Out of Control (Girls Aloud album)
Encyclopedia
Out of Control is the fifth studio album
by British all-female pop group
Girls Aloud
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2008 by Fascination Records
. Like their previous albums, Out of Control was crafted by the production team of Brian Higgins
and Xenomania
. Out of Control builds on the sound of Girls Aloud's previous albums and represents a move into the mainstream for the group.
Out of Control debuted to generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics, receiving praise from some reviewers but also criticism from others for failing to meet expectations. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
, Girls Aloud's first studio album to do so, and quickly became Girls Aloud's best-selling studio album. It was certified double platinum in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It yielded three singles, including chart-topping "The Promise
", which was awarded Best British Single at the 2009 BRIT Awards
.
. Sarah Harding
told MTV News
that they had "been working on it all summer."
Brian Higgins said, "By the time we did the last album, it was different. They were so big then. They were ready to sell a million albums immediately, so they didn't [...] something a bit highbrow. They needed something that would hit you right between the eyes [...] The group has moved more and more into the mainstream, because that was what was required."
Girls Aloud's website describes Out of Control as "their most exciting and thrilling album yet." According to Kimberley Walsh
, the album's title came from Girls Aloud's record company telling the girls, "We don't know what to say, you lot are out of control. We can't tell you anything." It also comes from a lyric in "We Wanna Party". Nicola Roberts
revealed that the album was nearly titled Girls Aloud: Revolution, after the song "Revolution in the Head". The artwork for Out of Control was revealed on Girls Aloud's official website on 16 October 2008.
described the album as "a mixture of ballads and the relentlessly upbeat, catchy hits we have come to expect." Kimberley Walsh has said that the album is "a lot older sounding, which wasn't intentional, it was just kind of how it went." The girl group were very involved in the album's direction. "The '60s
thing is quite prominent," Walsh told the BBC
. "But it's out of the ordinary. Not really what you'd expect." Nicola Roberts
said that the album also features a lot of 1980s-inspired electro pop. Sarah Harding said that Girls Aloud "wanted to stay upbeat but try something a bit different and advanced. I don't think anything we've ever done has ever sounded the same. But we have that same vibe whatever we do because of our vocals." Nadine Coyle
said the "aim from the beginning was to come up with songs that didn't sound like anything else out there." Walsh continued, "We want to impress the fans with what we do, so we've tried to up our game with this album and step outside the comfort zone."
Girls Aloud co-wrote four songs on the album - "Love Is the Key", "Miss You Bow Wow", "Revolution in the Head", and "Live in the Country". In particularly, the bridge of "Love Is the Key" was written by Kimberley Walsh.
-influenced number. Despite the popularity of 1960s pastiches, it was said that Girls Aloud's "go-for-broke, very modern re-imagining of Spector's wall of sound
proves to be more authentic and entertaining than most other recent attempts". "The Loving Kind" is a collaboration with Pet Shop Boys
. Neil Tennant
said that they co-wrote the song while working with Xenomania, and described it as "beautiful but still dancey". Popjustice said that "the lyrics have the sadness and melancholy of a massive proper ballad but the production drags the song straight to the dancefloor and lends it an undeniable sense of optimism." The song has been compared to 2007's "Call the Shots
", and has been referred to as both "a letdown sequel" and "the best thing they've ever done." "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time", which originally had a working title of "50s Sweetheart", was compared to Burt Bacharach
. It features guitar from The Smiths
member Johnny Marr
, who also plays harmonica
on "Love Is the Key".
"Love Is the Key", according to Digital Spy
, "begins with the strains of a cathedral choir before lurching into a sixties-style pop strut". It ends with "a bluesey harmonica solo in the outro." "Turn to Stone" was called an "icy electro banger", compared to "Roisin Murphy
's moody kid sisters being remixed by 808 State
". "Untouchable" is a six and a half minute song that was called "fast, electronic and fantastic" with an immense build-up to the chorus. The song was said to recall New Order
and "fuses blissful Balearic
guitar lines with a pulsating techno throb". The song was the different version to the Radio edit. Track seven, "Fix Me Up", was compared to "the theme tune to a comedy sex film from 1975. In a good way." It contains a sample of Reuben Bell
's "Superjock", written by Bell, Jerry Strickland, and Wardell Quezergue. The Sun described "Love is Pain" as "a heartfelt song" which ends with "an emotive solo" by Cheryl Cole
, whose husband Ashley Cole
received tabloid attention for allegedly cheating on her in early 2008. It has been described by Popjustice
as "an early-90s electronic sort of affair."
