Controller (song)

"Controller"
Single by L.A.B.
from the album L.A.B.
Released	31 July 2018 (2018-07-31)[1][2]
Genre	contemporary R&B[3]
Length	4:35
Label	Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa
Songwriter(s)	Brad Kora
Producer(s)	Brad Kora
L.A.B. singles chronology
"Umulash" (2017) "Controller" (2018) "Midnight Summer" (2018)
Music video
"Controller" on YouTube

"Controller" is a song by New Zealand band L.A.B., released as a single from their debut album L.A.B. in mid-2018. After the success of the band's song "In the Air" (2019), the song became a hit in New Zealand.

Composition

"Controller" was one of the first songs the band L.A.B. wrote, inspired by the story of a woman who falls blindly in love with a controlling man.[2][4] The song incorporates 1980s-style pop synths and percussion.[5]

Release

The song was released as a single in July 2018, alongside the release of the song's music video, directed by Shae Sterling.[1][2] The song became a hit in 2020 after the release of the band's single "In the Air", becoming the 8th most successful single by a New Zealand artist in 2020.[6]

The song was compiled onto the band's 2023 album Introducing L.A.B., originally produced as a sampler for their debut European performances.[7]

Critical reception

Dave Tucker of Ambient Light Blog reviewed the song positively, calling it "[the] perfect single piece of team mastery, combin[ing] a sweet soulful sincerity that I like a lot."[8]

Credits and personnel

• A. Adams-Tamatea – bass
• B. Kora – arrangement, drums, lyrics, producer, sampling, songwriting
• S. Kora – synth
• J. Shadbolt – vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2021) Peak position New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 3

Year-end charts Chart (2020) Position New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 20 Chart (2021) Position New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 9 Chart (2022) Position New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 25

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Controller"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[13]	8× Platinum	240,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "L.A.B. Bio". Reggarville. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
2. "VIDEO PREMIERE: L.A.B.'s 'Controller' directed by Shae Sterling". Radio New Zealand. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
3. Thompson, Lora (12 December 2017). "L.A.B. - Album Review: L.A.B". muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
4. "L.A.B. - Controller". Mai FM. 20 June 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
5. Shute, Gareth (15 April 2020). "L.A.B." Audio Culture. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
6. "Kiwi music dominates the 2020 Official NZ Music Charts". Radio New Zealand. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
7. "Introducing L.A.B." Bandcamp. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
8. Tucker, Dave. "Album Review: L.A.B. – L.A.B." Ambient Light Blog. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
9. "L.A.B. – Controller". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
10. "END OF YEAR CHARTS 2020". NZ Music Charts. RMNZ. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
11. "END OF YEAR CHARTS 2021". NZ Music Charts. RMNZ. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
12. "Top Selling Singles of 2022". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
13. "New Zealand single certifications". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.