Outta My Head (Leona Lewis song)

"Outta My Head" was written by Savan Kotecha, Max Martin and Shellback, with production done by the latter two, for Lewis's second studio album, Echo (2009). It was recorded by Ann Miniceli at Maratone Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and at Germano Studios in New York. She was assisted in the process by Christian Baker. It was mixed by Serban Genea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Pro Tools engineer for the mixing was John Hanes, and his assistant was Tim Roberts. The lyrics of the song contain a "F**k you!" sentiment. The song follows a chord progression of F–C–Em. ==Critical reception==

"Outta My Head" garnered mixed reviews from music critics. Nick Levine for Digital Spy described "Outta My Head" as a "genuine surprise" because of its uptempo style and how different it is to the rest of the songs on Echo, which Levine thought often sounded the same from song to song. Michael Cragg for musicOMH complimented the song for lifting Echos overall feel of being "mundane", and that it is an "obvious highlight" of the album. He continued to write that the chorus is "brilliantly camp" and would be well suited to Kylie Minogue. Mike Diver for BBC Music thought that the song represents "cheesy" Eurodance and almost achieves being a credible dance song, if it was not for the slightly " too cheap-sounding, too tinny of production". As part of his review of Echo, Matthew Cole for Slant Magazine wrote that he was unimpressed by the "novelty" of Lewis' impressive vocals, writing that she uses the higher registers of her voice too much. "The fact that Lewis can sing isn't a novelty here—it's the premise of the album. On nearly every track she can be found cooing impossibly high melodies over bouncing club beats ('Can't Breathe,' 'Outta My Head') or imbuing the ballads with thick, powerful choruses to match their outsized string arrangements ('Broken'). Hugh Montgomery, writing for The Guardian, was critical of the song, writing that it is the "only serious misfire" on the album and that it confirms how "Lewis does sexy and upbeat like Jedward do singing in tune." Although he thought Lewis' vocals are "technically unimpeachable" on "Outta My Head", it is the artistry behind it which fails to deliver. ==Live performances==

Lewis performed "Outta My Head" for the first time live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 25 November 2009 in the United States. She also performed the lead single from the album, "Happy". The song was included as the seventeenth song on the set list of her debut concert tour, called The Labyrinth (2010). It was later included on the DVD release of the tour, The Labyrinth Tour: Live from the O2. Lewis performed the song in the last section of the set list, along with a cover of Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and Lewis' version of "Run". ==Track listing==

;Standard edition "Outta My Head" – ;United States standard version "Outta My Head" – ==Credits and personnel==

;Recording • Recorded at Maratone Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Germano Studios, New York. • Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, VA. ;Personnel • Songwriting – Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Shellback • Production – Max Martin, Shellback • Vocal recording – Ann Miniceli • Vocal recording assistant – Christian Baker • Mixing – Serban Genea • Pro-Tools engineer for mixing – John Hanes • Pro-Tools engineer for mixing assistant – Tim Roberts Credits adapted from the liner notes of Echo. ==Chart performance==

For the week beginning 14 December 2009, "Outta My Head" debuted and peaked at number 98 on the Slovakian Singles Chart. ==References==