"Live in the Country" was called a drum and bass
track "about moving to the countryside — complete with farm animal sound effects", and "basically the sequel to 'Swinging London Town'" (from Girls Aloud's 2005 album Chemistry). It was described as a "drum and bass anti-anarchy anthem". "Miss You Bow Wow", it was stated, "could well be the most exhilarating song of the year, being almost ridiculously danceable, having a gloriously soaring chorus and some surreal lyrics". "Revolution in the Head", a reggae
-influenced song, features pseudo-rapping from Nadine Coyle. The album's bonus track, "We Wanna Party", is a cover of a Lene
track. Lene previously co-wrote Girls Aloud's "No Good Advice
" and "You Freak Me Out", and also has her own version of "Here We Go
". Girls Aloud originally recorded the song for What Will the Neighbours Say?
, but it was decided it didn't fit.
. It features a number of live performances from Girls Aloud's tours. Additionally, a double-disc collector's edition of the album was released 8 December. The box set comes in a DVD-sized case and contains a bonus disc containing unreleased demos and interviews, as well as a 24-page booklet containing photos and lyrics to all of the songs.
reports a normalised
rating of 63% based on nine critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. It was described as "their most melancholy album to date". The Times
wrote that Girls Aloud "show no sign of flagging in their quest to push the boundaries of the pop song" and noticed that they "continue to be as inventive as ever." BBC Music
described Out of Control as "a shimmering album of heartbreaking electro pop" and exclaimed that it is "pop music at its finest." Digital Spy
found it "smart, adventurous, emotionally resonant and often very, very catchy" and called it "an absolute delight" and Girls Aloud's "fourth terrific album in a row". MusicOMH
noticed that it is "chock-full of those trademark, otherworldy electro-synth songs" and concluded by calling it "yet another excellent album from a group who may have risen from a lot of people's 'guilty pleasure' to becoming full-on national treasures". Slant Magazine
hailed it as "one of the best pop albums of 2008" and said that Girls Aloud "are in a position where they can let the music do all the talking for them". NME
praised the songs "Love Is The Key", "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time" and "Untouchable
" and stated that although it is "not their best" effort, it is "more consistent than any British indie album released this year".
Yahoo! Music
said that it "barely steers too far from their recipe for success", but more or less praised the album, awarding it seven out of ten. The Observer
gave it three out of five stars, but felt that Girls Aloud raised the bar so spectacularly that this album "suggests that Xenomania's once-bottomless well of great ideas is running dry". The Guardian
stated that "despite ear-catching touches [...], nothing hits the spot like the Phil Spector
-like single The Promise
". The Independent
described Girls Aloud's output as "the musical equivalent of the lingering aftertaste of synthetic sweeteners", calling the album "meekly conformist pop."
The album appeared on Critic's Choice lists by Billboard
contributors Keith Caulfield, Hazel Davis, and Mikael Wood.
at number seven, the highest debut of the week & their second highest charting in Ireland. It debuted in the UK Albums Chart chart at number one. This is their first studio album to achieve the coveted number one position.. The album Girls A Live also entered the UK Albums Chart at number 29. Out of Control spent five weeks in the UK top five overall, and three additional weeks in the top ten. In the top 10 albums chart of 2008, Out of Control came eighth, selling nearly 600,000 copies within just two months. On 4 January 2009, The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits
re-entered the charts at number six while Out of Control was number ten, thus giving Girls Aloud two top ten albums at the same time.
Out of Control has sold over 800,000 copies.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British all-female pop group
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2008 by Fascination Records
Fascination Records
Fascination Records is a UK-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in spring 2006, and is managed by former TOTP Magazine editor Peter Loraine...
. Like their previous albums, Out of Control was crafted by the production team of Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins (producer)
Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
and Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
. Out of Control builds on the sound of Girls Aloud's previous albums and represents a move into the mainstream for the group.
