Untouchable (Girls Aloud song)

"Untouchable" is a trance-inspired "rave ballad," which marries "Balearic guitar lines with a pulsating techno throb."{{ cite web | url= https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/girls-aloud-out-of-control/1566 | title=Girls Aloud: Out of Control | author=Robin Carolan | work=Slant Magazine | date=2008-11-11 | access-date=2010-02-08 }} The song is Girls Aloud's longest yet, at a full runtime of 6:45. "Untouchable" follows the common verse-chorus form, but includes a number of instrumental solos. Nadine Coyle sings a middle 8 ("Without any meaning, we're just skin and bone...") as the music drops out. The song builds back up and concludes with a final chorus.

The "emotional twangy guitar noise" heard in the song was the result of Xenomania musician Jason Resch responding to Higgins' request for something "special".{{cite AV media notes |title=The Singles Boxset |others=Girls Aloud |year=2009 |chapter=Untouchable |first=Peter |last=Robinson |author-link=Peter Robinson (journalist) |pages=46–47 |type=Booklet |publisher=Fascination Records |location=London, England }} Higgins left the song at its full length, knowing that "The Promise" and "The Loving Kind" would be the first two singles and he could remix "Untouchable" for single release at a later point. The song was "chopped and changed for its single release", with Girls Aloud's vocals being vocodered.{{ cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a151503/girls-aloud-untouchable.html | title=Girls Aloud: 'Untouchable' | author=Nick Levine | work=Digital Spy | publisher=Hachette Filipacchi Médias | date=2009-04-27 | access-date=2009-06-30 }}

In interview with The Daily Star, band member Sarah Harding commented on the track: "When we first heard [it] we thought it was so Nineties, a proper pop dance song. It’s got that trancy, chilled Ibiza feel. I get lost in the music at the beginning and then it builds and builds and builds. You just want to go mental." In 2023, Cheryl Cole ranked the song among Girls Aloud's best songs, referring to it as a "modern art masterpiece."{{ cite web | first=Daniel|last=Rodgers|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/girls-aloud-reunion-tour | title="It's Gonna Be The Nostalgia Of Your Life": Girls Aloud Tells Vogue Why The Time Is Right For A Reunion Tour| website=Vogue.co.uk | date=22 November 2023 | access-date=17 December 2023}}

"Untouchable" was selected as the third single from Out of Control after it fared best in a fan poll on Girls Aloud's official forum. It was announced as the single on 20 February 2009.{{cite news|url=http://www.girlsaloud.co.uk/site.php|title=The next Girls Aloud single!|date=2009-02-20|access-date=2008-02-20|publisher=GirlsAloud.co.uk |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071028182353/http://www.girlsaloud.co.uk/site.php |archive-date = 2007-10-28}} "Untouchable" was released on CD single and 7" vinyl formats on 27 April, while digital download formats were available a day earlier.{{ cite web | url=http://girlsaloud.co.uk/site.php | title=All the latest on 'Untouchable'! | publisher=GirlsAloud.co.uk | date=2009-04-02 | access-date=2018-07-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330022824/http://girlsaloud.co.uk/site.php | archive-date=March 30, 2009 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }} The CD includes a previously unreleased b-side entitled "It's Your Dynamite",{{ cite web | url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0023P1DAQ | title=Untouchable [Single] | work=Amazon.co.uk | access-date=2009-04-01 }} which Digital Spy says "matches the standard set on their previous releases [...] a treat for the ears."{{ cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a153409/girls-alouds-new-b-side.html | title=Girls Aloud's new B-side! | author=David Balls | work=Digital Spy | publisher=Hachette Filipacchi Médias | date=2009-04-21 | access-date=2010-02-08 }} The 7" vinyl picture disc format includes the Thriller Jill Mix of "Love Is the Key", as heard on The Girls Aloud Party opening credits and commercials.{{dead link|date=July 2018}} A promo CD was released with various remixes previously unreleased or part of the singles collection.

