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"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.

Background

"No Control" is the eighth track from their fourth studio album, Four. In 2015, fans began a campaign via social media called #ProjectNoControl. The campaign was to get the song to be released as an official single from Four. 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. The project was also a way to support Louis Tomlinson, following an internet feud with Naughty Boy. Additionally, fans created unofficial cover art and music videos in support of the song. The hashtag trended worldwide and even garnered a response from the band, taking the fans for their support.

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. 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.

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. The song's BPM count is 148, and its key is E Major. It was recorded at Enemy Dojo in Calabasas, California, and Angel Face Studios in London, while mixing was handled at the Dark Room. One of the band's more explicit innuendo songs from the album, the song is about sex.

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". Jason Lipshutz of Billboard praised the song's production for its balance between the instrumentals and vocals. It is also regarded as a "fan favourite" from the album.

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 17 May, and selling 5,000 digital downloads. The song also peaked at number seven on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100. The song reached number 135 on the UK Singles Chart. It is the twentieth biggest One Direction song in the country.

Personnel

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

• Julian Bunetta – producer, engineering, instrumentation, backing vocals
• John Ryan – producer, instrumentation, backing vocals
• Ian Franzino – producer, engineering, instrumentation
• Afterhrs – producer
• Andrew Haas – engineering, instrumentation
• Alex Oriet – recording engineer
• Benjamin Cheng – recording engineer
• Ash Howes – mixing (The Dark Room, London)
• Randy Merrill – assistant mastering engineer
• Jamie Scott – backing vocals
• Damon Bunetta – backing vocals
• Tom Coyne – mastering (Sterling Sound, Nashville, Tennessee)

Charts

Certifications

References

1. Erin Strecker (16 October 2014). "One Direction Release 'Four' Track List — and Have a Surprise for Fans!". Billboard. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
2. ^ "Why One Direction fans want No Control as a single". BBC. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
3. ^ Brie Hiramine (13 May 2015). "Directioners Launch a Campaign to Make 'No Control' One Direction's Next Single". J-14. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
4. Jason Lipshutz (18 May 2015). "One Direction Discuss 'New Songs, New Vibe' & 'No Control' at Billboard Music Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
5. Emma Powell (13 May 2015). "One Direction launch Twitter campaign to release single No Control". The Standard. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
6. Savanna Swain-Wilson (22 July 2022). "25 things even die-hard fans probably didn't know about One Direction". Business Insider. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
7. Emma Powell (16 December 2015). "One Direction Carpool Karaoke: Watch the boys make video for No Control with James Corden on Late Late Show". The Standard. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
8. Christina Garibaldi (16 December 2015). "One Direction Finally Make A 'Music Video' For 'No Control'". MTV. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
9. ^ Four (CD liner). One Direction. Columbia Records. 2014. 8-88750-23232-8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. "One Direction "No Control" Sheet Music". musicnotes.com. Alfred Music Publishing. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
11. Jamieson Cox (17 November 2014). "Review: One Direction Hit Their Stride on Four". Time. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
12. Maeve Keirans (14 October 2016). "13 One Direction Songs That Were Definitely About Sex". MTV. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
13. Brad Nelson (24 August 2015). "One Direction – five songs that prove their pop star prowess". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
14. Jason Lipshutz (17 November 2014). "The Five Essential Songs on One Direction's 'Four'". Billboard. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
15. Lewis Corner (14 May 2015). "Why are One Direction fans trying to get 'No Control' to No.1?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
16. Trevor Anderson (21 May 2015). "One Direction Takes 'Control' at No. 1 on Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
17. ^ "One Direction Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
18. ^ "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update – 29 November 2014". Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
19. Nick Levine (14 June 2013). "One Direction: Official Top 20 biggest songs ever in UK revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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.

• 2014 songs
• Songs written by Louis Tomlinson
• Songs written by RuthAnne
• Songs written by Jamie Scott
• Songs written by Liam Payne
• Songs written by Julian Bunetta
• Songs written by John Ryan (musician)
• One Direction songs