Out of Control debuted to generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics, receiving praise from some reviewers but also criticism from others for failing to meet expectations. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, Girls Aloud's first studio album to do so, and quickly became Girls Aloud's best-selling studio album. It was certified double platinum in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It yielded three singles, including chart-topping "The Promise
The Promise (Girls Aloud song)
"The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
", which was awarded Best British Single at the 2009 BRIT Awards
2009 BRIT Awards
The 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 18 February 2009. It was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and was broadcast live on ITV1 on 18 February at 8pm...
.
Background
Girls Aloud announced they would begin work on their fifth studio album in May 2008, while on the Tangled Up TourTangled Up Tour
The Tangled Up Tour was the fourth concert tour third arena tour, by British pop group Girls Aloud, in support of the group's fourth studio album Tangled Up. The tour was initially announced to reach arenas across the United Kingdom in November 2007. The shows commenced in Belfast on 3 May 2008 and...
. Sarah Harding
Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that they had "been working on it all summer."
Brian Higgins said, "By the time we did the last album, it was different. They were so big then. They were ready to sell a million albums immediately, so they didn't [...] something a bit highbrow. They needed something that would hit you right between the eyes [...] The group has moved more and more into the mainstream, because that was what was required."
Girls Aloud's website describes Out of Control as "their most exciting and thrilling album yet." According to Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
, the album's title came from Girls Aloud's record company telling the girls, "We don't know what to say, you lot are out of control. We can't tell you anything." It also comes from a lyric in "We Wanna Party". Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
revealed that the album was nearly titled Girls Aloud: Revolution, after the song "Revolution in the Head". The artwork for Out of Control was revealed on Girls Aloud's official website on 16 October 2008.
Style and lyrics
The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
described the album as "a mixture of ballads and the relentlessly upbeat, catchy hits we have come to expect." Kimberley Walsh has said that the album is "a lot older sounding, which wasn't intentional, it was just kind of how it went." The girl group were very involved in the album's direction. "The '60s
1960s in music
For music from a year in the 1960s, go to 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1960s....
thing is quite prominent," Walsh told the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. "But it's out of the ordinary. Not really what you'd expect." Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
said that the album also features a lot of 1980s-inspired electro pop. Sarah Harding said that Girls Aloud "wanted to stay upbeat but try something a bit different and advanced. I don't think anything we've ever done has ever sounded the same. But we have that same vibe whatever we do because of our vocals." Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
said the "aim from the beginning was to come up with songs that didn't sound like anything else out there." Walsh continued, "We want to impress the fans with what we do, so we've tried to up our game with this album and step outside the comfort zone."
Girls Aloud co-wrote four songs on the album - "Love Is the Key", "Miss You Bow Wow", "Revolution in the Head", and "Live in the Country". In particularly, the bridge of "Love Is the Key" was written by Kimberley Walsh.
Songs
The album's lead single "The Promise" is a 1960's SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
-influenced number. Despite the popularity of 1960s pastiches, it was said that Girls Aloud's "go-for-broke, very modern re-imagining of Spector's wall of sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
proves to be more authentic and entertaining than most other recent attempts". "The Loving Kind" is a collaboration with Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
said that they co-wrote the song while working with Xenomania, and described it as "beautiful but still dancey". Popjustice said that "the lyrics have the sadness and melancholy of a massive proper ballad but the production drags the song straight to the dancefloor and lends it an undeniable sense of optimism." The song has been compared to 2007's "Call the Shots
Call the Shots
"Call the Shots" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album Tangled Up . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
", and has been referred to as both "a letdown sequel" and "the best thing they've ever done." "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time", which originally had a working title of "50s Sweetheart", was compared to Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
. It features guitar from The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
member Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
, who also plays harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
on "Love Is the Key".
"Love Is the Key", according to Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, "begins with the strains of a cathedral choir before lurching into a sixties-style pop strut". It ends with "a bluesey harmonica solo in the outro." "Turn to Stone" was called an "icy electro banger", compared to "Roisin Murphy
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...
