Criminal (Lindsay Ell song) explained

Criminal
Artist:Lindsay Ell
Album:The Project
Type:single
Cover:Lindsay Ell - Criminal (single cover).jpg
Recorded:2016
Genre:Country rock[1]
Label:Stoney Creek
Producer:Kristian Bush
Chronology:Lindsay Ell singles
Prev Title:Waiting on You
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:The Worst Kind
Next Year:2018

"Criminal" is a song recorded by Canadian country music singer Lindsay Ell for her third studio album, The Project (2017). Ell co-wrote the song with Fred Wilhelm and Chris Stevens, while Kristian Bush of Sugarland produced the track. It was released to American country radio on December 11, 2017 through Stoney Creek Records as the album's second single.[2]

"Criminal" peaked at numbers 19 and 28 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, respectively, marking Ell's first top 40 single on the former and first charting entry on the latter. In Canada, the song also peaked at number one on the Canada Country chart, becoming the first single by a Canadian solo female artist to do so since 2008.[3]

Composition

"Criminal" is a guitar-driven country rock song whose production has been described as more "accessible" than Ell's previous singles.[1] Lyrically, the song describes the "early torment" of a surprising new love and compares the stealing of her heart to literal theft.[1] [4] Ell elaborated to Radio.com that she wrote the song about being grateful for the way some people, "will walk into your life, and you don't really know where they came from or how they came at the time they did," and that the criminal allegory is a "really happy" one.[5] It was one of the first songs written for The Project, and Ell told KNIX-FM that she "knew ["Criminal"] was going to be important to me and my career," when it was recorded in 2016.[6]

Release and promotion

"Criminal" was announced as the follow-up to her breakthrough single, "Waiting on You", in November 2017.[7] It was made available to country radio in the United States through PlayMPE on November 17, 2017 and received 10 adds.[8] [9] The song was officially promoted to radio on December 11, 2017.[2] For that week, the song was picked up by an additional 51 radio stations and served as the week's most-added single.[10]

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country complimented the song's "made-for-radio" production and wrote that Ell's vocals on the track were "nothing short of convincing."[1] Kelly Brickey of Sounds Like Nashville wrote that Ell "gets away with murder in the sweetest way," on "Criminal" and praised the way she "put[s] her heart and soul on the line."[4] In a review of her performance of the song at 2017's "Next Women of Country" showcase, Samantha Stevens of CMT wrote that "[Ell's] pure and sweet vocal tone and clever use of imagery and play on words are what makes her songs so catchy and lovable."[11]

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Zavadil and premiered on CMT, GAC & VEVO in April 2018.[12]

Chart performance

"Criminal" debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated December 23, 2017 and was the week's highest-debuting single.[13] The song became Ell's first top 40 hit the following week, when the song rose from 54 to 40.[14] It has since reached a peak position of 19 and is Ell's highest-charting single to date. "Criminal" debuted at number 47 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated January 27, 2018.[15] The song is Ell's first entry on the multi-metric chart. It has since peaked at number 28. In Canada, "Criminal" reached number one on the Canada Country airplay chart. This made it Ell's first number one, as well as the first single by a solo female artist to reach the top position on that chart since Terri Clark's "In My Next Life" in 2008.[3] [16]

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[18] 57
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[19] 77

Notes and References

  1. News: Dukes. Billy. Sound Off: Is Lindsay Ell's 'Criminal' a Hit? [Listen]]. January 23, 2018. Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. December 13, 2017.
  2. Web site: Single Releases : MusicRow. MusicRow. December 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171129004504/https://musicrow.com/calendars-2/single-releases/. November 29, 2017.
  3. News: Parton. Chris. Lindsay Ell's 'Criminal': See Video. April 11, 2018. Rolling Stone. April 9, 2018.
  4. News: Brickey. Kelly. Lindsay Ell Falls Dangerously in Love in 'Criminal'. January 23, 2018. Sounds Like Nashville. SpinMedia. December 16, 2017.
  5. News: Ives. Brian. Lindsay Ell Talks ‘By The Way’ And Jamming With Legends. January 23, 2018. Radio.com. Entercom. May 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180124071419/http://news.radio.com/2016/05/13/lindsay-ell-talks-by-the-way-and-jamming-with-legends/. January 24, 2018. dead.
  6. Web site: Lindsay Ell Explains Why 'Criminal' Is Her Favorite Song (VIDEO). KNIX-FM. iHeartMedia. January 23, 2018. December 4, 2017.
  7. News: Langeler. Wes. Crazy Talented Lindsay Ell Announces Next Single "Criminal". January 23, 2017. Whiskey Riff. November 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180124195526/http://www.whiskeyriff.com/2017/11/29/crazy-talented-lindsay-ell-announces-next-single-criminal/. January 24, 2018. dead.
  8. Web site: Lindsay Ell - Criminal. Daily PlayMPE. January 23, 2018.
  9. News: Cantor. Brian. Thomas Rhett's "Marry Me" Ranks As Country Radio's Most Added Song. January 23, 2018. Headline Planet. Cantortainment. November 21, 2017.
  10. News: Cantor. Brian. Lindsay Ell's "Criminal" Ranks As Country Radio's Most Added Song. January 23, 2018. Headline Planet. Cantortainment. December 11, 2017.
  11. News: Stephens. Samantha. Lindsay Ell: CMT Next Women of Country Live Exclusive. https://web.archive.org/web/20170225043222/http://www.cmt.com/news/1777601/lindsay-ell-cmt-next-women-of-country-live-exclusive/. dead. February 25, 2017. January 23, 2018. CMT. Viacom. February 23, 2017.
  12. Web site: Lindsay Ell Is Off Vocal Rest and She Couldn't Be Happier . One Country . 29 February 2020 . 18 April 2018 . 29 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200229112445/https://www.onecountry.com/country-artists/lindsay-ell/lindsay-ell-vocal-rest-criminal-video/ . dead .
  13. Web site: Country Airplay: The Week Of December 23, 2017. Billboard. January 23, 2018.
  14. News: Trust. Gary. Anderson. Trevor. Asker. Jim. Chart Beat Podcast: Mariah Carey's 'Christmas' Present & Guest Lindsay Ell. January 23, 2018. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 20, 2017.
  15. Web site: Hot Country Songs: The Week Of January 27, 2018. Billboard. January 23, 2018.
  16. News: Jess Moskaluke in the Driver's Seat with "Drive Me Away". April 11, 2018. The Music Express. May 11, 2017. press release.
  17. Web site: TMN Country Hot 50 . . May 5, 2021 . Issue 1205.
  18. Web site: Country Airplay – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 7, 2018.
  19. Web site: Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 7, 2018.