Turn It Up (Pixie Lott Album)

''Turn It Up'' is the debut studio album by English singer Pixie Lott, released on 11 September 2009 by Mercury Records. The album's first two singles, " Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" and " Boys and Girls", both topped the UK Singles Chart, while subsequent singles " Cry Me Out", "Gravity" and " Turn It Up" all reached the top 20. ''Turn It Up'' peaked at number six on the UK Albums Chart and was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, with sales in excess of 900,000 copies.

The album was re-released as ''Turn It Up Louder'' on 18 October 2010. It was preceded by the release of " Broken Arrow" as its lead single, and includes nine other bonus songs. In 2010, it was reported that Interscope Records was planning to release ''Turn It Up'' in the United States with new songs in early 2011, which never materialised.

Singles

" Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" was released on 3 June 2009 as the album's lead single. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making Lott the second British female solo artist to have a debut single enter atop the chart without previously appearing on a reality television show, after Billie Piper.

Follow-up single " Boys and Girls" was released on 5 September 2009, a week before the album's release. The song debuted at number 73 on the UK Singles Chart before climbing to number one the following week, earning Lott her second consecutive chart-topper and breaking the record of the biggest leap to the top position in the UK chart history.

" Cry Me Out", released as the third single on 30 November 2009, peaked at number 12 on the UK chart, Lott's first single to miss the top 10.

"Gravity" was released as the album's fourth single on 8 March 2010. It charted at number 20 in the UK, making it her fourth consecutive top-20 single.

" Turn It Up" was released as the fifth single on 7 June 2010, for which a music video, directed by Nick Frew, was shot in Los Angeles on 17 April 2010. The single became her fifth consecutive top-20 entry when it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

" Broken Arrow" was released on 10 October 2010 as the only single (sixth overall) from the ''Turn It Up Louder'' reissue. The music video was directed by Gregg Masuak, and premiered on 16 September 2010. The single reached number 12 on the UK chart, giving Lott her sixth consecutive top-20 single.

Although it was initially suggested that "Coming Home", a collaboration with American R&B singer Jason Derulo, was originally going to serve as the second single from ''Turn It Up Louder'' after it debuted at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart, Lott later confirmed on her official Twitter page that she was filming a video for "Can't Make This Over". The video premiered on 25 November 2010, but the single release was ultimately cancelled.

Critical reception

''Turn It Up'' received mixed reviews 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 51, based on eight reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Paul Lester of BBC Music described the album as a "classy, if not classic, debut from potential-rich pop newcomer" and stated that the songs on the album "do indeed sound as though they could be farmed out to other RnB starlets. That's a compliment as much as it is a criticism: from the 1960s soul stomp of her number one hit 'Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)' to new single 'Boys & Girls' with its brassy Mark Ronson-esque production, some of the material here lacks character." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote, "Despite this fondness for swinging girl group sounds and Pixie's predilection for belting out the songs, ''Turn It Up'' doesn't play as a retro-soul throwback, the way Winehouse or Duffy do. Lott never attempts to seem wiser than her years, ..and the production is wisely, slyly modern."

Digital Spy music editor Nick Levine commented that "''Turn It Up'' is never dull—Lott has too much natural exuberance for that—but it's a little safe and lacking in surprises", citing "Gravity", "Turn It Up" and "Here We Go Again" as highlights. Dan Cairns of ''The Sunday Times'' opined that " r two missteps ('My Love' and 'Nothing Compares'), ''Turn It Up'' is superior, infectious, expertly tailored pop that, had it been recorded 30 or so years ago, would very likely now be being praised to the heavens in reissue sections." Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! Music noted that " e sass, swagger, killer hooks and big production have been focused on the obvious chart contenders and the rest of the album is, true to tradition, a lot of middle of the road balladry and overly earnest swaying, also known as filler." ''Daily Express'' reviewer Robert Spellman felt that the single "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" "promised what the album hasn't delivered, a sort sultry self-confidence with a pinch of the wreckless icthat would do Lady Gaga proud", adding that "corny power ballads such as 'Cry Me Out' and too much half-baked R&B mistakenly attempt to give Pixie depth when she—or rather her writers—should be gunning for surface only." ''The Daily Telegraph''s Helen Brown referred to Lott as " n and feisty but hard to distinguish from the rest of this year's girl pop pack." In a review for ''musicOMH'', Michael Cragg dismissed the album as "a fairly average pop album being strangled by a talented vocalist who equates loudness with emotion." Imogen Carter of ''The Observer'' compared the album to a "Disney teen-movie soundtrack", calling it "cloying and cliche-ridden, particularly the slow numbers."

Commercial performance

''Turn It Up'' debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart, selling 25,652 copies in its first week. Following the album's re-release ''Turn It Up Louder'' on 18 October 2010, it rose from number 29 to number nine on 24 October with 15,114 copies sold. On 19 November 2021, the album was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales of 900,000 units across the UK. In Ireland, ''Turn It Up'' debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Irish Albums Chart for the week ending 17 September 2009.

The album saw modest success across continental Europe, reaching number 16 in Denmark, number 24 on the European Top 100 Albums chart, number 49 in Switzerland, number 60 in France, number 70 in Austria and Belgium's Wallonia, number 81 in Germany, number 92 in the Netherlands and number 99 in Belgium's Flanders. In Oceania, it peaked at number eight on the Australian Hitseekers Albums Chart and at number 30 in New Zealand.

