Album: Salute by Little Mix (2014)
Genre: Pop | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: Syco Music
Format: Album

Description: Released a year after DNA, Little Mix’s 2012 debut, Salute finds the group overcoming the curse of the “difficult second album”, returning with a record that expands their sound—and that would help boost their profile worldwide. 

The title track is a ferocious call to arms, replete with air raid sirens, battle cries, military drums and an infectious, rallying chorus (“Ladies all across the world/Listen up, we’re looking for recruits…Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps/Or lace up your boots”). “Salute” finds the members of Little Mix taking the winning formula that fuelled their debut album—with its empowerment anthems aimed squarely at the dance floor—and hardening the edges, all with a beat that recalls Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)”. As a statement of intent, “Salute” is as unambiguous as it is commanding. 

Elsewhere on the album, things get more experimental. The lead single, “Move”, owes more to The Neptunes than Little Mix’s girl band predecessors, dispensing with the maximalist production of early hits like “Wings” in favour of sparse humming-and-clicking instrumentation. Despite its odd structure and lack of melody or traditional chorus, “Move” manages to achieve its aim of recruiting listeners to the dance floor—“Hey/Get your back off the wall/Don’t you get comfortable”—seemingly without breaking a sweat. “Boy” is even more pared down, opening on a layered a cappella harmony before introducing a finger snap and eventually bringing in a Timbaland-esque beat that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Aaliyah deep cut. 

Meanwhile, Salute’s lyrical themes of female solidarity sit comfortably alongside tales of terminally disappointing men, including “Towers” (“You never brought me flowers/Never held me in my darkest hours”). The mood lifts considerably on the MNEK-produced “Nothing Feels Like You”, a joyous celebration of real-world love that lives up to the fantasy, set to a futuristic Afrobeat beat. They’re all part of an album that goes unexpectedly hard—and that would wind up being saluted by listeners around the globe.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Rock/Pop, Cheerful, 2010s, Album, Syco Music

Additional Context: Sales figures: 620000. Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace

Released a year after DNA, Little Mix’s 2012 debut, Salute finds the group overcoming the curse of the “difficult second album”, returning with a record that expands their sound—and that would help boost their profile worldwide. 

The title track is a ferocious call to arms, replete with air raid sirens, battle cries, military drums and an infectious, rallying chorus (“Ladies all across the world/Listen up, we’re looking for recruits…Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps/Or lace up your boots”). “Salute” finds the members of Little Mix taking the winning formula that fuelled their debut album—with its empowerment anthems aimed squarely at the dance floor—and hardening the edges, all with a beat that recalls Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)”. As a statement of intent, “Salute” is as unambiguous as it is commanding. 

Elsewhere on the album, things get more experimental. The lead single, “Move”, owes more to The Neptunes than Little Mix’s girl band predecessors, dispensing with the maximalist production of early hits like “Wings” in favour of sparse humming-and-clicking instrumentation. Despite its odd structure and lack of melody or traditional chorus, “Move” manages to achieve its aim of recruiting listeners to the dance floor—“Hey/Get your back off the wall/Don’t you get comfortable”—seemingly without breaking a sweat. “Boy” is even more pared down, opening on a layered a cappella harmony before introducing a finger snap and eventually bringing in a Timbaland-esque beat that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Aaliyah deep cut. 

Meanwhile, Salute’s lyrical themes of female solidarity sit comfortably alongside tales of terminally disappointing men, including “Towers” (“You never brought me flowers/Never held me in my darkest hours”). The mood lifts considerably on the MNEK-produced “Nothing Feels Like You”, a joyous celebration of real-world love that lives up to the fantasy, set to a futuristic Afrobeat beat. They’re all part of an album that goes unexpectedly hard—and that would wind up being saluted by listeners around the globe.

Album: Get Weird by Little Mix (2015)
Genre: Pop | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: Syco Music
Format: Album

Description: While Little Mix’s musical output has always transcended its talent-show beginnings, there were moments during the group’s early years when it felt like the members were stuck on a pop conveyer belt. Little Mix’s 2012 debut, DNA, was released less than a year after the group won the top prize on the British version of The X Factor; a follow-up album, Salute, arrived not long afterwards. So far, so seamless. But Little Mix’s third effort, Get Weird, was held up for a year—with the band members later revealing that nearly an album’s worth of material had been scrapped along the way.

