Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	68/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly	B
The Guardian
The Independent
NME	6/10
Pitchfork Media	6.6/10
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Spin
The Times

Head First is the fifth studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released 19 March 2010 by Mute Records. The album spawned three singles: "Rocket", "Alive" and "Believer". It received a nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards.

"I think we just wanted something really simple and that had a sort of euphoric-ness to it. A kind of slightly surreal but dreamy quality—pink clouds and [the feeling that] you can carry on forever. A sort of slight fantasy feeling."

In July 2009, Goldfrapp announced that they had begun recording their fifth studio album. A photoshoot for the album took place in November 2009. The duo hoped to have the album recorded by December 2009. A press release issued ahead of the release described Head First as their "most powerful trip to date, a speedy rush of synth optimism, euphoria, fantasy and romance. With life affirming lyrics and stellar production it lifts off at full tilt and takes us on a journey to the heart of 2010."

Alison Goldfrapp explained that the upbeat nature of the album was inspired by her desire to create something "a little bit like Supernature, but that had a warmer sound—maybe not as hard." Describing their previous album Seventh Tree as an "intimate, dreamy, more introspective album" which was created in response to deep unhappiness with her personal life following the tiring Supernature tour, Head First was a reaction to wanting "to get out the synths again, put your hands in the air" and "set about making an 'up' album."

In the following years, after re-signing to Mute after its split from parent label EMI, Goldfrapp expressed dissatisfaction with the recording process and final composition of the album. Will Gregory described a "schedule" provided by EMI which they felt "blackmailed into sticking to" despite needing "another six months on Head First really." This rushed process was something which they specifically aimed to address when recording their next album Tales of Us. In terms of the artistic direction for Head First, Goldfrapp described the process as "very nasty"; EMI had pressured them to create a more commercial sound which was at odds with their plans for the record and their image.

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Wikipedia