Hits album, but was left intact, without the addition of Geri Halliwell's vocals, as she left the group in 1998.

Commercial release and success

The single was once again another number one for the girls in the UK, becoming their 9th #1 single in their homecountry. The single also managed to go to #1 in Poland and make the top ten in eleven different countries. However the single only peaked at number seven on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (essentially the equivalent of #107 on the Billboard Singles Charts), but at number five on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Holler was the first single from the re-formed Spice Girls that did not receive a commercial CD single release within the US. Also due to poor promotion and radio airplay, the single failed to enter the Billboard 100. However, the music video managed to peak at number five on the US version of TRL.

"Holler" became the 11th UK #1 single with Mel C as a songwriter. She surpassed the record set by former bandmate Geri Halliwell, whose tenth UK #1 "Bag It Up" had topped the charts the previous March. Mel C held this record until Madonna tied it in 2005 with "Hung Up", and surpassed it in 2006 with "Sorry".

Reception

This single topped the Asia Hitlist amidst competition between girl group Destiny's Child, whose number one hit "Independent Women" had strong radio airplay at that time. Since "Holler" had a slow time to be picked up on radio, the single had a low charting debut at number eighteen. It climbed the chart two notches at a time, a slow pace for a Spice Girls single, until it reached the Top 10. The following weeks were tougher, because fellow pop acts Backstreet Boys and Westlife had released their singles at that time. Westlife was able to top the charts faster with their single "My Love" but since the Spice Girls had larger radio airplay and requests the following week, "Holler" inched its way three notches to gain the top spot for one week, before the Backstreet Boys' "Shape Of My Heart" dethroned them the week after.

Sound

The single was considered the girl band's debut single from their typical dance-oriented pop sound. The single features a very American Urban / American ethos and features the American R&B Rap artist/Producer Darkchild. The beginning of the song sounds similar to TLC's #1 hit No Scrubs and Pink's debut single There You Go.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Holler".

• UK CD1/Australian CD/South African CD

1. "Holler" [Radio Edit] – 3:55
2. "Let Love Lead The Way" [Radio Edit] – 4:15
3. "Holler" [MAW Remix] – 8:30
4. "Holler" [Music video]

• European CD

1. "Holler" [Radio Edit] – 3:55
2. "Let Love Lead The Way" [Radio Edit] – 4:15

• Japanese CD

1. "Holler" [Radio Edit] – 3:55
2. "Let Love Lead The Way" [Radio Edit] – 4:15
3. "Holler" [Music video]
4. "Let Love Lead The Way" [Music video]
5. "Let Love Lead The Way" [4x30 sec Behind The Scenes Clips]

• UK 12" Vinyl single

1. A1:"Holler" [MAW Remix] – 8:30
2. A2:"Holler" [MAW Spice Beats] – 3:12
3. B1:"Holler" [MAW Tribal Vocal] – 7:10
4. C1:"Holler" [MAW Dub] – 6:46
5. C2:"Holler" [MAW Remix Instrumental] – 7:14
6. D1:"Holler" [MAW Tribal Instrumental] – 7:15

Music video

The video was directed by Jake Nava. It begins zooming into a seemingly glass pyramid where the four girls are dancing on a square platform in a circle. Each of the four girls represents a different element. The first verse is sung by Melanie B, who represents fire as she sits in a dark room with fire rolling along the floor. Melanie C is seen levitating above cracked mud inside a room with wooden walls as the floor blooms into plant life; she represents Earth. Emma Bunton is wearing a short blue dress with a white coat and is dancing in a blue room under water with reflections boucing off the walls. Finally Victoria Beckham, who embodies the element of air, is seen inside a wind tunnel playing with shiny prisms as they are blown by. All the girls are then seen together in the pyramid watching their respective male dancers (who are seen in each of their solo shots) dancing on the square platform. In Melanie C's solo room, a piece of wood is changed into a white python. Finally by the end of the song, all four girls join hands and form a beam of energy which then shoots out the top of the pyramid. The girls embrace in a hug and the video ends.

Live performances

The group debuted the song on their Christmas in Spiceworld Tour in 1999, before the album's release. The sound was much more pop, and it is presumed that the production of the song was altered for the album. After that, the song was performed at the 2000 BRIT Awards (but never broadcasted) and at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards.

The four members performed the song again on the reunion Return of the Spice Girls Tour in 2007. Even though group member Geri Halliwell had returned to the group at this point, she doesn't take part in this song as with Let Love Lead the Way which signals her departure from the group in the concert's storyline. She reunites with the group just as the song ends by rising from the ground.

The performance on stage was very similar to the video's premise, with four chairs facing outwards.

Charts

air a grievance, bark, battle cry, bawl, beef, beefing, bellow, bellyache, bellyaching, bitch, bitching, boggle, boycott, call, call in question, caterwaul, challenge, cheer, clamor, complain, complaining, complaint, crab, croak, cry, cry out against, demonstrate, demonstrate against, demur, destructive criticism, dispute, dissent, enter a protest, expostulate, faultfinding, fret, fret and fume, fuss, grievance, gripe, griping, groan, groaning, grouch, grouse, grousing, growl, grumble, grumbling, grunt, hail, halloo, hollo, hoot, howl, hurrah, kick, kicking, lodge a complaint, march, murmur, murmuring, mutter, object, peeve, peevishness, pet peeve, petulance, picket, press objections, protest, querulousness, raise a howl, rally, rallying cry, register a complaint, remonstrate, roar, scolding, scream, screech, scruple, shout, shriek, sit in, sniping, squall, squawk, squawking, squeal, state a grievance, strike, take on, teach in, vociferate, war cry, war whoop, whining, whoop, yammer, yap, yapping, yawl, yawp, yell, yell bloody murder, yelp, yo-ho, yowl