Still, while the protracted recording of Get Weird was unusually tortuous, you wouldn’t know it from listening to the record. Unlike the moodier, more experimental Salute, the light and buoyant Get Weird finds the band members leaning into a pure pop sensibility. The lead single, “Black Magic”, has the effervescent bounce of 1980s teen pop, featuring a killer chorus and an instantly catchy call-and-response bridge (“All the girls on the block knocking at my door (I got the recipe)/Wanna know what it is, make the boys want more (Now you belong to me)”). “Black Magic” doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But the song stormed the charts and solidified Little Mix’s status as the globe’s most reliable hitmaking girl band. 

And there are plenty of hits to be found on Get Weird. While previous Little Mix singles owed a debt to En Vogue and Destiny’s Child, “Love Me Like You” harks further back, with its harmonised “Sha-la-la-la” verses and doo-wop stylings recalling The Ronettes and The Supremes. But if “Love Me Like You” features a retro sound, its lyrics are surprisingly suggestive: “Used to get it when I wa-a-ant…Now I’m dealin’ with these bo-o-oys/When I really need a man who can do it like I can”. Things escalate even more on the naughty “A.D.I.D.A.S.”, which features such to-the-point lines as, “Excuse me, do me or lose me/Get me to the bedroom, do your duty”. When pop groups try to grow up with their fanbases, the results often come off as contrived; on Get Weird, though, such diversions are executed with a welcome, knowing wink. 

Elsewhere on the album, Jason Derulo lends his tremulous vibrato to “Secret Love Song”, dedicated to the group’s LGBTQ+ fanbase, while Sean Paul makes a typically spirited appearance on thumping single “Hair”. It all makes for an effort that, despite its title, isn’t particularly weird. But it is certainly wonderful.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Rock/Pop, Cheerful, 2010s, Album, Syco Music

Additional Context: Sales figures: 389000. Rating score: 10. Based on 1 votes

While Little Mix’s musical output has always transcended its talent-show beginnings, there were moments during the group’s early years when it felt like the members were stuck on a pop conveyer belt. Little Mix’s 2012 debut, DNA, was released less than a year after the group won the top prize on the British version of The X Factor; a follow-up album, Salute, arrived not long afterwards. So far, so seamless. But Little Mix’s third effort, Get Weird, was held up for a year—with the band members later revealing that nearly an album’s worth of material had been scrapped along the way.

Still, while the protracted recording of Get Weird was unusually tortuous, you wouldn’t know it from listening to the record. Unlike the moodier, more experimental Salute, the light and buoyant Get Weird finds the band members leaning into a pure pop sensibility. The lead single, “Black Magic”, has the effervescent bounce of 1980s teen pop, featuring a killer chorus and an instantly catchy call-and-response bridge (“All the girls on the block knocking at my door (I got the recipe)/Wanna know what it is, make the boys want more (Now you belong to me)”). “Black Magic” doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But the song stormed the charts and solidified Little Mix’s status as the globe’s most reliable hitmaking girl band. 

And there are plenty of hits to be found on Get Weird. While previous Little Mix singles owed a debt to En Vogue and Destiny’s Child, “Love Me Like You” harks further back, with its harmonised “Sha-la-la-la” verses and doo-wop stylings recalling The Ronettes and The Supremes. But if “Love Me Like You” features a retro sound, its lyrics are surprisingly suggestive: “Used to get it when I wa-a-ant…Now I’m dealin’ with these bo-o-oys/When I really need a man who can do it like I can”. Things escalate even more on the naughty “A.D.I.D.A.S.”, which features such to-the-point lines as, “Excuse me, do me or lose me/Get me to the bedroom, do your duty”. When pop groups try to grow up with their fanbases, the results often come off as contrived; on Get Weird, though, such diversions are executed with a welcome, knowing wink. 

Elsewhere on the album, Jason Derulo lends his tremulous vibrato to “Secret Love Song”, dedicated to the group’s LGBTQ+ fanbase, while Sean Paul makes a typically spirited appearance on thumping single “Hair”. It all makes for an effort that, despite its title, isn’t particularly weird. But it is certainly wonderful.

