The album is a pop record that incorporates elements of dance-pop, synth-pop, and various EDM sub-genres produced by long time-collaborators Brian Higgins and production team Xenomania.

Upon its release, Tangled Up was met with widespread acclaim from music critics, who commended the dance-oriented sound, songwriting and fun production; it has been identified by numerous commentators as Girls Aloud and Xenomania's best work.

It performed moderately in Ireland, reaching number 25, and was certified gold by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) for 7,500 claimed sales.

[2] Initial ideas started in March of that year where each member met with British producer Brian Higgins, who had worked with them together on their previously released albums.

Each singer visited Higgins at his home in England and discussed their experiences and life endeavours after the release of Girls Aloud's third studio album Chemistry (2005).

"[3] Moreover, when asked in an interview with Fascination Records about what fans and critics could expect from the album, group member Cheryl said they were heading for a "more mature direction."

[6] Unlike the group's previous records, Tangled Up is a pop album that consistently incorporates elements of electropop, dance music, Europop and various EDM sub-genres.

[1][7] Regarding the sound and production, Alexis Petridis of the Guardian found the material to be "witty, diverse and experimental", whilst Digital Spy contributor Nick Levine believed it to be "their most danceable album to date".

[10][11] Group member Nadine Coyle said that the tracks from Tangled Up were "all in the same vein," contrary to their previous releases, of which she described the song selection as "quite random".

A leftover track titled "Dog Without A Bone", was originally written in 2006 in an attempt to come up with a lead single for the group's first compilation album, The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits, however, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was released instead.

[3] The album opens with "Call the Shots", an "elegant" electropop ballad that incorporates elements of 1980s pop and 1990s house, and minor Europop sounds.

[10] Incorporating instrumentation such as synthesizers, keyboards and vocoder pro-tools for Cheryl's vocals at the first part of the recording, it is an experimental power pop anthem that emphasizes a rock-like sound over-top accompanying electronic music.

[16] "Can't Speak French", the fifth song on the record, is a "sultry" midtempo number that features electric guitars and synths, similar to what was used during the phase of smooth jazz music.

[9] "Fling" was described by DIY's Stuart McCaighy as a "trademark GA" track, signifying its "beefed-up dancefloor" sound and rap section as examples.

[14][16] The "futuristic" "I'm Falling" includes "squelchy sounds with a punky guitar", which was later compared to Girls Aloud's track "Graffiti My Soul" by BBC Music's Talia Kraines.

[14] The album closer, "Crocodile Tears", is a mid-tempo pop rock song that focuses more on the members' "intelligent" vocal performances, an element to which was never highlighted in their previous work, as mentioned by AllMusic's John Lucas.

[6] It is the only Girls Aloud album cover art not to feature the members; it received negative remarks from commentators for its "boring" context and imagery.

[21] A fan edition of Tangled Up was also available through Girls Aloud's official website; the artwork incorporates each of the members holding onto long thick metal wires covered in rubber, while the original photos were placed inside the booklet.

[29][30][31] The accompanying music video was directed by Trudy Bellinger and features the group sporting futuristic-looking skintight PVC catsuits with peep-toe high heels as they dance through wires stretched across the set.

[29][35] The accompanying music video was directed by Sean de Sparengo, and features the members in purple dresses performing on Malibu Beach at night with flames and white fabric surrounding them.

[37][38] Critically and commercially successful,[29] a music video was shot by Petro that features Girls Aloud in elaborate costumes inspired by Marie Antoinette and 18th century French fashions.

In an article from The List, Camilla Pia awarded the album a five-star rating, praising the mixture of genres, "witty lyrics, insanely infectious melodies and soaring choruses that explode out of nowhere".

[41] Talia Kraines of BBC Music agreed, labelling it another "unrelenting pop masterpiece" by the group, made "without ever losing their sense of fun", while complimenting the "challenging" production.

[10] Similarly, Matt O'Leary of Virgin Media rated Tangled Up four and a half stars out of five, describing the album as "ballsy pop with moments of eclecticism which [...] results in hair-curlingly exciting music" and enjoyed the group's ability to grow creatively.

[16] Although Alexis Petridis, a contributor to The Guardian, felt that the opening half of Tangled Up was "disappointing", he commended the melodies, songwriting and variety of music elements; for that, he awarded the record four stars.

[8] Nick Levine from Digital Spy found the songs to be "fun, frivolous, catchy, sexy and innovative" and called it their most "danceable album to date".

[9] John Murphy of MusicOMH examined how Tangled Up proved to show how Girls Aloud had managed to move on creatively since their time on reality TV and commended the album's pop and electronic aspects.

Butler criticized Xenomania's input for making the record sound inconsistent and "wild", whilst also noting that the production overlapped the girl group.

[42] Similarly, Dom Passantino at Drowned in Sound awarded it four points out of ten, highlighting the lack of originality and "stupid" themes as core reasons for the rating.

One of the earlier promotion schedules was an appearance by Nadine Coyle on RTÉ One's Saturday Night with Miriam on 14 July 2007, where she briefly commented on the work of Tangled Up and "Sexy!