"Untouchable" received generally favourable reviews from music critics. Slant Magazine said that it was "one of Girls Aloud's finest achievements." Matthew Horton of The Quietus labelled the song as an "epic, a nearly-seven-minute monster".{{cite web|last=Horton|first=Matthew|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/01832-girls-aloud-death-of-a-pop-band|title=Girls Aloud: Death Of A Pop Band?|date=10 June 2009|access-date=5 September 2020|work=The Quietus}} Similarly, John Murphy from MusicOMH called the track an "epic seven-minute electro-thumper which builds slowly, explodes into life, drops out brilliantly, then bursts back into life".{{cite web|last=Murphy|first=John|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/girls-aloud-out-of-control|title=Girls Aloud – Out Of Control|date=3 November 2008|access-date=5 September 2020|work=MusicOMH}} In a blog for BBC, Fraser McAlpine agreed that "it's epic and dreamy and a bit of a diversion from the usual GA pattern while still being recognisably very Girls Aloud."{{cite web|last=McAlpine|first=Fraser|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chartblog/2009/04/girls_aloud_untouchable.shtml|title=Girls Aloud - 'Untouchable'|date=19 April 2009|access-date=5 September 2009|publisher=BBC}} It was also praised by NME{{'}}s Jaimie Hodgson, described as "post-Ibiza power-balladeering".{{cite web|last=Hodgson|first=Jaimie|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-girls-aloud-9976-342458|title=Out of Control|work=NME|date=31 October 2008|access-date=5 September 2020}} The song was referred to as "fast, electronic and fantastic" with an immense build-up to the chorus by Peter Robinson from Popjustice.{{cite web|url=https://www.popjustice.com/briefing/whats-untouchable-from-the-new-girls-aloud-album-like/|title=What's 'Untouchable' from the new Girls Aloud album like?|last=Robinson|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Robinson (journalist)|publisher=Popjustice|date=15 October 2008|access-date=5 September 2020}} Talia Kraines of BBC Music felt "the Balearic bliss of epic seven minute marathon Untouchable [...] prove[s] that you don't have to be brassy to be brilliant."{{cite web|last=Kraines|first=Talia|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/gcqv |title=Girls Aloud Out Of Control Review|publisher=BBC Music|date=7 November 2008|access-date=5 September 2020}}

Michael Cragg from The Guardian called it a proper "statement song", as well as "the band's most effortless-sounding single" without ever feeling overly long.{{cite web|last=Cragg|first=Michael|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/05/girls-aloud-10-of-the-best|title=Girls Aloud – 10 of the best|date=5 April 2017|access-date=5 September 2020|work=The Guardian}} Nick Levine of Digital Spy said the song "serves as the centrepiece" on the album and that even the radio edit "remains surprising, thrilling and strangely moving - in short, classic Girls Aloud." Matthew Chisling from AllMusic deemed it "the album's most club-friendly smash".{{cite web|last=Chisling|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-control-mw0000814301|title=Girls Aloud – Out of Control|access-date=5 September 2020|publisher=AllMusic}} Newsround declared it "seems to want to be a ballad and a dance track without doing either well."{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7700000/newsid_7709600/7709600.stm|title=Album review: Girls Aloud - Out Of Control|work=Newsround|date=28 January 2009|access-date=8 February 2010}} GayNZ.com{{'}}s Andrew Grear stated that the song "works....but possibly not as well as the girls were hoping."{{cite web|last=Grear|first=Andrew|url=http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/24/article_6914.php|title=Review: Girls Aloud's Out Of Control|publisher=GayNZ.com|date=26 December 2008|access-date=8 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628145338/http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/24/article_6914.php|archive-date=28 June 2009|url-status=dead}} Andy Gill from The Independent called it a "stomp-a-matic filler" from the album.{{cite web|last=Gill|first=Andy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-girls-aloud-out-of-control-polydor-997582.html|title=Album: Girls Aloud, Out of Control (Polydor)|date=7 November 2008|access-date=5 September 2020|work=The Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211084630/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-girls-aloud-out-of-control-polydor-997582.html|archive-date=11 December 2008|url-status=dead}}

