Pixie Lott (album)

Pixie Lott is the third studio album by English singer Pixie Lott. It was released on 1 August 2014 by Virgin EMI Records. Lott began recording the album in mid-2012, citing Motown as an influence on the album. "Nasty" was released as the album's lead single on 7 March 2014. The second single, "Lay Me Down", was released on 25 July 2014.

Pixie Lott
Studio album by Pixie Lott
Released	1 August 2014 (2014-08-01)
Recorded	2012–2013
Genre	Pop soul R&B
Length	42:36
Label	Virgin EMI
Producer	A.D.A.M. Jerry Abbott Rami Afuni Craze & Hoax Dreamlab Jon Green Mads Hauge Jay Reynolds Jack Splash Phil Thornalley
Pixie Lott chronology
Young Foolish Happy (2011) Pixie Lott (2014) Platinum Pixie: Hits (2014)
Singles from Pixie Lott
"Nasty" Released: 7 March 2014 "Lay Me Down" Released: 25 July 2014

Background

In June 2012, Lott revealed plans to record a Motown-influenced album. "I'm going to be heading to New York to work with the guys who did the original Motown records in the sixties to make a new album soon", Lott told the Daily Star.[1] The album was primarily recorded in London and New York City, as well as in Miami.[2]

The album was finished by June 2013, when Lott stated that she hoped to release the first single in October, and the album would follow in 2014.[3] During a Google+ Hangout on 2 December 2013, Lott announced that her third album would be titled Pixie Lott, along with the accompanying artwork.[4] She explained to Billboard that the album would be self-titled because this one "represents me the most out of all of my albums", adding, "My last album had some dance tracks and some soul tracks, but this one is more centered."[2]

Promotion and singles

In November 2013, Lott unveiled a preview of the music video for the single "Nasty".[5] In early December, it was confirmed that "Nasty", which was originally recorded by Christina Aguilera as a duet with CeeLo Green for the 2010 film Burlesque, would serve as the album's lead single.[4] Released on 7 March 2014,[6] the single reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number 43 on the Irish Singles Chart.[7][8]

A music video for the song "Heart Cry" was filmed in Paris and premiered on 17 December 2013.[9] On 21 July 2014, the track was released as a free download through Amazon.co.uk for a limited time.[10]

"Lay Me Down" was released on 25 July 2014 as the second single from the album.[11] The song peaked at number 114 on the UK Singles Chart.[12]

"Break Up Song" was set to be released as the album's third single, but it was ultimately canceled.[13] The music video was directed by Nick Bartlett and premiered on 19 September 2014. The video was filmed at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel London and co-stars Lott's boyfriend, model Oliver Cheshire.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
Daily Express	2/5[16]
Hot Press	3/5[17]
Irish Independent	[18]
London Evening Standard	[19]
The Observer	[20]
The Times	[21]
Virgin Media	[22]

Pixie Lott received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that although the album "does attempt to tone down her girlishness", Lott "can't run away from her ebullient instincts, and that sprightliness is why Pixie Lott is an enjoyable piece of high gloss pop."[15] John Walshe of Hot Press commented that Lott "succeeds in unleashing her inner diva throughout these highly polished R&B-tinged pop standards, complete with backing vocals that could have been lifted from the golden era of soul music itself."[17] David Smyth of the London Evening Standard noted that the album trades "the electronic pop touches of its predecessor" for "a more organic sound that comes across like a lightweight Amy Winehouse", while complimenting the songs "Break Up Song", "Bang" and "Kill a Man". However, Smyth concluded that "Lott sings with a lot of bravura but surprisingly little soul."[19]

Martin Townsend of the Daily Express was complimentary of opening song "Nasty", but criticised the rest of the album as "standard, crescendoing modern r'n'b distinguished only by Lott's rather unattractive nasal warble."[16] Matthew Horton of Virgin Media opined that the album "suggests Pixie Lott [...] is a genuine retro-soul diva, comfortable with the grandstanding ballads and the slinky R&B stompers", but felt that "[t]he risk with these retro tools is slipping into pastiche".[22] Despite stating that tracks like "Leaving You" and "Cry and Smile" "best showcase [Lott's] smoky vocals", the Irish Independent characterised the album as "a middle ground of Bruno Mars and edgeless Winehouse", expressing that its "main issue" is that "almost everything about it is second-hand."[18] Will Hodgkinson of The Times commented that "[y]ou can't get away from the feeling that [Lott] is imitating a soul singer rather than actually being one", adding that "while you can see the record company-led logic of Lott moving away from pure pop and heading towards classic soul, it's a misguided and unconvincing new look."[21] Killian Fox of The Observer wrote, "The execution is proficient enough, but everything about the album lacks character, from the anodyne production to the wafer-thin songs, which reveal what they're all about within the first verse."[20]

