Monsters

Monsters is the third studio album by American pop singer Syd Wolfe. The album was released in the UK on March 14, 2011 via Fusion Records. Upon release the album was met with generally positive reviews and proved to be commercially successful when it debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart. To date, the album has shifted more than 3 million copies in the UK alone and has been certified Triple Diamond by the BPI. The album was the biggest selling album in the UK in 2011 and is the biggest selling album in Urapopstar history, becoming the first album to be certified Triple Diamond.

To date, the album has spawned eight UK singles,. "The Mud", "Monsters", "Red Blooded Man" & "Picasso / You Love Me" became #1 singles for the singer. "Diamond Skies", "Whatever Bitch", "Try Sleeping With The Enemy" & "Glow" were all top 3 singles. Internationally,"Bumblebees" was released exclusively to the US and charted at #3.

Background
Wolfe began writing the album in January 2010, reportedly using the time she spent in a rehabilitation clinic focusing on new music. This was later confirmed by Syd in an article with Elle Magazine in April 2011, stating "This was my outlet. My therapy. I'd had the worst 12 months in my entire life, I wanted to get everything out of my head". Recording of the album didn't begin until August 2010 when she parted ways with Ensemble Records, who had wanted Syd to feature more artists on her third album. She founded Fusion Records and began recording the album with a string of hit producers including David Guetta, Max Martin & Dr.Luke, all of whom she had worked with previously. Dr. Luke, who worked on a number of tracks with Syd, told Billboard that the sound of the album could be described as "dark pop" and that Wolfe had "taken it up a few gears". For the visual component, Wolfe described it as "telling the whole story without hearing a thing". Using mainly 'cold' colour pallets, the imagery was a mixture of cold & dark blues teamed with a facially demure Syd.

On March 12, 2011, at The Graham Norton Show, Wolfe told the host that she considered that album "autobiographical". She added that even though lyrically, this isn't what she had imagined, the sound is "what I knew I wanted earlier". She has also stated that the album is inspired by ABBA, Blondie and Passion Pit. According to Wolfe, she wanted to "infuse all of these styles together to give me my distinctive sound".

During a photo shoot with Allure magazine in February 2011, Wolfe revealed details about what would prove to be the album's lead single, "The Mud". A song that would be, up to that point, Wolfe's fiercest attack on her critics, adding that the song took a sample from "The Reeling" by Passion Pit. Wolfe also claimed that working with Chris Zane, who produced "The Reeling" and "The Mud" helped channel what the song was about.

Recording for the album finished on February 16, 2011. The album cover depicts Syd surrounded by light, focusing on her eyes and lips. The font on the cover was Wolfe's own block font.

Recording
For the recording of Monsters, Wolfe had recorded at a multitude of recording studios such as Playback Recording Studio, Roc the Mic Studios, Conway Recording Studios, Rocket Carousel Studio, Studio at the Palms, Triangle Sound Studios, Silent Sound Studios, The Boom Boom Boom, Henson Recording Studios, Capitol Studios, Nightbird Recording Studios, and Eightysevenfourteen Studios

Concept and Influences
It was announced in January 2011 by Fusion Records that Syd's third album would be released in March of that year, Wolfe began promotion on the album from this time. Upon release in March 2011, it was apparent that Wolfe had indeed written about her personal experiences and shocked fans and critics alike with the lyrical content on the album. Wolfe had written about her famous critics, her love life, her personal friendships and heartbreaks. This was Wolfe's most personal effort and was extremely well received by critics.

Promotion
On 24 February and 25 February, 2011, Syd Wolfe's offical website revealed the tracklistings and album covers to the standard and deluxe editions of the album.

Release
Monsters was released in the UK on 14 March 2011 on Standard Edition CD, Deluxe Edition CD & DVD and Standard Edition Download. The Deluxe Edition was strictly limited edition and only 5,000 copies were printed. They sold out on 14 March 2011 and was deleted on 15 March 2011, making the 4 Deluxe Edition tracks incredibly rare. On 14 November 2011, 'Monsters Reloaded' was released. This edition was an extension of the original Monsters album and featured an EP of 7 newly recorded tracks. Released in one CD & DVD format over 3 discs. This contained CD1, featuring an EP of 7 new tracks. CD2 was the standard 'Monsters' album, plus 2 tracks from the deleted Deluxe Edition.

Critical response
Critics gave the album generally to overwhemingly positive reviews. Many people complimented Wolfe's experimentation with alternative-styled music and also complimented the song's lyrical content. "The Mud", "Bumblebees", and "Ultraviolet" (with the latter being featured only on the deluxe edition) received the most praise from critics and fans alike.

Commerical performance
The album debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Wolfe's third consecutive album to reach number one on the albums chart. Upon its re-release in November 2011, Monsters Reloaded, the album returned to the top of the charts for 2 weeks.

To date, the album has sold more than 3,000,068 in the UK and has been certified Diamond by the BPI.

The album has topped the album charts four times within its year of release. Monsters reached #1 on 20th March 2011. Monsters Reloaded has reached the #1 spot 3 times since on 20th and 27th November 2011 & 5th March 2012, 51 weeks after its initial release.

Internationally, the album has reached number one in United States, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Netherlands, Russia & Denmark.

Monsters (Deluxe Edition)
The deluxe edition of 'Monsters' was released March 14, 2010 as a Limited Edition release. It was deleted on March 15, 2010 as the 5,000 copies printed had sold.