Hands is the debut studio album by English recording artist Little Boots. It was released in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2009 by 679 Recordings and Atlantic Records to generally positive reviews. Many critics complimented its "well-crafted" pop songs and "diverse" production. Hands primarily features songs about love, relationships and heartbreak, and takes influence from a variety of music styles such as disco, 1980s synthpop and Eurodance. The album reached the top five in Boots' native United Kingdom, and its first two singles, "New in Town" and "Remedy", charted inside the top fifteen and top ten, respectively.
Boots began recording her debut album in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin and Hot Chip's Joe Goddard in early 2008. While in Los Angeles, she spent two days recording with RedOne. She initially found working with RedOne intimidating because their collaboration was expected to produce a hit song. Following the BBC Sound of 2009 poll, which Boots won, her record label, management and A&R team scheduled recording sessions with Dr. Luke. These sessions, however, never took place. In January 2009, Boots began to compile the album's track listing, a difficult process for the singer, who compared it to "cutting a limb off".
The album's title comes from the song "Hands". Included on the album as a hidden track, its lyrics tell the story of a person with a broken heart who tries desperately to mend it. The album cover for Hands was "inspired by old Italo covers like Patrick Cowley and Amanda Lear that have lots of space and fantasy themes." According to Boots, the artwork is a mixture of the past and the present, a reflection of the musical styles featured on the album.