Young Foolish Happy is the second studio album by the English singer Pixie Lott, released on 11 November 2011 by Mercury Records. Lott enlisted previous collaborators Mads Hauge, Phil Thornalley, Toby Gad, Steve Kipner and Andrew Frampton to handle production for the album, in addition to new collaborators such as Tim Powell, The Matrix and Rusko. The album also includes collaborations with artists such as Stevie Wonder and John Legend.
Upon its release, Young Foolish Happy was met with mixed reviews from music critics; while some reviewers found the album solid, others viewed it as formulaic and short of originality, and felt it lacks the "charm" of Lott's debut album, Turn It Up (2009). The album debuted at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 18,503 copies, failing to match the commercial success of its predecessor. It spawned the UK number-one single "All About Tonight" and the top-10 singles "What Do You Take Me For?" and "Kiss the Stars".
Background and release Lott began work on the album in Los Angeles in January 2011. In April 2011 she told Digital Spy, "There are a couple of really cool collaborations on the album and I've already worked with some big people, but I can't say who they are just in case those tracks don't make the final cut", describing the sound as "still pop stuff, but maybe a little more soulful. That's the kind of thing that I'm into. That influence is stronger on this album." On 17 September 2011, Lott revealed the album title, which is inspired by the Tams' 1968 song "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy". She stated, "It's a song I grew up listening to, from a young age. I grew up listening to a lot of soul music and I think this album sounds more this kind of way. It's a message that I've always really liked and I think it's important that need to people remember, it's just motivating and inspirational."
The album was initially scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2011, but it was eventually pushed back a week to 14 November. To celebrate the launch of the Pixie Collection, London-based women's clothing retailer Lipsy offered the first 10,000 customers a voucher to redeem on Lott's official website and obtain the album for £3 off.
"Everybody Hurts Sometimes" was covered by South Korean singers Wendy and JeA.
Singles "All About Tonight" was released on 2 September 2011 as the album's lead single. Lott premiered the song on BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show on 11 July 2011. It debuted at number one on the UK singles chart, becoming Lott's third UK number one. "All About Tonight" also reached number nine on the Irish Singles Chart, Lott's second highest-peaking single on the chart after "Boys and Girls" (2009).
Second single "What Do You Take Me For?", featuring rapper Pusha T, was released on 4 November 2011. The track reached number 10 on the UK singles chart and number 30 on the Irish Singles Chart.
"Kiss the Stars" was released on 29 January 2012 as third and final single from the album, peaking at number eight in the UK and number 33 in Ireland.
Critical reception
Young Foolish Happy received generally mixed reviews from music critics. BBC Music's Fraser McAlpine felt that the album has "little of the magic that characterised her debut's highs" and criticised Lott for "working with songwriters who are capable of a finely tuned pastiche or two", but nevertheless cited "Nobody Does It Better" and "You Win" as "notable exceptions". Rick Pearson of the London Evening Standard noted that Lott "opts for a more soulful direction this time around, something that works better with her wind tunnel of a vocal. She's still guilty of imitation rather than innovation, however, particularly on the synth-heavy 'All about Tonight', which is a craven rip-off of a Katy Perry record. But an identity is the only thing that's lacking here." AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine named the "Motown-mythologizing" "Stevie on the Radio" one of the "brighter, better songs [on the album], largely because it has bigger beats and hooks", but commented that "the rest of the record has the form of a blockbuster record but lacks the requisite rhythms or hooks and its scale dampens Lott's spunky personality, which was her primary charm on her debut."
Ben Chalk of MSN Music wrote that while the ballads are "the real weak point", the uptempo material is "a vast improvement". Chalk continued, "Where debut Turn It Up showcased an original writing talent which belied the giggly blonde Essex girl persona, Young Foolish Happy sometimes lapses into a pastiche of Pixie's musical heroes." Duncan Gillespie of NME found "All About Tonight" and "What Do You Take Me For?" to be "quite good", but dismissed Lott's "Jools Holland-ready retropop collaboration with Stevie Wonder" as "horrible, but still not horrible enough. Rather than righteous ire, you're left with only a sense of moral and cultural confusion, rather as if you'd caught yourself lusting after an ironing board." Simon Gage of the Daily Express stated that although Young Foolish Happy is a "pretty solid album of bouncy pop numbers", artists like Adele, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry leave "artists like Pixie out in the cold", adding that the album "has all the catchiness you would expect from last year's golden girl, but this year is a very different place." Virgin Media's Ian Gittins agreed, commenting that the album is "adequate, but never special: lacking Perry's raunch, Gaga's glitz, Adele's larynx or Jessie J's sass, it looks like Pixie Lott is set to remain a decidedly B-list pop star." Kevin Mathews of Singaporean newspaper Today expressed that the album "contains enough vocal and rhythmic hooks to keep the pop public sated as tracks like 'Come Get It Now', 'All About Tonight' and 'Nobody Does It Better' deliver in all these departments with some aplomb. The rest of Young Foolish Happy does not stray too far from this formula, which should keep Pixie Lott in demand for the immediate future."
Commercial performance Young Foolish Happy debuted at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 18,503 copies in its first week. The following week, it dropped 24 places to number 42. The album was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 10 February 2012. As of August 2014, it had sold 102,888 copies in the United Kingdom. Young Foolish Happy also entered the Irish Albums Chart at number 33.