Album: Glory Days by Little Mix (2016)
Genre: Pop | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: Columbia
Format: Album

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Rock/Pop, Cheerful, 2010s, Album, Columbia

Additional Context: Rating score: 7. Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Album: The Little Mix Collection by Little Mix (2011)
Genre: Pop | Style: Rock/Pop
Record Label: Columbia
Format: Live

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Rock/Pop, 2010s, Live, Columbia


Album: Confetti by Little Mix (2020)
Genre: contemporary r&b
Record Label: RCA
Format: CD

Artist Background: Artist from GB, known for dance, dance-pop, pop, pop rap, r&b

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: contemporary r&b, 2020s, CD, RCA


Album: Glory Days: The Platinum Edition by Little Mix (2017)
Genre: dance-pop
Record Label: Syco Music
Format: Digital Media

Artist Background: Little Mix are a British four-piece girl group formed in 2011, consisting of members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall. They were formed exclusively for the eighth series of The X Factor, where they became the first group entry to win in the programme's eight-year history. Following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records. The group subsequently signed in the United States with Columbia Records. Little Mix have been branded th... Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: dance-pop, 2010s, Digital Media, Syco Music


Album: Glory Days: The Platinum Edition by Little Mix (2017)
Genre: dance-pop
Record Label: Syco Music
Format: Digital Media

Description: Apple Music exclusive

Artist Background: Little Mix are a British four-piece girl group formed in 2011, consisting of members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall. They were formed exclusively for the eighth series of The X Factor, where they became the first group entry to win in the programme's eight-year history. Following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records. The group subsequently signed in the United States with Columbia Records. Little Mix have been branded th... Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: dance-pop, 2010s, Digital Media, Syco Music


Album: Confetti by Little Mix (2020)
Genre: Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: RCA Records Label
Format: Album

