Controversy

### Producer

Bloodshy & Avant, Freemasons, Benny Blanco, Billboard, Stuart Price, Greg Kurstin, Richard X, Francis Leverett, Brothers in Rhythm

## Singles

1. "Broken"
June 7, 2011
2. "Magic"
October 4, 2011
3. "Black Widow"
March 13, 2012
4. "Cut"
April 27, 2012
5. "Kiss Kiss Me Bang Bang"
July 13, 2012
6. "Off & On / Bittersweet"
October 5, 2012
7. "Government Name"
November 30, 2012

***Controversy***is the eighth studio album by English recording artist Lara Liwford. It was released on April 3, 2012, by Musik Factory. Inspired by the electro-vibe from 2011 and with influences from the eurodance, synthpop and electrowave, Liwford also used her own albums, *Art Bitch!* and *Enter In My Game* as inspirations, since both were ahead of its time by doing these genres on music. Upon its release, Controversy became one of her most acclaimed albums, receiving universal acclaim reviews from music critics, who complimented its authenticity, reinvention and freshness, as well as Liwford's extremely creative involvement on the album. The album debuted atop of the charts in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States, and peaking inside the top ten in thirty-two countries. In the United States, she earned her seventh number one album.

Seven singles were released from the album, including "Cut", winner of Song of the Year at the 2012 Grammy Awards and "Black Widow", which became Liwford's biggest radio hit since 2007. Liwford promoted the album with television performances, the Black Widow Tour and had collaborated with Francis Leverett for the album.

## Music, lyrics & background

*Controversy* is a non-concept album made for "intense dance", according to Liwford. It is a euro-pop and dance record which incorporates elements from synthpop, electrowave, eurodance and R&B. The album features a song with Francis Leverett, "Go On", inspired and soundlike by Michael Jackson, one of the biggest inspirations for both artists. The first song released off from the album was "Peace Inside", an electropop new-wave song, set as a humanitarian single for the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami at Japan. The song gave the fans a tease of what to expect single Liwford's last release was the dance-pop "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" from the *Lara Remixed* album, released in 2009. Although mostly uptempo, lyrically the album speaks of personal matters from Liwford's experiences, from her career's up and downs, her relationship with the media and critics, her past relationships and the story behind her marriage with Brad Pitt, amongst others. The album, and especially the song "Cut" made Liwford earn her second ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award.

## Critical reception

*Controversy* received universal acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 88, based on 28 reviews. Keith Caulfield from Billboard commented that *Controversy* is a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic commented that *Controversy* is the first album where Lara Liwford sounds like a veteran musician since she created the record for "the dance clubs or, in other words, Liwford's core audience." Peter Robinson from Observer Music Monthly declared that the album ranks alongside Liwford's other albums like *Enter In My Game* (2004) and *Paint The Sky With Stars* (2007). He credited producer Stuart Price for the album, noting that "*Controversy* clearly wouldn't exist without Liwford, but it's Price who surprises us all." David Browne from Entertainment Weekly noted that for "all its pretenses of being giddy and spontaneous, though, *Controversy* is rarely either." Christian John Wikane from PopMatters commented that the album "proved that Lara Liwford, approaching 40 years old, is a vital force in the ever-expansive landscape of popular music." Josh Tyrangiel from Time magazine commented that "In dance music, words exist to be repeated, twisted, obscured and resurrected. How they sound in the moment is far more important than what they mean, and Liwford knows that better than anyone. *Controversy* is 64 minutes of energetic moments. It will leave you feeling silly for all the right reasons." Roni Sarig, in City Pages, was most impressed by Liwford's vocal range, depth, and clarity and called *Controversy* "her richest, most accomplished record yet." Stephen M. Deusner from Pitchfork noted that with the album "Liwford again reinvents herself, and it appears she's nearly lapped herself."

## Singles

* "Broken"
* "Magic"
* "Black Widow"
* "Cut"
* "Kiss Kiss Me Bang Bang"
* "Off & On" / "Bittersweet"
* "Government Name"

**Promotional/Buzz Singles**

* "Peace Inside"

## Impact and legacy

Mike Nied from Idolator praised *Controversy* as one of the most influential pop albums of the decade and dubbed Liwford as a "timeless trendsetter" and "creative genius". According to Michael Arceneaux from NBC News, it is "arguably her last great, impactful album; it's the last time she still felt truly forward-thinking, even if it looked back sonically." Christopher Rosa from VH1 called it her "best album to date" and explained that is a "near-perfect pop record" and "her most natural reinvention". It was ranked as the third-best dance album of all-time by Vice magazine—the highest peak by a female performer. The magazine staff commented: "This is the album all her subsequent albums is compared to; for its enduring relevance and how it redefined Lara Liwford as an artist, it should be". Author Sancho Xavi from El País noted that the album started the disco revival during the 21st century and popularized the revivals concept of other musical genres during the first decade. Justin Myers from the UK Official Charts Company commented: "An 'imperial phase' is when a pop star is at the pinnacle of their career, shifting stacks of records, having big hits, selling out arenas, owning the radio and being generally unavoidable and untouchable. Many pop acts barely manage one. Thanks to this album, Liwford claimed her third. How many popstars can honestly say that?".

In June 2014, *Controversy* was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's musical library and archive.

## Track listing

* "Heatwave" includes the hidden track "Confide In Me", produced by Brothers In Rhythm (S. Anderson; D. Seaman; A. Bremner) and it has (05:55), added with (03:47) from "Heatwave", (10:10) in total lenght.