Public Warning

Public Warning is the first studio album by English hip hop artist Lady Sovereign, released on 31 October 2006. Was originally due for release in November 2005 but was pushed back after Lady Sovereign was signed by Island Def Jam.

Public Warning
Studio album by Lady Sovereign
Released	31 October 2006 (2006-10-31)
Recorded	2004–2006
Genre	Grime hip hop electronica
Length	44:27
Label	Def Jam
Producer	Lady Sovereign (exec.) Basement Jaxx Dr. Luke Medasyn
Lady Sovereign chronology
Blah Blah (2006) Public Warning (2006) Jigsaw (2009)
Singles from Public Warning
"Random" Released: 14 March 2005 "9 to 5" Released: 8 August 2005 "Hoodie" Released: 21 November 2005 "Love Me or Hate Me" Released: 30 October 2006 "Those Were the Days" Released: 9 April 2007

In a July 2006 press release, the album's track listing was confirmed. Public Warning features Lady Sovereign's three past singles, tracks from her two EPs: Vertically Challenged and Blah Blah, as well as newly recorded tracks for the release, including "Love Me or Hate Me" and "Those Were the Days". The album was released in the U.K. on 5 February 2007, with a live cover of the Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" as a bonus track.

Public Warning received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the production and lyrical content for carrying both humor and substance. The album sold over 125,000 copies in the United States [1] and sold 250,000 copies worldwide. [2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	67/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The A.V. Club	B+[5]
Drowned in Sound	8/10[6]
Entertainment Weekly	B[7]
The Guardian	[8]
Pitchfork	6.4/10[9]
PopMatters	[10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Slant Magazine	[12]
Stylus Magazine	D+[13]

Public Warning received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 67, based on 34 reviews.[3]

AllMusic editor David Jeffries praised the album for Medasyn's production and Sovereign's lyrical content for being relatable, calling it "an exciting introduction to an extraordinary artist captured at just the right time."[4] Michaelangelo Matos of The A.V. Club compared the album to The Sex Pistols, praising tracks like "Tango" and "Hoodie" for their angst-filled energy, saying "Even if Sov doesn't cross over the way she or Def Jam might want her to, she still sounds like an original—even for people who know half the songs already."[5] Mike Diver of Drowned in Sound praised the album for having solid production and lyrical content that's both gritty and humorous, saying "When her tongue's in cheek and her rhymes amuse, Lady Sovereign is hugely entertaining."[6]

Michael Endelman of Entertainment Weekly found criticism in the album's overly frenetic beats and out-of-tune choruses but praised Sovereign for her humor and lyrical flow, saying that her "rubbery rhymes and punky energy are definitely entertaining, and well worth sampling in moderate doses."[7] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews commented that Sovereign's heavily accented lyrics and electronic beats can get abrasive at times but said the album has crossover potential because of her flow and humor that requires little British familiarity.[14]

The album also received negative reception from critics. Alex Macpherson of The Guardian commented on Sovereign's talent being wasted on hollow content and production that moved towards ska-punk than grime, calling it "the sound of a fantastic artist seemingly intent on compromising all her strengths."[8] Baz Dreisinger of The Village Voice compared Sovereign to Eminem, commenting on the catchy choruses, juvenile humor and one-liners throughout the album but felt that it lacked character and substance to match the comparison.[15] The most critical of the album was Al Shipley of Stylus Magazine, who heavily criticized the botched humor, synthpop production and Sovereign's lyrical flow, saying that she "simulates the altogether new and horrible experience of hearing Eliza Doolittle rap."[13]

Rolling Stone ranked the album number 48 on its list of Best Albums of 2006.[16]