's moody kid sisters being remixed by 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
". "Untouchable" is a six and a half minute song that was called "fast, electronic and fantastic" with an immense build-up to the chorus. The song was said to recall New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
and "fuses blissful Balearic
Balearic Beat
Balearic Beat or either Balearic House and Balearic Trance is an eclectic blend of DJed dance music that originally emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance music that was popular into the mid-1990s...
guitar lines with a pulsating techno throb". The song was the different version to the Radio edit. Track seven, "Fix Me Up", was compared to "the theme tune to a comedy sex film from 1975. In a good way." It contains a sample of Reuben Bell
Reuben Bell
Reuben Bell was an African American soul singer who recorded from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, and is best known for his emotional tenor vocals on the songs "It's Not That Easy" and "I Hear You Knocking "....
's "Superjock", written by Bell, Jerry Strickland, and Wardell Quezergue. The Sun described "Love is Pain" as "a heartfelt song" which ends with "an emotive solo" by Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
, whose husband Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
received tabloid attention for allegedly cheating on her in early 2008. It has been described by Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
as "an early-90s electronic sort of affair."
"Live in the Country" was called a drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
track "about moving to the countryside — complete with farm animal sound effects", and "basically the sequel to 'Swinging London Town'" (from Girls Aloud's 2005 album Chemistry). It was described as a "drum and bass anti-anarchy anthem". "Miss You Bow Wow", it was stated, "could well be the most exhilarating song of the year, being almost ridiculously danceable, having a gloriously soaring chorus and some surreal lyrics". "Revolution in the Head", a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
-influenced song, features pseudo-rapping from Nadine Coyle. The album's bonus track, "We Wanna Party", is a cover of a Lene
Lene Nystrøm Rasted
Lene Nystrøm Rasted , known professionally as Lene, is a Norwegian-Danish singer-songwriter and occasional actress, who is best known as vocalist for the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua....
track. Lene previously co-wrote Girls Aloud's "No Good Advice
No Good Advice
"No Good Advice" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album Sound of the Underground . The song was written by Aqua's Lene Nystrøm Rasted, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
" and "You Freak Me Out", and also has her own version of "Here We Go
Here We Go (Moonbaby song)
"Here We Go" is a pop song written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Matt Gray.The song was originally released on 14 August 2000 by Cooper under the alias Moonbaby. It was later covered by Aqua singer Lene Nystrøm Rasted in 2003 for her debut solo album Play With Me. It was covered again in...
". Girls Aloud originally recorded the song for What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say? is the second album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were enlisted to produce the entire album, allowing for more inventive ideas...
, but it was decided it didn't fit.
Release
Out of Control was initially announced to be released on 10 November 2008, but the release date was moved forward a week to 3 November. The Irish release date came the Friday before on 31 October 2008. In addition to the album, an extra limited edition live album was released. Entitled Girls A Live, the bonus disc was available to purchase only from WoolworthsWoolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
. It features a number of live performances from Girls Aloud's tours. Additionally, a double-disc collector's edition of the album was released 8 December. The box set comes in a DVD-sized case and contains a bonus disc containing unreleased demos and interviews, as well as a 24-page booklet containing photos and lyrics to all of the songs.
Singles
- The album's first single, "The PromiseThe Promise (Girls Aloud song)"The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
", was released two weeks prior to Out of Control on 20 October 2008. The song is notable for its 1960s influence, with "production that tips its cap towards vintage SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
." The music video took place at a '50s-and-'60s-inspired drive-in movie theatre, where a retro-styled Girls Aloud watched themselves channel The SupremesThe SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
on screen. "The Promise" became Girls Aloud's fourth number one upon release. It also earned the band their first ever win at the BRIT Award for Best British Single in 2009.
- "The Loving KindThe Loving Kind"The Loving Kind" is a song performed by British girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Pet Shop Boys, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
" was released as the album's second single on 12 January 2009. The music video, directed by Trudy BellingerTrudy BellingerTrudy Bellinger is a British music video director. Bellinger is currently affiliated with Merge @ Crossroads Films. In addition to music videos, she has also directed TV adverts for Rimmel and M & S fashion Spring and Autumn-Videography:1997...