"Untouchable" entered the UK Singles Chart on 29 March 2009 at number 54.{{ cite web | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/archive/ | title=Untouchable | work=Official Charts Company | access-date=2010-02-08 }} It entered the top forty three weeks later. On 3 May 2009, it officially reached number eleven.{{ cite web | url=http://acharts.us/song/42737 | title=Girls Aloud - Untouchable | work=aCharts.us | access-date=2009-03-29 }} On the Irish Singles Chart, the song entered at number 38 and peaked at number nineteen. After the single failed to achieve top ten success when it was released late April 2009, a fan-created Facebook campaign was started nearly a year later (January 2010). The group hoped to push the single into the top ten, reviving and continuing Girls Aloud's streak.{{ cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a193339/girls-aloud-fans-launch-top-ten-campaign.html | title=Girls Aloud fans launch top ten campaign | author=Nick Levine | work=Digital Spy | publisher=Hachette Filipacchi Médias | date=2010-01-02 | access-date=2010-02-08 }} The campaign failed, with "Untouchable" only charting at number 152.{{Cite web|url=http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK2010.HTM|title = Chart Log UK – Weekly Updates Sales 2010}}

The music video for "Untouchable" was directed by Marco Puig with post-production from The Mill.{{ cite web | url=http://www.vizworld.com/2009/04/the-mill-creates-magic-for-girls-aloud/ | title=The Mill Creates Magic For Girls Aloud | work=Vizworld.com | date=2009-04-14 | access-date=2009-04-14 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} Shot in a west London studio on 18 March 2009, the filming took sixteen hours.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} The video premiered on 25 March 2009 on 4music at 7:00pm GMT and was shown again at 11:05pm on Channel 4.{{cite news|url=http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings/daily/2009/03/25 |title=TV Listings - Wednesday 25th of March 2009 |date=2009-02-20 |access-date=2009-03-16 |work=Channel 4 |publisher=Channel Four Television Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313122637/http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings/daily/2009/03/25 |archive-date=March 13, 2009 }} The "Untouchable" video was made available on MSN the following day.{{ cite web | url=http://www.girlsaloud.co.uk | title='Untouchable' - The Video! | publisher=GirlsAloud.co.uk | date=2009-03-23 | access-date=2009-03-25 }}

The futuristic video was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's classic science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey.{{cite web|last=Cabooster|first=James|url=https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/bring-on-the-dancing-girls-18061856|title=Bring on the dancing Girls|date=25 March 2009|access-date=17 December 2023|work=Dailystar.co.uk}} Girls Aloud appear in "sci-fi inspired PVC leotards,"{{ cite web | url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hvHptQj3NkEftqV9ZorfMcBE6PQA | title=Girls Aloud's Untouchable single | work=The Press Association | date=2009-03-25 | access-date=2009-03-25 }}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} travelling through space and approaching Earth in illuminated glass spheres (resembling meteorites), falling at impossible speeds toward Earth. After the second verse, the words "Alert: Condition Red" appear on the screen and the girls have trouble in their bubble-like force fields. They begin to plummet through Earth's atmosphere, with the spheres erupting in flames. Still burning, they pass an aeroplane and approach a city. The video ends with televisions showing the breaking news as they hit the ground, with a reporter describing it as a "meteor shower" before turning to static. Digital Spy lauded the "Untouchable" music video as "almost as exciting as the song itself."{{ cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a150764/girls-alouds-untouchable-video-has-landed.html | title=Girls Aloud's 'Untouchable' video has landed | author=Nick Levine | work=Digital Spy | publisher=Hachette Filipacchi Médias | date=2009-03-26 | access-date=2009-03-27 }}

File:Girls Aloud - Untouchable 2 (Out of Control Tour).jpg in 2009.]]

The first performance of the song occurred at the Dancing on Ice semi-finals on 15 March 2009. Girls Aloud entered on wires suspended from the ceiling and performed the song whilst ice dancers Torvill and Dean skated around them. Girls Aloud wore draped Grecian dresses. Smoke followed the group as they were lowered down on to individual podiums. As Nadine sang the final verse, Torvill and Dean were raised into the air on wires.{{cite web|url=http://www.heatworld.com/Entertainment/TV/2009/03/HOW-brilliantly-OTT-was-Girls-Alouds-Dancing-On-Ice-performance/|title=HOW brilliantly OTT was Girls Aloud's Dancing On Ice performance?!|work=Heat|date=16 March 2009|access-date=19 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001171439/http://www.heatworld.com/Entertainment/TV/2009/03/HOW-brilliantly-OTT-was-Girls-Alouds-Dancing-On-Ice-performance/|archive-date=1 October 2011|url-status=dead}} The song ended with an explosion of pyrotechnics. Torvill and Dean were criticised for "completely and utterly ruining the momentum and energy."{{cite web|last=Stern|first=Bradley|url=http://www.muumuse.com/2009/03/girls-aloud-dancing-on-ice.html|title=Girls Aloud: Dancing On Ice|publisher=MuuMuse|date=15 March 2009|access-date=8 February 2010}}

