Havoc and Bright Lights is the eighth (and sixth worldwide) studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, first released in Japan on August 22, 2012.
In June 2011, Guy Sigsworth, producer of Morissette's Flavors of Entanglement, wrote on Twitter that he was in Los Angeles working with a "certain amazing Canadian lady".
[4] On February 28, Morissette shared a video (shot in May 2011) of her recording a song, and Sigsworth's voice behind the scenes made it obvious she was working with him.
In November 2011, Morissette appeared on the American Music Awards, saying she had written 31 songs and had to choose the final twelve for the record.
Rolling Stone magazine announced that Morissette's new album would be released in June 2012 and shared the titles of songs "Havoc" and "Celebrity".
[9] In May 2013, a music video for the song "Empathy", directed by her drummer Victor Indrizzo, was released through social media.
[Havoc and Bright Lights] embodies relief, release and refuge [...] Without being florid or cosmic, she beckons to a far more graceful, honest world.
[23] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic said the album "is as soothing as a Sunday afternoon nap or a warm bath: it's music for when you know you're right where you want to be.
Club's Annie Zaleski found "Havoc And Bright Lights remains fearless and vibrant despite its shortcomings.
"[24] Johan Wippsson of Melodic.net felt that Havoc and Bright Lights is "totally over-produced and completely lacks of any kind of soul.
"[25] Joseph Viney from Sputnikmusic was negative towards the album, criticizing her lyrical content (especially on the song "Celebrity"), and stating that "Not even some admittedly slick production can drag this out of the mire.
Speaking of track "Woman Down", she said "The only real achievement here is an ironic one, as [...] Alanis somehow manages to make a feminist statement sound like a total affront to womankind" and stated the rest of the album was "teenage poetry, trowelled onto a bed of sift-rock cliché.