No Control is the eighth track on One Direction's fourth studio album, Four.[1]
The song had been added to the official tracklist on the On the Road Again Tour.
Lyrically, "No Control" features overtly sexual lyrics. Like many tracks on the Four, its frank lyrical discussion of sex marks a clear transition into a more mature sound for the band.
Background[]
"No Control" is a significant track for several reasons. It features Louis Tomlinson on primary lead vocal for the chorus, a first for him.
Tomlinson co-wrote the song with Liam Payne. The song is also notable for the global social media campaign it inspired.
Irish singer-songwriter, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, who has had songs recorded by artists such as Britney Spears ("Work Bitch"), Pixie Lott ("Broken Arrow") and Professor Green ("Remedy" ) wrote this song. She also co-penned another track, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go."
During one concert, Liam told the crowd the song was one of the last they finished writing for and was the most difficult song to complete.
On August 16, 2015, "No Control" became the first unreleased song to ever win a Teen Choice Award.
Lyrics[]
Project No Control[]
In May 2015, fans worldwide began to promote "No Control" online, as if it were an official single. The idea came about due to frustration with harsh words exchanged in an online fight between Louis Tomlinson, producer Naughty Boy and former member Zayn Malik. Fans felt the Four was not receiving the public recognition or exposure it deserved, with only two singles released, and their current tour at the time barely featuring any songs from the album.
The online campaign was called #ProjectNoControl or #NoControlDay. Using social media, millions of people tweeted, texted and called radio stations all over the world. Radio responded positively and began playing the track within 24 hours of the campaign starting. In less than a week, the song had been played on over 60 stations worldwide, including BBC Radio 1 and Z100 New York.
Many media companies, such as MTV, showed their support in various ways. Several media publications wrote articles on the project and a Polish TV station reported it on their evening news show. Billboard added "No Control" to their annual "Song of the Summer" poll after it received thousands of votes, despite non-singles usually not being eligible for the list. The song reached #1 on iTunes in Sweden, Finland and Greece.
Louis Tomlinson spoke about the band's appreciation of the project on The Late Late Show with James Corden and commended the fanbase for unifying in such a short amount of time. Tomlinson also spoke again about the project at the 2015 Billboard Awards. Throughout the campaign, Tomlinson tweeted his support and thanks, and followed various radio DJs who played the song on Twitter.
