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Overpowered

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Overpowered is the second solo album by Irish singer Róisín Murphy. It was released in Ireland on 12 October 2007 and in the United Kingdom and rest of Europe on 15 October 2007. The album will be released in United States of America in late 2008 or early 2009. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, the album was more commercially successful than its predecessor, debuting at #20 on the UK Album Chart.

Background

In 2006, whilst promoting her band Moloko’s greatest hits album, Catalogue, Murphy announced that she was recording a new album to be released in 2007. After signing to EMI Records in May 2006, Murphy set out to produce a pop album with a heavy disco influence. With a bigger budget behind her than with her last record company, the independent Echo Records, Murphy recorded around thirty songs for the album with various different producers and writers in Miami, London and Barcelona, commenting that each of the producers aided the pop influence of the album, as they all wanted to write "The single."

Singles

The album was preceded by the single of the same title on 9 July 2007. Murphy's official website announced on 6 July 2007 that the song "Overpowered" was not chart eligible but instead was used as an introduction for her start at EMI. The second single release from the album was the song "Let Me Know", which was released a week before the album release. The single reached number 28 in the United Kingdom. Several months later, "You Know Me Better" was released as the album's third single on 31 March 2008. The single reached number 47 in the UK. Murphy announced in an interview that "Movie Star" would be released as the album's fourth single. It was released digitally in the United States on October 13, 2008. A planned worldwide double A-side release of the single with Murphy's cover of Bryan Ferry's "Slave To Love" was cancelled.

The album received platinum status in Belgium with more than 50,000+ copies sold. In the UK, the album sold more than 40,000 copies.[citation needed]

Art Direction

File:Roisin Murphy Overpowered.jpg
Murphy in the outfit she appears in on the cover of Overpowered, designed by Gareth Pugh.
File:Roisin Murphy Overpowered Booklet Artwork.jpg
Overpowered's booklet artwork.

The artwork for Overpowered and its accompanying single releases was conceptualised by Scott King (who also directed the promotional videos for "Overpowered" and "Let Me Know"), and the cover images were photographed by Jonathan De Villiers. The artwork places Murphy in everyday surroundings in extraordinary outfits, presenting her as a "street diva"[1] and a constant performer. Murphy, well known for her love of dressing up, wears outfits by Gareth Pugh, Givenchy and Viktor & Rolf in the artwork.

The design inside the booklet for Overpowered features cryptic statements and quotes (including one from Murphy herself – "I got signed to EMI because I reminded them of Robbie Williams"), as well as planning for the promotional video of "Let Me Know" and assorted photographs.

According to Murphy, the photography for the album and single sleeves cost £125,000.[2]

Track listing

  1. "Overpowered" (Róisín Murphy, Paul Dolby, Mike Patto) – 5:07
  2. "You Know Me Better" (Murphy, Andy Cato) – 4:17
  3. "Checkin' on Me" (Murphy, Ivan Coralliza, Jimmy Douglass, Lajuana Pigram) – 4:39
  4. "Let Me Know" (Murphy, Cato) – 5:09
  5. "Movie Star" (Murphy, Dolby, Patto) – 4:01
  6. "Primitive" (Murphy, Coralliza) – 4:50
  7. "Footprints" (Murphy, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Dolby) – 3:37
  8. "Dear Miami" (Murphy, Dolby, Patto) – 3:40
  9. "Cry Baby" (Murphy, Michael Ward, Dean Honer, Richard Barrett) – 5:54
  10. "Tell Everybody" (Murphy, Coralliza, Douglass, Pigram) – 3:51
  11. "Scarlet Ribbons" (Murphy, Ward, Honer, Barrett) – 5:35
  12. "Body Language" (Murphy, Cato) – 4:39 (Bonus track)
  13. "Parallel Lives" (Murphy, Richard Phillips) – 4:22 (Bonus track)

B-sides and online exclusives

  • "Foolish" (Róisín Murphy/Paul Dolby) – 3:28
  • "Sweet Nothings" (Róisín Murphy/Lajuana Pigram/Jimmy Douglass/Ivan Corraliza) – 3:44
  • "Sunshine" (Róisín Murphy/Richard Barrett/Dean Honer/Cathy Dennis) – 3:08
  • "Unlovable" (Róisín Murphy/Paul Dolby/Mark de Clive-Lowe) – 3:56
  • "Modern Timing" (Róisín Murphy/Ivan Corraliza) – 4:28
  • "Pandora" (Róisín Murphy/Richard Phillips) – 3:56
  • "Keep It Loose" (Róisín Murphy/Mike Patto/Toni Econmides/Paul Dolby/John Mullarkey) – 3:26
  • "Slave To Love" (Bryan Ferry) - 3:41

Unreleased songs

These songs were written and/or recorded by Murphy for Overpowered, but remain unreleased.

Charts

Charts (2007) Peak
position[6]
Austrian Albums Chart 35
Belgian Albums Chart 4
Dutch Albums Chart 13
European Albums Chart 30
Finnish Albums Chart 28
French Albums Chart 154
German Albums Chart 57
Irish Albums Chart 51
Swiss Albums Chart 32
UK Albums Chart 20

References

  1. ^ “Roisin - the official biography”. [[1]]. Retrieved 15 December 2008
  2. ^ Sweeny, Eamon. "Roisin Murphy: I’m no R’N’R cliché…". The Independent. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008
  3. ^ "Don't Let It Go to Your Head Boy". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Earn It". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  5. ^ "Off & On". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Overpowered World Chart Positions". aCharts.com. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
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