, was premièred on 3 December 2008. In the run-up to the single's release, commentators began to speculate that the song could possibly become the first single by the group to miss the top 10. However, "The Loving Kind" peaked at number ten on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, becoming Girls Aloud's twentieth consecutive top ten single.
- "UntouchableUntouchable (Girls Aloud song)"Untouchable" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Influenced by trance music and Balearic...
" was released on 27 April 2009, and is the twenty first single by Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
and the third taken from Out of Control. It was peaked at number eleven in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It Is their lowest charting single to date.
Critical reception
Critical response to Out of Control was positive. Aggregating website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reports a normalised
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating of 63% based on nine critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. It was described as "their most melancholy album to date". The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
wrote that Girls Aloud "show no sign of flagging in their quest to push the boundaries of the pop song" and noticed that they "continue to be as inventive as ever." BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
described Out of Control as "a shimmering album of heartbreaking electro pop" and exclaimed that it is "pop music at its finest." Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
found it "smart, adventurous, emotionally resonant and often very, very catchy" and called it "an absolute delight" and Girls Aloud's "fourth terrific album in a row". MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
noticed that it is "chock-full of those trademark, otherworldy electro-synth songs" and concluded by calling it "yet another excellent album from a group who may have risen from a lot of people's 'guilty pleasure' to becoming full-on national treasures". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
hailed it as "one of the best pop albums of 2008" and said that Girls Aloud "are in a position where they can let the music do all the talking for them". NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
praised the songs "Love Is The Key", "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time" and "Untouchable
Untouchable (Girls Aloud song)
"Untouchable" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Influenced by trance music and Balearic...
" and stated that although it is "not their best" effort, it is "more consistent than any British indie album released this year".
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
said that it "barely steers too far from their recipe for success", but more or less praised the album, awarding it seven out of ten. The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
gave it three out of five stars, but felt that Girls Aloud raised the bar so spectacularly that this album "suggests that Xenomania's once-bottomless well of great ideas is running dry". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
stated that "despite ear-catching touches [...], nothing hits the spot like the Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
-like single The Promise
The Promise (Girls Aloud song)
"The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
described Girls Aloud's output as "the musical equivalent of the lingering aftertaste of synthetic sweeteners", calling the album "meekly conformist pop."
The album appeared on Critic's Choice lists by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
contributors Keith Caulfield, Hazel Davis, and Mikael Wood.
Track listings and formats
Personnel
- Joe Auckland – Strings, Woodwind
- Dick Beetham – Mastering
- Nick Coler – Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
- Miranda Cooper – Keyboards, Programming
- Brian Higgins – Producer
- Tim Powell – Keyboards, Programming
- Toby Scott – Keyboards, Programming, Engineer
- Sacha Collisson - Keyboards, Programming
- Adrian Smith – Strings, Woodwind
- Jeremy Wheatley – Mixing
- Neil Tennant - Keyboards and backing vocals on "The Loving Kind"
- Chris Lowe - Keyboards on "The Loving Kind"
Charts and certifications
Out of Control debuted in the Irish Albums ChartIrish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
at number seven, the highest debut of the week & their second highest charting in Ireland. It debuted in the UK Albums Chart chart at number one. This is their first studio album to achieve the coveted number one position.. The album Girls A Live also entered the UK Albums Chart at number 29. Out of Control spent five weeks in the UK top five overall, and three additional weeks in the top ten. In the top 10 albums chart of 2008, Out of Control came eighth, selling nearly 600,000 copies within just two months. On 4 January 2009, The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits
The Sound of Girls Aloud
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits anthology by British and Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2006 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first number one album. As of...
re-entered the charts at number six while Out of Control was number ten, thus giving Girls Aloud two top ten albums at the same time.
Out of Control has sold over 800,000 copies.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
7 | 2x Platinum |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 | 2× Platinum |
| UK Top 10 Albums 2008 | 8 | |
| Greek International Album Charts | 32 | — |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 31 October 2008 | Polydor Records Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... |
CD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
1790073 |
| United Kingdom | 3 November 2008 | Fascination Records Fascination Records Fascination Records is a UK-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in spring 2006, and is managed by former TOTP Magazine editor Peter Loraine... |
||
| Germany | 10 April 2009 | Polydor Records | 0602517959958 |