Track listing
Notes signifies a vocal producer signifies an additional vocal producer signifies a production assistant signifies an additional producer signifies a remixer and additional producer The Asian deluxe edition of the album has the same track listing as the Japanese edition, but does not include the song "Perfect" and all tracks after that song are listed as 13 to 22.
Personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Young Foolish Happy.
Musicians
Pixie Lott – vocals ; background vocals Robin French – piano, keyboards, bass, backing vocals Mr Hudson – piano, drums, guitars, percussion, saxophone, Hammond organ, keyboards, bass, backing vocals Rosie Oddie – backing vocals Holly Muir – backing vocals Felicia Barton – additional background vocals Pusha T – vocals David Ralicke – horns Tim Powell – keyboards, programming Sandy Buglass – guitars Tony "Rico" Richardson – saxophone, flute Colin Graham – trumpet, flugelhorn Fiasco – additional programming Mads Hauge – vocals, all instruments ; programming ; guitar, background vocals ; mandolin, keyboards, bass Abe Laboriel Jr. – bass Nathan East – bass Aaron Sterling – drums Adrian Gurvitz – guitar, keyboards Stevie Wonder – harmonica J'Anna Jacoby – violin Joel Pargman – violin Tom Lea – viola John Krovoza – cello John "JT" Thomas – piano Noah Agruss – arrangement CJ Baran – arrangement ; all instruments, programming, background vocals Marty James – vocals Toby Gad – all instruments, programming Ant Whiting – additional programming, additional bass guitar Tim Baxter – additional string programming George Astasio – guitar, bass, programming Ray Djan – guitar, keyboards, programming Jason Pebworth – keyboards Jon Shave – keyboards, bass, programming Ashton Foster – programming The Arcade – additional programming Tinchy Stryder – vocals Jaz Rogers – all instruments, programming Phil Thornalley – piano, glockenspiel, bass, background vocals ; Wurlitzer electric piano Everton Nelson – violin Rick Koster – violin Bruce White – viola Ian Burdge – cello Elroy "Spoonface" Powell – background vocals Patrick Warren – string arrangements, keyboards John Legend – piano David Piltch – bass Timothy Young – guitar Daphne Chen – violin Eric Gorfain – violin Lauren Chipman – viola Richard Dodd – cello Patrick "Jester" Jordan-Patrikios – keyboards, programming Andrew Frampton – keyboards, programming, all guitars, bass Steve Kipner – percussion Katie Stevens – background vocals Andrew Hey – guitar Ash Soan – drums Ben Epstein – bass Tim "Wacko Jacko" Jackson – piano John Thirkell – trumpet Phil Smith – tenor saxophone Richard "Biff" Stannard – keys, programming Ash Howes – keys, programming Seton Daunt – guitar Emma Rohan – backing vocals Benjamin Gordon Benji Boko – keyboards
Technical
Mr Hudson – production, engineering Andy Savours – mixing Tim Debney – mastering Brian Kidd – production Tebey Ottoh – vocal production Chris Utley – engineering Wesley Michene – engineering Jimmy Douglass – mixing Rusko – production Anne Preven – mixing Alex G. – additional engineering, additional vocal production Tim Powell – production Phil Tan – mixing Andrei Basirov – production assistance Colin Leonard – mastering Mads Hauge – production, mixing, recording Phil Thornalley – production Adrian Gurvitz – production Jaycen Joshua – mixing Jesus Garnica – mixing assistance Stuart Schenk – recording engineering Chris Thompson – recording engineering Captain Hook CJ Baran – production, mixing, engineering Larry Goetz – additional mixing Lee Slater – engineering Toby Gad – production ; mixing Ant Whiting – vocal production, mixing Daniel Aslet – additional vocal engineering Jaz Rogers – vocal recording ; production, engineering The Invisible Men – production, mixing Eagle Eye – production Greg "The Wizard" Fleming – mixing The Arcade – additional production Jamie Snell – mixing John Legend – production Patrick Warren – production Ryan Freeland – mixing, instrument recording Jason Agel – lead vocals recording Andrew Frampton – production Steve Kipner – production Patrick "Jester" Jordan-Patrikios – production Dan Frampton – mixing Anselmo Washington – mixing assistance The Underdogs – production Harvey Mason Jr. – mixing Andrew Hey – recording David Boyd – recording assistance Dabling Harward – recording assistance Michael Daley – recording assistance The Matrix – production, recording, mixing Aaron Renner – recording, mixing Richard "Biff" Stannard – production Ash Howes – production Benjamin Gordon Benji Boko – remix, additional production
Artwork Tom Bird – creative direction Sheryl Nields – photography Salvador Design – artwork, design
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2011–2012) Peakposition Japanese Albums (Oricon) 75 South Korean Albums (Gaon) 20
Year-end charts Chart (2012) Position South Korean International Albums (Gaon) 47
Certifications
Release history Region Date Edition Label Netherlands 11 November 2011 Universal Ireland Standard Mercury United Kingdom 14 November 2011 South Korea Standard Universal Sweden Germany 22 November 2011 Standard Poland 25 November 2011 Australia 2 December 2011 Italy 24 January 2012 Germany 31 January 2012 Deluxe Japan 21 March 2012 Japanese standard South Korea 30 April 2012 Asian deluxe
Notes
References