Overpowered
Overpowered | ||||
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Studio album by Róisín Murphy | ||||
Released | 11 October 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006–07 | |||
Genre | Dance-pop, electropop | |||
Length | 59:49 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Producer | ||||
Róisín Murphy chronology | ||||
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Singles from Overpowered | ||||
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Overpowered is the second solo studio album by Irish recording artist Róisín Murphy, released on 11 October 2007 by EMI. The album was to be released in the United States in late 2008 or early 2009, but was cancelled by EMI due to financial difficulties on their part.
Receiving widespread critical acclaim, the album was more commercially successful than its predecessor, Ruby Blue (2005), reaching number twenty on the UK Albums Chart. Overpowered was nominated for the 2007 Choice Music Prize in Murphy's native Ireland.[1]
Background
In 2006, whilst promoting her band Moloko's greatest hits album, Catalogue, Murphy announced that she was recording a new album to be released in 2007. After signing to EMI in May 2006, Murphy set out to produce a pop album with a heavy disco influence. With a bigger budget behind her than with her last record company, the independent Echo Records, Murphy recorded around thirty songs for the album with various producers and writers in Miami, London and Barcelona, commenting that each of the producers aided the pop influence of the album, as they all wanted to write "the single".
Art direction
The artwork for Overpowered and its accompanying single releases was conceptualised by Scott King (who also directed the promotional videos for "Overpowered" and "Let Me Know"), and the cover images were photographed by Jonathan de Villiers. The artwork places Murphy wearing extraordinary outfits in everyday surroundings, presenting her as a "street diva"[2] and a constant performer. Murphy wears outfits by Gareth Pugh, Givenchy and Viktor & Rolf in the artwork.[3]
The design inside the booklet for Overpowered features a cryptic assemblage (resembling a flowchart but lacking directional indications found in such) made up of boxes containing statements and quotes, as well as apparent excerpts from the written treatment for the promotional video of "Let Me Know" and assorted photographs. Among the known quotations: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" (Laurie Anderson) and "I got signed to EMI because I reminded them of Robbie Williams" (Murphy).[3] According to Murphy, the photography for the album and single sleeves cost £125,000.[4]
Singles and promotion
The album was preceded by the title track "Overpowered", released as its lead single on 9 July 2007. Murphy's official website announced on 6 July 2007 that the single was not chart eligible but instead was used as an introduction for her start at EMI. The second single from the album was the song "Let Me Know", released a week before the album. It reached number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart. Several months later, "You Know Me Better" was released as the album's third single on 31 March 2008, peaking at number forty-seven in the UK. Murphy announced in an interview that "Movie Star" would be released as the album's fourth single. It was released digitally in the United States on 13 October 2008. However, a planned worldwide double A-side release of the single along with Murphy's cover of Bryan Ferry's 1985 song "Slave to Love" was cancelled. "Slave to Love" has become an underground hit in clubs and raves worldwide since its leak onto the Internet, spawning several unauthorised remixes and extended versions.
