Sticks and Stones (Nicola Roberts song)

The song found success with anti-bullying organisations and garnered positive reviews from music critics, with many complementing the honesty of its lyrics.

After winning the reality television series Popstars: The Rivals to become one fifth of the girlband Girls Aloud, Roberts found herself subject to bullying.

[3] She endured years of taunting and being branded "the ugly one" of the group and she would often "cry herself to sleep", finding herself to be a victim of "faceless" bullying, advocated by celebrities such as Chris Moyles and Lily Allen.

The taunts brought her close to a breakdown, with Roberts stating she was "miserable and confused" and soon after she found comfort in drinking alcohol.

[3] Originally, her ginger hair was something she "absolutely loved" as it was "just [her] thing" but, after joining the band, her appearance became an issue with the press – and Roberts recalled feeling that "the general perception" of her "is really not great at all.

"[3] "People feel they can say nasty things and have anonymity behind the net – as they did with all the nasty comments about me – without fear of recrimination", Roberts said, and five years after the bullying, she found herself in a "better place", with critics complementing her image such as Clemmie Moodie from the Daily Mirror who said "the 25-year-old radiates confidence and, with a string of fashion successes has blossomed.

"[3] "Sticks and Stones" was then written in response to these negative feelings, and Roberts found throughout the writing process she was cautioned by the serious subject matter, wishing to create a track featuring a "universal chorus" and to avoid self-indulgence.

[6] Ownership over the song was something she wanted "every single last little bit" of, so she could maintain her writing credits for the track and make something she is "proud of".

[1] The song describes a time when Roberts was in severe depression, and discusses when she would "beg" her driver to buy her alcohol underage – with lyrics saying, "How funny that I was too young for so many things, yet you thought I'd cope with being told I'm ugly.

There’s a song called Sticks And Stones, which is about when I was 17 and I thought I’d won the jackpot when I got in the band [Girls Aloud], and then things not turning out as I might have expected.

Shortly before the interview commenced, a portion of the lyric video was broadcast live which made Roberts "nervous",[4] stating she does not "like listening to that song when other people are around".

[4] In addition to advocating bullying as a top issue on the show, Roberts gave an interview to BBC News, where presenters once again discussed the track and lyrical themes within.

During the interview, Roberts said that social networking site Twitter is a tool that highlights the severity of bullying, calling it "out of control".

[10] In the past, Roberts had pushed for a ban on under 18s using tanning beds, which followed through after backing from health secretary Andy Burnham.

[10] Roberts took a similar stance on bullying, saying it "doesn't need to happen", and that the British laws are failing to combat the issue.

Whenever I have bought somebody's record I always flick through and search for the ones that I really relate to at that time, they become my favourites, I play that song to death and then the rest of the album gets its chance.