Track listing

Notes

* signifies an additional producer
* signifies an extra vocal producer
* signifies a vocal producer
* "Coming Home" incorporates elements of "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew.
* The enhanced CD includes a link to a bonus area on Push Entertainment, which can only be accessed by inserting the CD into a computer's CD/DVD drive, featuring the music videos of "Boys and Girls" and "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" that can be watched online and downloaded for free.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Turn It Up''.

Musicians

* Pixie Lott vocals ; background vocals
* Mads Hauge drums, keyboards ; bass, guitar, programming ; background vocals ; Wurlitzer
* Phil Thornalley drums ; piano ; glockenspiel ; guitar
* Anders Kallmark synthesiser
* John Thirkell trumpet, flugelhorn
* Phil Smith tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
* Sally Herbert string arrangements, conducting
* Everton Nelson violin
* Richard George violin
* Emlyn Singleton violin
* Julia Singleton violin
* Jackie Norrie violin
* Rick Koster violin
* Calina de la Mare violin
* Bruce White viola
* Claire Orsler viola
* Clare Finnimore viola
* Ian Burdge cello
* Chris Worsey cello
* Jon Green guitar, piano
* David Tench Wurlitzer
* Toby Gad all instruments, arrangement ; guitars, bass
* Jonas Jeberg all instruments ; all other instruments
* Mich Hansen percussion
* Ina Wroldsen background vocals
* Daniel Davidsen guitar
* Warren Zielinski violin
* Brian Wright violin
* Natalia Bonner violin
* Nick Barr viola
* Sophie Harris cello
* Peter Zizzo background vocals ; arrangement, instrumental programming
* Marion Raven background vocals
* Miklós Malek additional synth programming
* Kaci Brown all background vocals, arrangement
* Jens Gad drums
* Rich Adam additional programming
* RedOne all instruments, instrumental programming, vocal arrangement
* Johnny Severin electric guitar

Technical

* Mads Hauge production, recording engineering ; Pro Tools
* Phil Thornalley production
* Chris Sansom additional engineering
* Greg Kurstin additional production
* Phil Tan mixing
* Carlos Oyanedel additional mix engineering
* Tom Coyne mastering
* Graham Linehy string recording
* Toby Gad production
* Tony Maserati mixing
* Marc Burkhart recording engineering assistance
* Geoff Pesche mastering engineering
* Jonas Jeberg production
* Cutfather production
* Fraser T. Smith additional production, additional mix
* Beatriz Artola engineering
* Mo Hausler string recording
* Peter Zizzo production, recording
* Jeremy Wheatley mixing
* Jens Gad drum recording
* RedOne production, vocal editing, recording, engineering
* Johnny Severin vocal editing, recording, engineering
* Robert Orton mixing
* Ryan Laubscher production
* Mads Nilsson mixing
* Louis Odunoye mixing assistance

Artwork
* Sandrine Dulermo photography
* Michael Labica photography
* Paul West design
* Joe Wassell-Smith design assistance

''Turn It Up Louder''

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Turn It Up Louder''.

Musicians

* Pixie Lott vocals ; background vocals
* Al Shux guitar
* Jon Green piano, tack piano, glockenspiel
* Tom Meadows drums
* Mads Hauge guitar, background vocals, programming, arrangement
* Phil Thornalley glockenspiel, programming
* Everton Nelson violin leader
* Warren Zielinski violin
* Bruce White viola
* Ian Burdge cello
* Sally Herbert arrangement
* Harvey Mason Jr. music
* Andrew Hey guitar
* Rob Knox drum programming
* RedOne all instruments, instrumental programming, vocal arrangement
* Johnny Severin electric guitar
* Deekay arrangement
* Tim McEwan all instruments
* Obi all instruments
* Josh all instruments
* Lars Jensen additional percussion
* Martin Larsson additional keys
* Toby Gad instruments, arrangement
* Mark Pusey drums
* Oliver Weeks keyboards
* Jay Reynolds programming
* Jason Derulo background vocals
* Victoria Akintola background vocals
* Sirach "Angel" Charles background vocals
* John Shanks guitars, bass
* Charles Judge keyboards
* Dan Chase keyboards, programming
* Eve Nelson keyboards
* Jeff Rothschild programming
* Teemu Brunila piano
* Fabien Waltmann programming
* Paul Canning background vocals
* Marli Harwood background vocals

Technical

* Mark Bishop recording
* Phil Thornalley production
* Mads Hauge production
* Harvey Mason Jr. production
* Andrew Hey recording
* David Boyd recording, mixing assistance
* Dabling Harward recording
* Dave Russell mixing
* Michael Daley mixing assistance
* Angela N. Golightly production coordination
* RedOne production, vocal editing, recording, engineering
* Johnny Severin vocal editing, recording, engineering
* Robert Orton mixing
* Deekay production, mixing
* Toby Gad production, recording
* Jay Reynolds additional production ; production ; mixing
* James F. Reynolds production, mixing ; additional production, mix
* Zach Hancock extra vocal production
* Chris Braide production
* Tim Debney mastering
* John Shanks production
* Jeff Rothschild recording, mixing
* Chris Barrett additional recording
* Shari Sutcliffe contracted production coordination
* Fred Ball vocal production

Artwork
* Sandrine Dulermo photography
* Michael Labica photography
* Tom Bird creative direction
* Paul West design
* Matt le Gallez design assistance

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turn It Up (Pixie Lott Album)
2009 debut albums
Albums produced by Greg Kurstin
Albums produced by John Shanks
Albums produced by RedOne
Albums produced by Toby Gad
Mercury Records albums
Pixie Lott albums