Tour
In support of the album, Murphy embarked on an extensive tour across Europe. During the tour, Murphy also performed in Australia and a one-night show in New York City. On 27 October 2007, Murphy sustained an eye injury during a concert in a Moscow club and had to cancel several subsequent shows.[5] In total, Murphy performed ninety-four shows in twenty-nine countries.[6]
Critical reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 82/100[7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
About.com | [8] |
AllMusic | [9] |
BBC Music | very favourable[10] |
Drowned in Sound | 6/10[11] |
musicOMH | [12] |
NME | 6/10[13] |
The Observer | [14] |
Pitchfork Media | 8.0/10[15] |
Stylus Magazine | B+[16] |
The Sunday Times | [17] |
Overpowered received general acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[7] The Observer 's Garry Mulholland lauded the album as "a sumptuous 11-track, all-killer-no-filler, electro-disco gem" that "sees Murphy striving to get rid of her Big Hit Albatross", adding that "Overpowered 's bubbling, sensual, and soulful glitterball gems effortlessly tap into the perennial glory of feeling lost and lonely at the disco at the end of the world."[14] AllMusic editor Heather Phares called it "[a]ptly enough for such a pop-focused album" and wrote that "nearly every song on Overpowered sounds like a potential smash hit. Even if this album is a bid for the big time, it's done with such flair that it just underscores what a confident and unique artist Murphy really is."[9] Ben Urdang of musicOMH cited Overpowered as Murphy's "most coherent album yet", noting that her songwriting "appears to be stronger than ever with a consistent style and sound emerging throughout."[12] Stephen Trouss of Pitchfork Media commented, "In a year of low-stakes disappointment for European pop, Overpowered is a triumph."[15] BBC Music's Sonja D'Cruze concluded, "From start to finish Roisin fronts an inventive, unpredictable record. Overpowered spits glitter with every song and could go a long way to bringing back a disco chic revival."[10]
Jax Spike of About.com described the album as "pretty overpowering itself, containing solid electropop music with plenty of funky flavor and some really wild beats, with her smooth voice exuding confidence despite any moments of breathiness."[8] The Sunday Times critic Mark Edwards opined that "[t]he music on Overpowered plays down her quirky (all right, difficult) side in favour of a melange of disco/house styles from 1975 to 1989. It lacks the glam wit of Goldfrapp or the cheekiness of Kylie [Minogue], but it's brisk and efficient."[17] The NME referred to Overpowered as "a thoroughly modern pop album that will best appeal to ageing clubbers."[13] Cpt H.M. 'Howling Mad' Murdock of Drowned in Sound felt that "[n]ot once does Overpowered really drag its feet, but it never truly impacts with the might one could possibly expect from an artist with such a fine pedigree. It's a solid pop album, one wonderfully in tune with today's stylistic shifts and trends."[11] Emily Mackay of Yahoo! Music expressed that on Overpowered, Murphy "melded the two sides of her history much more seamlessly; four-to-the-floor pop belters mix with touches of electronic and lyrical darkness to make one of the pop albums of the year."[18] Stylus Magazine's Dan MacRae believed that "Overpowered knows how to squeech and squelch in the proper places, while touches of cowbell, beatboxery, and the occasional Prince styled riff all get sprinkled in accordingly."[16] Lauren Murphy of entertainment.ie was not impressed, writing that "this is an album that sticks rigidly to a tried-and-tested formula, rarely colouring outside the lines or deviating from the disco/house vibe", but noted that "there are some fantastically uplifting dance-pop tunes here, all launched forth with the effortless vigour that Murphy does so well."[19]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length | |
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1. | "Overpowered" |
| Seiji | 5:08 | |
2. | "You Know Me Better" |
|
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4:18 | |
3. | "Checkin' on Me" |
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4:39 | |
4. | "Let Me Know" |
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5:10 | |
5. | "Movie Star" |
| Parrot & Dean | 4:02 | |
6. | "Primitive" |
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4:50 | |
7. | "Footprints" |
| Seiji | 3:37 | |
8. | "Dear Miami" |
| Seiji | 3:41 | |
9. | "Cry Baby" |
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5:55 | |
10. | "Tell Everybody" |
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3:51 | |
11. | "Scarlet Ribbons" |
| Dan Carey | 5:36 | |
12. | "Body Language" (bonus track) |
| Cato | 4:40 | |
13. | "Parallel Lives" (bonus track) |
| Richard X | 4:22 |
European iTunes Store bonus track | ||||||||||
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No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length | ||||||
14. | "Pandora" |
| Richard X | 3:56 |
- Notes
Other songs
B-sides and online exclusives
- "Foolish" (Róisín Murphy, Paul Dolby) – 3:28
- "Sweet Nothings" (Murphy, Lajuana Pigram, Jimmy Douglass, Ivan Corraliza) – 3:44
- "Sunshine" (Murphy, Richard Barratt, Dean Honer, Cathy Dennis) – 3:08
- "Unlovable" (Murphy, Dolby, Mark de Clive-Lowe) – 3:56
- "Keep It Loose" (Murphy, Dolby, Mike Patto, Robin Mullarkey, Toni Economides) – 3:26
- "Modern Timing" (Murphy, Corraliza) – 4:28
- "Slave to Love" (Bryan Ferry) – 3:41
Unreleased songs
These songs were written and/or recorded by Murphy for Overpowered, but remain unreleased.
