No Control (One Direction song)

Last updated
"No Control"
Song by One Direction
from the album Four
Studio Enemy Dojo (Calabasas, CA), Angel Face Studios (London)
Length3:19
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Bunetta
  • Ian Franzino
  • Ryan
  • Afterhrs

"No Control" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction from their fourth studio album, Four (2014). It was written by Louis Tomlinson, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Jamie Scott, Liam Payne, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan. The song was not released as a formal single, however, fans pushed the song to be released as one starting an online campaign called #ProjectNoControl. It has charted in three countries.

Contents

Background

"No Control" is the eighth track from their fourth studio album, Four . [1] In 2015, fans began a campagin via social media called #ProjectNoControl. [2] The campaign was to get the song to be released as an official single from Four. [2] Fans would set a "release date" to request the song on radio, stream and download it via Spotify and iTunes to get the song to number one on the charts. [3] The project was also a way to support Louis Tomlinson, following an internet feud with Naughty Boy. [3] Additionally, fans created unofficial cover art and music videos in support of the song. [3] The hashtag trended worldwide and even garnered a response from the band, taking the fans for their support. [2] [4] [5]

Speaking on The Late Late Show with James Corden , Tomlinson explained that fans decided to do their own release of the song because "they loved it so much" and it was never chosen as a single by the band. [6] On a different episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, the band released a "music video" for the song as a part of a skit of Carpool Karaoke, featuring the band along with Corden performing a synchronised choreography in denim shirts. [7] [8]

Composition and lyrics

"No Control" was written by Louis Tomlinson, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Jamie Scott, Liam Payne, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan, while production was handled by Bunetta, Ryan, Ian Franzino and Afterhrs. [9] The song's BPM count is 148, and its key is E Major. [10] It was recorded at Enemy Dojo in Calabasas, California, and Angel Face Studios in London, while mixing was handled at the Dark Room. [9] One of the band's more explicit innuendo songs from the album, [11] the song is about sex. [12]

Critical reception

Brad Nelson of The Guardian described the track "as muscular and flexible as a Cheap Trick song," and compared the song's chorus to The Killers' "Mr. Brightside". [13] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard praised the song's production for its balance between the instrumentals and vocals. [14] It is also regarded as a "fan favourite" from the album. [15]

Chart performance

Due to the fan campaign, "No Control" topped the Billboard Twitter Real-Time chart, garning one million US streams in the week ending May 17, and selling 5,000 digital downloads. [16] The song also peaked at number seven on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100. [17] The song reached number 135 on the UK Singles Chart. [18] It is the twentieth biggest One Direction song in the country. [19]

Personnel

Credits for "No Control" adapted from album's liner notes. [9]

Charts

Chart peformance for "No Control"
Chart (2014–15)Peak
position
Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard) [20] 27
UK Singles (OCC) [18] 135
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [17] 7

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Mexico (AMPROFON) [21] Gold30,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

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  8. Christina Garibaldi (16 December 2015). "One Direction Finally Make A 'Music Video' For 'No Control'". MTV . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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  12. Maeve Keirans (14 October 2016). "13 One Direction Songs That Were Definitely About Sex". MTV . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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  18. 1 2 "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update – 29 November 2014". Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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  20. "One Direction Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  21. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas . Retrieved 6 April 2024.Type One Direction in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and No Control in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  22. "British single certifications – One Direction – No Control". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 6 April 2024.