Musically, the album features considerable use of synthesizers, and it explores lyrical themes such as love and relationships, sex, and environmental protection.

The album's title track was a commercial phenomenon, staying 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, at the time tying the record set by Debby Boone's 1977 single "You Light Up My Life".

The song and its music video were controversial, having been banned or edited by several radio stations and television channels (such as MTV) for its sexual references.

The album was promoted with Newton-John's 1982 North American Physical Tour, performances from which a home video entitled Olivia in Concert was produced.

The Physical era marked the height of Newton-John's solo career, gaining her wide acclaim as one of the most successful female artists of the early 1980s.

I would have done a country song on Physical if I found one I really liked"[6] In 1978, Newton-John starred as the female lead, "Sandy", in the musical film Grease, which was a worldwide blockbuster and had a best-selling soundtrack.

The songs "Recovery" and "Falling" had been originally featured on John Farrar's 1980 self-titled solo album, but were later remodeled for Physical.

[13][14] Physical's nature- and sensuality-themed photos were shot primarily in Honolulu, Hawaii by the famous American photographer Herb Ritts in the first half of 1981.

The songs "Carried Away" and "Falling" have a more soft rock sound than Newton-John's past ballads, because of the more extensive use of guitars and synthesizers.

[18][19] The video debuted on 8 February 1982 on ABC as Let's Get Physical, and boasted 35% of the United States viewing audience when its first aired.

[27][28] Additionally, Newton-John hosted the seventh season finale of Saturday Night Live, performing "Physical", "Make a Move on Me" and "Landslide".

[36][37] The song and music video (which was recorded in a gym, with several men working out) were very controversial due to the implied sexual content, being innovative and provocative for the time.

The encore consisted of the title song "Physical" (with Newton-John doing aerobic exercises and jumping rope through the performance) and "I Honestly Love You".

The tour had generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Newton-John vocal performances and her ability to entertain the audience.

He further explained "[The album] skillfully balances catchy yet mellow dance cuts with immaculately crafted adult contemporary pop and ballads".

[4] Stephen Holden, in a review for Rolling Stone, said that Physical was "Newton-John's best album to date...a dazzling pop-rock bubblegum production by John Farrar.

Among the prettiest is "Carried Away," which Barry Gibb cowrote for Barbra Streisand's Guilty album but which didn't make it on the LP.

"[51] Cashbox noted that "Lovely Livvy seems to get more sensual and musically bold each successive time out as both the graphics and sound of Physical are downright provocative.

Credit producer John Farrar for giving the comely Aussie lass a new high tech sound and watch this LP soar up the charts.

[36] At the 1982 Billboard Year-End, Newton-John appears as the fourth most successful pop artist and Physical as the fifteenth best-selling album of the year.

[54] On 12 October 1984, Physical was certified two times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of over two million units.

[58] The album was certified four times platinum by Canadian Recording Industry Association (now Music Canada) for shipment of 400,000 copies.

[68][69] On 24 September 2021, Newton-John's official website announced that a deluxe edition of the album would be released on the next October 22, by Primary Wave.

"[6] The record company also was afraid of the public and media feedback about the themes featured on Olivia Physical, especially these included in the music video made for the title track.

The music video of "Physical" is considered very innovative, with a simple, but cohesive plot, and several sexual innuendos (including homosexual contexts) which also are featured in the song.

[37] After receiving numerous complaints, two Utah local radio stations (Provo's KFMY-FM and Salt Lake City's KSL-FM) banned the song from its playlists.

Several adult contemporary radios (many with Mormon affiliations[46]) across North America also banned the single, causing a lower peak at number twenty-nine on the U.S.

In 1982, Newton-John performed at the Bophuthatswana's Sun City Super Bowl and the special appearance was recorded by South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

According to Billboard, the "committee of moral" of South Africa under apartheid had always employed a policy of restricting airplay on certain material considered "offensive".

[74] Among the programs who have already made reference to Physical are Late Night with David Letterman (on the pilot episode),[73] Sesame Street,[75] Glee (with Newton-John as a special guest), The Office[73] and The Simpsons.