Censored version

A censored version was also released that used backmasking and sound effects over the profanities. The album booklet still has all the lyrics written out, but the profanities are starred over.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"9 to 5"	Louise Harman Gabriel Olegavich	Medasyn	3:32
2.	"Gatheration"	Harman Olegavich Danny Harrison Arthur Smith	Menta	3:23
3.	"Random"	Harman Olegavich Harrison Smith	Menta	3:36
4.	"Public Warning"	Harman Olegavich	Medasyn	3:46
5.	"Love Me or Hate Me"	Harman Lukasz Gottwald	Dr. Luke	3:29
6.	"My England"	Harman Olegavich	Medasyn	3:57
7.	"Tango"	Harman Olegavich	Medasyn	3:37
8.	"A Little Bit of Shhh"	Harman Olegavich	Medasyn	3:45
9.	"Hoodie"	Harman Olegavich	Medasyn	3:37
10.	"Those Were the Days"	Harman Gottwald	Dr Luke	3:50
11.	"Blah Blah"	Harman Olegavich	Basement Jaxx	3:57
12.	"Fiddle with the Volume"	Harman Olegavich	Medasyn	3:37
13.	"Love Me or Hate Me" (Remix featuring Missy Elliott)	Harman Gottwald Missy Elliott	Dr Luke	3:38

UK special edition bonus track

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Pretty Vacant" (Live at Commodore Ballroom)	3:38

Japan bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Ch Ching (Cheque 1 2)"	4:47
15.	"Pretty Vacant" (Live at Commodore Ballroom)	3:38

iTunes bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Pretty Vacant" (Live at Commodore Ballroom)	3:38
15.	"The Broom"	4:02
16.	"Hoodie" (Mizz Beats Remix) (featuring Skepta, JME, Jammer, Ears & Baby Blue)	4:07
17.	"9 to 5" (The Ordinary Boys Remix)	3:25

• The enhanced CD contains a link to a 15-minute documentary

Charts and certifications

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Australiian Albums Chart[17]	97
Japan Albums Chart[18]	212
UK Albums (OCC)[19]	58
US Billboard 200[20]	48
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[21]	12

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United States[22]	31 October 2006	Digital download, CD	Def Jam
United States[23]	12 December 2006	Vinyl
United Kingdom	5 February 2007	Digital download, CD
Germany[24]	30 March 2007	Digital download, CD

References

1. Cohen, Jonathan (12 August 2008). "Lady Sovereign Starts Label, Preps Album". Billboard. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
2. Sogohomnian, Talia (4 January 2010). "Can Celebrity Big Brother Save Lady Sovereign's Career?". NME. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
3. "Reviews for Public Warning by Lady Sovereign". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
4. Jeffries, David. "Public Warning – Lady Sovereign". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
5. Matos, Michaelangelo (14 November 2006). "Review: Lady Sovereign: Public Warning". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
6. Diver, Mike (7 February 2007). "Album Review: Lady Sovereign – Public Warning". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
7. Endelman, Michael (27 October 2006). "Public Warning". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
8. Macpherson, Alex (2 February 2007). "CD: Lady Sovereign, Public Warning". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
9. Dombal, Ryan (1 November 2006). "Lady Sovereign: Public Warning!". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
10. Raper, Dan (16 October 2006). "Lady Sovereign: Public Warning". PopMatters. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
11. Hsu, Hua (18 October 2006). "Lady Sovereign: Public Warning". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
12. Jones, Preston (24 October 2006). "Lady Sovereign: Public Warning". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
13. Shipley, Al (7 November 2006). "Lady Sovereign – Public Warning! – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
14. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (7 November 2006). "Lady Sovereign :: Public Warning :: Def Jam". RapReviews. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
15. Dreisinger, Baz (31 October 2006). "Pint-Sized, Tea-Shunning Femme MC Cleans Out Her Closet". The Village Voice. Voice Media Group. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
16. Stereogum Staff (14 December 2006). "Rolling Stone's Best Albums Of '06". Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
17. "Public Warning ARIA album chart" (PDF).
18. "パブリック・ウォーニング - レディー・ソヴァリン".
19. "Lady Sovereign | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
20. "Lady Sovereign Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
21. "Lady Sovereign Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
22. "iTunes – Music – Public Warning by Lady Sovereign". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
23. "Lady Sovereign: Public Warning [Vinyl]". Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
24. "Public Warning - Lady Sovereign". Amazon.de (in German). Retrieved 20 August 2018.