- "Don't Let It Go to Your Head Boy" (Murphy, Cathy Dennis, Calvin Harris)[20]
- "Earn It" (Murphy, Mike Ward, Richard Barratt, Dean Honer)[21]
- "Off & On" (Murphy, Dennis, Harris)[22]
During an interview with Popjustice, Scottish electronic musician Calvin Harris called Murphy "a bit mental" for not including the songs "Off & On" and "Don't Let It Go to Your Head Boy" on Overpowered. Furthermore, he accused her of "cost[ing] me all sorts of money" during recording.[23] Murphy and Harris have since resolved their differences, and the song "Off & On" was ultimately recorded by English pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor for her 2011 album Make a Scene.[24][25]
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Overpowered.[26]
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA)[40] | Gold | 15,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] | Silver | 60,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
Release history
Region | Date | Label |
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Germany[42] | 11 October 2007 | EMI |
Netherlands[43] | ||
Ireland | 12 October 2007 | |
France[44] | 15 October 2007 | |
Poland[45] | ||
United Kingdom[46] | ||
Finland[47] | 17 October 2007 | |
Australia[48] | 26 October 2007 |
References
- ↑ "Past prizes – 2007". Choice Music Prize. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "Roisin – the official biography". roisinmurphy.blogspot.com. 28 September 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 louis (7 April 2008). "Roisin Murphy: Overpowered". Sleevage. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ Sweeny, Eamon (28 November 2008). "Roisin Murphy: I'm no R'N'R cliche...". Irish Independent. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ↑ MacInnes, Paul (29 October 2007). "Roisin Murphy recovering after eye-socket injury". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
- ↑ MacInnes, Paul. "The Mommas Place, place for Roisin Murphy Fans". Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Overpowered – Roisin Murphy". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Spike, Jax. "Roisin Murphy – 'Overpowered'". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Phares, Heather. "Overpowered – Róisín Murphy". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 D'Cruze, Sonja (10 October 2007). "Review of Róisín Murphy – Overpowered". BBC Music. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Murdock, Cpt H.M. 'Howling Mad' (24 October 2007). "Roisin Murphy – Overpowered". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Urdang, Ben. "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered (EMI)". musicOMH. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Roisin Murphy: 'Overpowered'". NME. IPC Media. 12 October 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mulholland, Garry (14 October 2007). "Roisin Murphy, Overpowered". The Observer. theguardian.com. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Trouss, Stephen (18 October 2007). "Róisín Murphy: Overpowered". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 MacRae, Dan (24 October 2007). "Roisin Murphy – Overpowered". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Edwards, Mark (14 October 2007). "Roisin Murphy: Overpowered". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ Mackay, Emily (18 October 2007). "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ Murphy, Lauren (1 November 2007). "Roisin Murphy – Overpowered". entertainment.ie. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ "Don't Let It Go to Your Head Boy". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
- ↑ "Earn It". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
- ↑ "Off & On". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
- ↑ Robinson, Peter (18 May 2007). "Calvin Harris Interview". Popjustice. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ Ramaswamy, Chitra (25 May 2008). "Rock Ness artist: Roisin Murphy". Scotland on Sunday. Johnston Press. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ O'Brien, Jon. "Make a Scene – Sophie Ellis-Bextor". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ Overpowered (CD liner notes). Róisín Murphy. EMI. 2007. 5070902.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ "European Top 100 Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy, Overpowered" (in German). charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 25 October 2007". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży". OLiS. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ↑ "Róisín Murphy – Overpowered". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- ↑ "2007 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 27 October 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2007 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2008". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Róisín Murphy – Overpowered". British Phonographic Industry. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013. Enter Overpowered in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "Róisin Murphy // Overpowered" (in German). EMI Music Germany. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ "Overpowered | Roisin Murphy" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ "Overpowered : Roisin Murphy" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ "Overpowered – Murphy Roisin" (in Polish). Empik. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ "Overpowered". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ "Roisin Murphy: Overpowered" (in Finnish). EMI Music Finland. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ "Overpowered – Murphy, Roisin". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
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