"Untouchable" was one of the most significant performances of Girls Aloud's 2009 Out of Control Tour. The song is "performed over the crowd on a flying platform,"{{cite web|last=Mackenzie|first=Malcolm|url=http://www.thelondonpaper.com/going-out/whats-new/live-gig-review-of-girls-aloud-at-o2-arena|title=Live gig review of Girls Aloud at O2 Arena|work=The London Paper|date=27 April 2009|access-date=8 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206181244/http://www.thelondonpaper.com/going-out/whats-new/live-gig-review-of-girls-aloud-at-o2-arena|archive-date=6 February 2010|url-status=dead}} which Girls Aloud used to travel to a smaller stage in the middle of the arena. The group wore science fiction-inspired outfits, designed by Welsh fashion designer Julien MacDonald, along with the rest of the show's costumes.{{cite web|url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/321927/girls-aloud-kick-off-new-tour.html|title=Girls Aloud kick off new tour|work=Marie Claire|date=27 April 2009|access-date=7 February 2010}} According to Lauren Mulvenny from the Belfast Telegraph, the performance got "a great crowd reaction."{{cite web|last=Mulvenny|first=Lauren|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/reviews/review-girls-aloud-odyssey-arena-28477955.html|title=Review: Girls Aloud, Odyssey Arena|date=29 April 2009|access-date=5 September 2020|work=Belfast Telegraph}} The song was performed on 2013 with the girls singing it on a stage in the middle of the arena.{{cite web|last=Bayley|first=Leanne|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g2800/memorable-moments-from-girls-aloud-ten-the-hits-tour/?slide=8|title=Ten memorable moments from the Girls Aloud Ten Tour|date=4 March 2013|access-date=5 September 2020|work=Cosmopolitan}} During 2024's The Girls Aloud Show, it served as the opening number with the girls being surrounded by a pink backdrop as they sang it.

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Untouchable".

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UK CD

1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) – 3:49
2. "It's Your Dynamite" (Girls Aloud, Xenomania) – 4:21

UK 7" picture disc

1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) – 3:49
2. "Love Is the Key" (Thriller Jill Mix) – 6:35

Digital download

1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) – 3:49
2. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit) – 3:46
3. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) – 6:04

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iTunes download

1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) – 3:49
2. "Untouchable" (Album Version Edit) – 3:03
3. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) – 6:04

The Singles Boxset (CD21) / Digital EP {{cite web | url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/untouchable-ep/1746849179 | title=Untouchable - EP by Girls Aloud on Apple Music }}

1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) – 3:49
2. "It's Your Dynamite" – 4:21
3. "Love Is the Key" (Thriller Jill Mix) – 6:35
4. "Untouchable" (Album Version Edit) – 3:03
5. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) – 6:04
6. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit) – 3:46
7. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Dub) – 6:02

Promo CD

1. "Untouchable" (Almighty Essential Radio Edit) – 4:36
2. "Untouchable" (Almighty Essential Mix) – 9:11
3. "Untouchable" (Almighty Alternative Vocal Mix) – 9:11
4. "Untouchable" (Almighty Essential Dub) – 9:13
5. "Untouchable" (Almighty Essential Instrumental) – 9:11

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• Bass guitar: Kieran Jons
• Engineering: Toby Scott, Dan Aslet
• Guitars: Nick Coler, Jason Resch
• Keyboards and programming: Tim Powell, Brian Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Owen Parker, Fred Falke, Sacha Collisson, Matt Gray
• Mixing: Tim Powell, Brian Higgins
• Songwriting: Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Matt Gray
• Published by Warner/Chappell Music and Xenomania Music

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{{Reflist|2}}

• [http://www.girlsaloud.co.uk Girls Aloud's official website]

{{Girls Aloud songs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Untouchable}}

Category:2000s ballads

Category:2008 songs

Category:2009 singles

Category:Synth-pop ballads

Category:Girls Aloud songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Xenomania

Category:Songs written by Brian Higgins (producer)

Category:Songs written by Miranda Cooper

Category:Songs written by Tim Powell (producer)

Category:Fascination Records singles