Branded

"Branded" is a song from Lita Ford's eighth studio album, Living Like A Runaway, which returned her to the classic sound of her 1980s and early 1990s material. "Branded" was the first song released from the album, premiering on the metal blog Noisecreep on May 9, 2012. Due to extremely high anticipation for new Lita Ford material, "Branded" debuted at #1 on Jessica's Top 40 upon its release, becoming Lita's fourth song to do so, as well as her fifth #1 hit.

Despite the high anticipation for Lita Ford's 2009 album Wicked Wonderland, her first album of new material in 15 years, the album received a less than stellar reception - even from me - due to the stylistic departure from Lita's classic sound and the heavy involvement of her then-husband, Jim Gillette. Fortunately, Lita understood the fans' disappointment and vowed to record a proper comeback album without Gillette's involvement that brought her back to the sound of her early material.

A sign of things to come came when Lita announced in February 2011 she would divorce Gillette, saying in an interview she returned home from a business trip to find Gillette and their two sons, James and Rocco, not talking to her; she also said her sons physically attacked her, upon Gillette's encouragement. Three months later, Lita announced she was working on a new album inspired by what she described as her "ugly divorce." Speaking about the album, entitled Living Like A Runaway, she said it represents "freedom and empowerment. To do what I want and to pursue my dreams while answering to no one."

Lita Ford fans got their first taste of the new album in May 2012 when the song "Branded" was exclusively streamed on the metal-themed blog Noisecreep, which described Living Like A Runaway as "her finest album since the '80s". Lita said of the song upon its premiere, "'Branded' is forever like a tattoo, or a mark that won't go away like a wicked scar! Sometimes people get their significant other's name branded to try and show that they 'think' they own you."

Upon its release, "Branded" received positive reviews from most critics and blogs that reviewed the song, believing the song was a major improvement over the Wicked Wonderland era.

Helped by the return to her classic sound, "Branded" was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2012, and it debuted at #1 on Jessica's Top 40 on the week of its release in one of the closest races for #1 in chart history, with competition from another highly anticipated comeback single, "Guardian" by Alanis Morissette. With Lita Ford back in action and back to her classic sound, it's certain 2012 will be the year she slays Jessica's Top 40.