Criminal (Lindsay Ell song)

"Criminal" is a song recorded by Canadian country music singer Lindsay Ell for her third studio album, The Project (2017). Ell co-wrote the song with Fred Wilhelm and Chris Stevens, while Kristian Bush of Sugarland produced the track. It was released to American country radio on December 11, 2017 through Stoney Creek Records as the album's second single.[2]

"Criminal"
Single by Lindsay Ell
from the album The Project
ReleasedDecember 11, 2017 (2017-12-11)
Recorded2016
GenreCountry rock[1]
Length3:22
LabelStoney Creek
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Kristian Bush
Lindsay Ell singles chronology
"Waiting on You"
(2017)		 "Criminal"
(2017)		 "The Worst Kind"
(2018)

"Criminal" peaked at numbers 19 and 28 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, respectively, marking Ell's first top 40 single on the former and first charting entry on the latter. In Canada, the song also peaked at number one on the Canada Country chart, becoming the first single by a Canadian solo female artist to do so since 2008.[3]

Composition

"Criminal" is a guitar-driven country rock song whose production has been described as more "accessible" than Ell's previous singles.[1] Lyrically, the song describes the "early torment" of a surprising new love and compares the stealing of her heart to literal theft.[1][4] Ell elaborated to Radio.com that she wrote the song about being grateful for the way some people, "will walk into your life, and you don't really know where they came from or how they came at the time they did," and that the criminal allegory is a "really happy" one.[5] It was one of the first songs written for The Project, and Ell told KNIX-FM that she "knew ["Criminal"] was going to be important to me and my career," when it was recorded in 2016.[6]

Release and promotion

"Criminal" was announced as the follow-up to her breakthrough single, "Waiting on You", in November 2017.[7] It was made available to country radio in the United States through PlayMPE on November 17, 2017 and received 10 adds.[8][9] The song was officially promoted to radio on December 11, 2017.[2] For that week, the song was picked up by an additional 51 radio stations and served as the week's most-added single.[10]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country complimented the song's "made-for-radio" production and wrote that Ell's vocals on the track were "nothing short of convincing."[1] Kelly Brickey of Sounds Like Nashville wrote that Ell "gets away with murder in the sweetest way," on "Criminal" and praised the way she "put[s] her heart and soul on the line."[4] In a review of her performance of the song at 2017's "Next Women of Country" showcase, Samantha Stevens of CMT wrote that "[Ell's] pure and sweet vocal tone and clever use of imagery and play on words are what makes her songs so catchy and lovable."[11]

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Zavadil and premiered on CMT, GAC & VEVO in April 2018.[12]

Chart performance

"Criminal" debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated December 23, 2017 and was the week's highest-debuting single.[13] The song became Ell's first top 40 hit the following week, when the song rose from 54 to 40.[14] It has since reached a peak position of 19 and is Ell's highest-charting single to date.[15] "Criminal" debuted at number 47 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated January 27, 2018.[16] The song is Ell's first entry on the multi-metric chart.[17] It has since peaked at number 28.[17] In Canada, "Criminal" reached number one on the Canada Country airplay chart.[18] This made it Ell's first number one, as well as the first single by a solo female artist to reach the top position on that chart since Terri Clark's "In My Next Life" in 2008.[3][19]

Charts
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References
  1. Dukes, Billy (December 13, 2017). "Sound Off: Is Lindsay Ell's 'Criminal' a Hit? [Listen]". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  2. "Single Releases : MusicRow". MusicRow. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  3. Parton, Chris (April 9, 2018). "Lindsay Ell's 'Criminal': See Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  4. Brickey, Kelly (December 16, 2017). "Lindsay Ell Falls Dangerously in Love in 'Criminal'". Sounds Like Nashville. SpinMedia. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  5. Ives, Brian (May 13, 2016). "Lindsay Ell Talks 'By The Way' And Jamming With Legends". Radio.com. Entercom. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  6. "Lindsay Ell Explains Why 'Criminal' Is Her Favorite Song (VIDEO)". KNIX-FM. iHeartMedia. December 4, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  7. Langeler, Wes (November 29, 2017). "Crazy Talented Lindsay Ell Announces Next Single "Criminal"". Whiskey Riff. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  8. "Lindsay Ell - Criminal". Daily PlayMPE. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  9. Cantor, Brian (November 21, 2017). "Thomas Rhett's "Marry Me" Ranks As Country Radio's Most Added Song". Headline Planet. Cantortainment. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  10. Cantor, Brian (December 11, 2017). "Lindsay Ell's "Criminal" Ranks As Country Radio's Most Added Song". Headline Planet. Cantortainment. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  11. Stephens, Samantha (February 23, 2017). "Lindsay Ell: CMT Next Women of Country Live Exclusive". CMT. Viacom. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  12. "Lindsay Ell Is Off Vocal Rest and She Couldn't Be Happier". One Country. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  13. "Country Airplay: The Week Of December 23, 2017". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  14. Trust, Gary; Anderson, Trevor; Asker, Jim (December 20, 2017). "Chart Beat Podcast: Mariah Carey's 'Christmas' Present & Guest Lindsay Ell". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  15. "Lindsay Ell Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  16. "Hot Country Songs: The Week Of January 27, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  17. "Lindsay Ell Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  18. "Lindsay Ell Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  19. "Jess Moskaluke in the Driver's Seat with "Drive Me Away"" (press release). The Music Express. May 11, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  20. "Country Airplay – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  21. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
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