Commercial performance

Pixie Lott debuted at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 3,895 copies in its first week.[12] The following week, the album fell to number 94 with 934 copies sold.[23]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Nasty"	Jack Splash Thomas Callaway Claude Kelly Harry Casey Richard Finch Billy Nichols James Brown	Splash	2:46
2.	"Lay Me Down"	Adam Pallin Ashton Parson Matt Parad	A.D.A.M. Jerry Abbott^[a]	3:25
3.	"Break Up Song"	Pixie Lott Rami Afuni Jim Irvin	Afuni Abbott^[b]	3:46
4.	"Champion"	Jonathan Green Mads Hauge Phil Thornalley	Hauge Jon Green Thornalley	2:54
5.	"Kill a Man"	P. Lott Afuni Louis M. Freeze Larry E. Muggerud Senen Reyes Lowell Fulson Jimmy McCracklin	Afuni Abbott^[b]	3:17
6.	"Ain't Got You"	Andrew Wyatt	Abbott	4:08
7.	"Heart Cry"	Afuni	Afuni Abbott^[b]	3:32
8.	"Ocean"	P. Lott Abbott Irvin	Abbott	4:12
9.	"Raise Up"	P. Lott Harry Craze Hugo Chegwin Lisa Greene Gavin Jones	Craze & Hoax^[c] Abbott^[b]	3:36
10.	"Bang"	P. Lott Afuni Maureen Anne McDonald	Afuni Abbott^[b]	3:34
11.	"Leaving You"	P. Lott Abbott Irvin	Abbott	3:47
12.	"Cry and Smile"	P. Lott Charlie-Ann Lott Abbott Andrew Jackson	Abbott	3:39

Japanese edition bonus tracks[24]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"	Gary Jackson Raynard Miner Carl Smith	Abbott	3:26
14.	"Cry Baby"	P. Lott Daniel James Leah Haywood Kasia Livingston	Dreamlab Abbott^[b]	3:31
15.	"The Girl You Left Behind"	P. Lott Abbott Irvin	Abbott	3:15
16.	"Nasty" (The Vamps duet)	Splash Callaway Kelly Casey Finch Nichols Brown	Jay Reynolds Splash	2:47

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies a vocal producer
• ^{^b} signifies an additional producer
• ^{^c} signifies an original producer

Sample credits

• "Nasty" features song adaptations of "Dance Across the Floor" written Harry Casey and Richard Finch, "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" written by Billy Nichols, and "Funky President (People It's Bad)" written by James Brown.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the Japanese edition of Pixie Lott.[25]

• Pixie Lott – vocals (all tracks); backing vocals (track 12)
• Jerry Abbott – vocal production (track 2); vocal recording (tracks 3, 5, 10, 14); percussion (tracks 3, 5–7, 9, 10, 12, 15); bass (tracks 3, 5, 7, 10–13, 15); additional keyboards (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 10); additional production (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14); guitar (tracks 3, 5, 7, 8, 10–13, 15); additional engineering (tracks 3, 6, 8, 9, 14); engineering (tracks 5, 7, 10–13, 15); production (tracks 6, 8, 11–13, 15); programming (tracks 6, 8, 9, 11–13, 15); recording (tracks 8, 11, 15); mixing (tracks 8, 11, 12, 15); keyboards (tracks 12, 13, 15); handclaps (track 13)
• Rami Afuni – production (tracks 3, 5, 7, 10)
• Connor Ball – bass, vocals (track 16)
• Nick Barr – viola (tracks 6, 9)
• Ian Burdge – cello (tracks 6, 9)
• Simon Clarke – saxophone (tracks 6, 8)
• Craze & Hoax – original production (track 9)
• Tim Debney – mastering engineering (track 15)
• Alison Dods – violin (tracks 6, 9)
• Dreamlab – production (track 14)
• Michael Duke – additional vocals (tracks 1, 16)
• Coco Dupree – backing vocals (tracks 3, 5, 7, 10, 11)
• Jake Edwards-Wood – Hammond organ, piano (track 11)
• Benjamin Epstein – bass (tracks 6, 8)
• Tristan Evans – drums, vocals (track 16)
• Ben 'Jah' Fairman – voice of boxing commentator (track 4)
• Jon Green – backing vocals, bass guitar, production (track 4); guitar, keyboards (tracks 4, 6); piano (tracks 4, 9); Hammond organ (track 8)
• Searah Hall – backing vocals (tracks 6, 9)
• Mads Hauge – backing vocals, production (track 4)
• Stuart Hawkes – mastering engineering (tracks 1–14)
• Sally Herbert – string arrangement (track 6); violin (tracks 6, 9); string session (track 9)
• Emily Holligan – backing vocals (tracks 3, 5–11)
• Kick Horns – horns (tracks 6, 8)
• Jim Irvin – percussion (tracks 8, 11); additional programming (track 11)
• Andrew Jackson – backing vocals (track 12)
• Oli Langford – violin (tracks 6, 9)
• Dave Liddell – trombone (tracks 6, 8)
• Joshua McKenzie – drums (track 6); additional drums (track 8)
• James McVey – guitar, vocals (track 16)
• Elisabeth Melton – backing vocals (tracks 6, 9)
• Grace Mitchell – backing vocals (tracks 6, 9)
• George Murphy – recording engineering (tracks 6, 9); percussion (track 6); bass, Hammond and horn engineering and recording (track 8)
• Andrew Murray – string arrangement, string programming (track 3); Wurlitzer (track 6); piano (tracks 6, 8); Hammond organ (track 8)
• Michael James Onufrak – string arrangement (track 2)
• Adam Pallin – engineering, production, programming (track 2)
• Matt Parad – whistles (track 2)
• Ashton Parsons – backing vocals (track 2)
• Ryan Quigley – trumpet (tracks 6, 8)
• Jay Reynolds – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 16); additional drum programming (tracks 1, 2, 6, 9, 16); additional drums, programming (track 4); keyboards, production (track 16)
• Kate Robinson – violin (tracks 6, 9)
• Tim Sanders – tenor saxophone (tracks 6, 8)
• Bradley Simpson – guitar, vocals (track 16)
• Jack Splash – arrangement, drums, engineering, keyboards, percussion, production, programming (tracks 1, 16)
• Paul Spong – trumpet (tracks 6, 8)
• Mark 'Spike' Stent – mixing (track 14)
• Phil Thornalley – backing vocals, electric sitar, guitar, drums, percussion, production, programming (track 4)
• David Tozer – mixing (track 13)
• Jeremy Wheatley – mixing (tracks 3, 5, 7, 10)
• Lucy Wilkins – violin (tracks 6, 9)
• Christian Wright – mastering engineering (track 16)

Charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
Irish Albums (IRMA)[26]	100
Scottish Albums (OCC)[27]	19
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[28]	80
UK Albums (OCC)[29]	15

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Ireland	1 August 2014	CD digital download	Virgin EMI	[30][31]
United Kingdom	4 August 2014			[32][33]
Germany	6 August 2014	Digital download	Universal	[34]
Japan		CD digital download		[24][35]
Australia	8 August 2014	Digital download		[36]
Germany		CD		[37]

References

1. Dawson, Kim; Cabooter, James (19 June 2012). "Pixie Lott to join soul mates". Daily Star. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
2. Lipshutz, Jason (27 March 2014). "Pixie Lott Talks New Self-Titled Album, 'Fuller' Live Show". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
3. Ingham, James (23 June 2013). "Pixie Lott's third album on the way". Daily Star. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
4. Corner, Lewis (3 December 2013). "Pixie Lott announces new single 'Nasty', self-titled album". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
5. Copsey, Robert (13 November 2013). "Pixie Lott shoots music video for new single – watch". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
6. "Nasty – EP by Pixie Lott". iTunes Store (Ireland). Retrieved 14 August 2014.
7. "Pixie Lott". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
8. "Discography Pixie Lott". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
9. Taylor, Frances (17 December 2013). "Pixie Lott debuts new song 'Heart Cry' video – watch". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
10. "Heart Cry: Pixie Lott: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
11. "Lay Me Down EP by Pixie Lott". 7digital (Ireland). Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
12. Jones, Alan (11 August 2014). "Nico & Vinz's Am I Wrong sells over 100k to top singles chart". Music Week. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
13. Lott, Pixie [@PixieLott] (7 September 2014). "Who saw me singing my new single #BreakUpSong on @SundayBrunchC4? 💛" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 September 2014 – via Twitter.
14. Love, Ryan (19 September 2014). "Pixie Lott and Oliver Cheshire get steamy in 'Break Up Song' video". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
15. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pixie Lott – Pixie Lott". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
16. Townsend, Martin (3 August 2014). "Album Reviews: Gramercy Arms, Pixie Lott, Tom Petty and Andy Bell". Daily Express. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
17. Walshe, John (12 August 2014). "Pixie Lott – Album Review". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
18. "Other albums released this week at a glance". Irish Independent. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
19. Smyth, David (1 August 2014). "Album reviews of the week (Aug 1–7)". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
20. Fox, Killian (3 August 2014). "Pixie Lott review – self-titled tribute to Motown gives musical homage a bad name". The Observer. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
21. Hodgkinson, Will (1 August 2014). "Pixie Lott: Pixie Lott". The Times. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
22. Horton, Matthew. "Pixie Lott: Pixie Lott Album Review". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
23. Jones, Alan (18 August 2014). "Official Charts Analysis: Nico & Vinz hold No.1 single spot with Am I Wrong selling 62,750". Music Week. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
24. ピクシー・ロット [Pixie Lott] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
25. Pixie Lott (Japanese edition liner notes). Pixie Lott. Universal Music Japan. 2014. UICW-10003.CS1 maint: others (link)
26. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 32, 2014". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
27. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
28. "2014년 33주차 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
29. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
30. "Lott,pixie – Pixie Lott". Tower Records Ireland. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
31. "Pixie Lott by Pixie Lott". 7digital (Ireland). Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
32. "Pixie Lott by Pixie Lott". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
33. "Pixie Lott: Pixie Lott: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
34. "Pixie Lott: Pixie Lott: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
35. "Pixie Lott by Pixie Lott". iTunes Store (Japan). Retrieved 4 August 2014.
36. "Pixie Lott by Pixie Lott". zdigital (Australia). Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
37. "Pixie Lott" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 4 August 2014.