Head Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999.

The recording of Head Music was plagued with difficulties such as singer Brett Anderson's addiction to crack, and keyboardist Neil Codling's struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome.

[3] Suede's biographer David Barnett remembers the day when they did a test-run of "Savoir Faire" with Osborne at the trial sessions.

"Naively assuming it to be a hash pipe, I took them up on the offer and was surprised to experience a sensation akin to inhaling several bottles of poppers at the same time.

[9] Anderson felt that his spiralling drug use and Codling's illness made Oakes become more isolated from the group; and that the only people who were still getting on well were Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert.

[14] Codling contributed a greater amount of material to Head Music than Coming Up, receiving writing credits on six songs.

More groove-oriented than previous Suede albums, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that, due to Osborne's production, Head Music adds "some vague elements of electronic and dance music to Suede's signature sound, but these primarily manifest themselves in the form of gurgling analog synths and canned, old-school drum machines.

"[17] The BBC felt the electronic influence was larger, describing an "emphasis placed on synths and all things electronica," although also noting that "the Suede identity is kept firmly in focus throughout.

"[18] Spin thought likewise, saying the record "embraces the supposed contradiction of rocking out with a dance music mentor" and made note of its "complex sheen.

[22] The artwork, which features Anderson's girlfriend Sam, and Neil Codling, was art-directed by Peter Saville and designed by Howard Wakefield and Paul Hetherington.

Fans were invited to take part in a web chat, view exclusive footage from the studio and listen to the new songs at Suede's official website.

[26] Making the most of the friendly fanclub show to focus solely on the forthcoming album, the fourteen track setlist consisted mostly of songs from Head Music and missed out old favourites, with the exception of some Coming Up era b-sides.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of Head Music, with numerous TV appearances including, CD:UK, The O-Zone, Top of the Pops, The Pepsi Chart Show and TFI Friday.

"[30] On 2 May, the day before the UK album release date, the band played a gig at Virgin's flagship Megastore on London's Oxford Street.

Chris Charles felt that "all the pieces of the jigsaw are in the right place", and called it "the soundtrack for the future performed by artists in tune with one another.

"[19] Also very favourable was A.D. Amorosi of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who also noted Osborne's role, saying: "Since 1990, Anderson & Co. have made the most of Bowie glam-era tartness without sounding even vaguely interested in flesh or flash.

Head Music changes that, though, as producer Steve Osborne imparts a much-needed sense of sonic and emotional depth to make 'Electricity' and 'Savoir Faire' palpitate.

"[42] Marc Weingarten of the Los Angeles Times called it "an album of considerable sweep and smarts", which would help the band "carve its own niche among American listeners.

"[40] Some critics saw Head Music as a major step forward from Coming Up and as a sign that the band's new line-up had been vindicated from doubters.

Christina Rees of the Dallas Observer wrote: "If Suede couldn't erase the influence of Oakes' predecessor, Bernard Butler, on 1996's Coming Up, it has certainly succeeded now."

"[50] Similarly an Australian Broadcasting Corporation article wrote: "Head Music fills in the gaps of Coming Up and succeeds in being the best record the band has made since its debut, finally laying Bernard Butler's looming ghost to rest.

Nick Duerden of The Independent felt that Head Music was blighted by his descent into addiction, calling it a "rather ugly record".

[7] Writing for The Guardian, John Harris had similar views, saying "it was a fair bet, therefore, that the drug played its part in the creation of their most ludicrous album, 1999's Head Music.