Description: “We wrote it with a bottle of wine and we just had fun,” Leigh-Anne Pinnock tells Apple Music of Little Mix’s sixth album Confetti, titled as such because Britain’s biggest girl band wanted the record to “feel like a celebration”. Written during sessions between London and LA before 2020’s global lockdown, the songs include self-love anthems (the irresistible “Happiness”), feminist clapbacks (“Not a Pop Song”, on which Little Mix brilliantly rally against being called a “guilty pleasure”) and breakup smashes (the ’80s-inspired and rather on-the-nose “Break Up Song”). But if those subjects were tackled overtly on 2018’s LM5, here, Little Mix—also made up of Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson—have a little more fun with it. That came, they say, from the confidence of being six albums deep and feeling emboldened to speak out—in their music and beyond—about sexism, misogyny and the things they’ve endured as four young women in the public eye. But it was a product, too, of a collective decision to rid themselves of pressure and just see where those sessions might lead them. “We were in a headspace of ‘Let’s just write and see if we get an album, and if we don’t, we don’t,'” says Edwards. Read on as Little Mix guide us through each track of Confetti. 
Break Up Song
Perrie Edwards: “We wrote this with [UK singer, songwriter and producer] KAMILLE and some others. We had a two-day writing session where we wrote around seven songs, and the majority of them made it to the album. It was just a good session. Champagne was popping. ‘Break Up Song’ is just that '80s feel-good pop fun. It’s very nostalgic.”
Leigh-Anne Pinnock: “This song reminds me a bit of ‘Black Magic’, but cooler. It’s just that ’80s synth that makes you feel good. We always love a great introduction to the album as well. When we released this song [in March 2020], everyone just needed a bit of a pick-me-up and a bit of a boost.” 
Holiday
PE: “We get a lot of inspiration when we go through breakups and personal stuff. And it’s always the easiest thing to write about. We write with the heart and about how you’re feeling emotionally. But for this one, we were just like, ‘Why don’t we write instead about being happy and how a boy can make you feel amazing when he’s the one?’ And it just went from there.” 
Sweet Melody
Jade Thirlwall: “There are a few songs on this album that are quite bass-heavy. For this one, Leigh-Anne and I, when we were in LA, did a few sessions with [US singer-songwriter] Tayla Parx, who did ‘7 rings’ with Ariana Grande and some massive bangers in the US. She played us this, which she’d done with [British singer, songwriter and producer] MNEK, who we work with a lot, and we were singing it for days after. The song tells a story as well—to me, it’s like the big sister to ‘Touch’.” 
LP: “With that beat dropping in the chorus, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m sold. This is it!’ It’s a banger!” 
Confetti
PE: “‘Confetti’ is sexy. It's very understated but cool. And we just feel cool listening to it. As soon as we had this song, we just knew this would be what the album would be called. It was fun, cool, and you could do so much with it.”
JT: “We always think of video ideas and gender reversals. You know when you see rappers in the club with girls dancing? Imagine if that was switched round.” 
Happiness
PE: “The melodies take you somewhere—my boyfriend absolutely loves this one because of them. The concept of this song and the lyrics are really nice, too. I think the song is relatable to everybody. People, especially in the world we’re living in right now, are very dependent on other people for their happiness. I’m a bit like that: My emotions are based on how somebody else makes me feel. And I think this song is amazing—the message is that you don’t need somebody to make you feel good. You should just be happy within yourself.”
JT: “I think it’s very empowering. It’s like, ‘I was searching for happiness. I thought it was with you, but actually it's just with myself.’ It's the anti-co-dependent bop of 2020!” 
Not a Pop Song
LP: “We did this with Tayla Parx, too. It was about the crummy year we had. Basically, it's a bit of tea, that song, isn't it? We were sipping a bit of tea when we wrote it. A lot of people in the past have said that we're puppets just because we’re in a pop girl group and that we’re a guilty pleasure. 'We don’t do what Simon says' is the lyric.”
JT: “There's so much to us. We deserve credibility and respect.” 
Nothing But My Feelings
JT: “We wrote this song in LA. I think it's quite empowering actually for women to write about getting a booty call, and being like, ‘Yeah, do you know what? Sometimes, I just want to have sex. And I'll give you a call and I'll let you know when you can come around. I've got nowt on.’ We tried to make the chorus a bit nursery rhyme-y so it was quite innocent. But when you hear the lyrics, they’re a bit filth. To me, the big chorus is like two people having a one-night stand, and then the gospel choir is like, ‘Yeah, well done!’ That bit will be good on tour as well.” 
Gloves Up 
PE: “This was done with [songwriter] Maegan Cottone, who we wrote ‘Salute’ with, as well as other songs. We absolutely love Meg. I feel like she just gets us so well. It’s a very anthemic song, and the chorus is quite Ciara-ish. We just had fun with it.”
LP: “‘Gloves Up’ takes me back a little bit within Little Mix, but I don’t mind that. I feel like this one will be a fan favourite. We had it in mind when we wrote this song that it would maybe be a tour opener.” 
A Mess (Happy 4 U) 
LP: “The lyrics in this song, to me, are kind of Robyn-esque. It’s sad—it’s about seeing your ex with somebody else. And it’s like, ‘Look, if you're happy, I'm happy.’ Even though you're not. It sounds quite cutesy and happy, but it's actually really freaking sad. You’re actually dying. We love a happy sad song.” 
My Love Won’t Let You Down 
PE: “I think, for me, the thing that makes me so emotional when I hear this song is the space in it. It's not like a flowing, typical ballad. There's so much space and the piano just drops out—it just really gets me every time. And it's like we're singing it to each other. You can interpret it in so many different ways, but it is nice to think that we're singing it to each other, like we've got each other's backs.” 
Rendezvous
JT: “This song is quite dark, sexy and low, which we don't all do that often. Everyone's kind of down there on this one. It’s exactly about owning your sexuality. Like, ‘How do you feel about a rendezvous?’”
LP: “It’s quite stripped back as well. I feel like we're used to throwing bells and whistles at songs, so it was quite nice to hold it back a little bit and just do just something really cool and sultry.” 
If You Want My Love
JT: “The meaning of ‘If You Want My Love’ is like, I'm sick of your shit. If you want my love, work for it. Put the effort in. We're very busy girls, you see? We’re very successful! And you’re putting in some half-arsed effort. Just work for it.” 
Breathe
LP: “It's nice to be vulnerable every now and again. This song reminds me of ‘No Air’ [by Jordin Sparks, featuring Chris Brown]. It’s got that vibe. This is probably the closest to R&B I feel like we've got with our music, and I feel like we needed an R&B feature. The lyric is ‘I can’t breathe when you’re not with me.’ You do feel like that after a breakup sometimes. Even though it's not true—you can survive without him. But that’s the feeling you’ve got at the time.”

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Cheerful, 2020s, Album, RCA Records Label

“We wrote it with a bottle of wine and we just had fun,” Leigh-Anne Pinnock tells Apple Music of Little Mix’s sixth album Confetti, titled as such because Britain’s biggest girl band wanted the record to “feel like a celebration”. Written during sessions between London and LA before 2020’s global lockdown, the songs include self-love anthems (the irresistible “Happiness”), feminist clapbacks (“Not a Pop Song”, on which Little Mix brilliantly rally against being called a “guilty pleasure”) and breakup smashes (the ’80s-inspired and rather on-the-nose “Break Up Song”). But if those subjects were tackled overtly on 2018’s LM5, here, Little Mix—also made up of Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson—have a little more fun with it. That came, they say, from the confidence of being six albums deep and feeling emboldened to speak out—in their music and beyond—about sexism, misogyny and the things they’ve endured as four young women in the public eye. But it was a product, too, of a collective decision to rid themselves of pressure and just see where those sessions might lead them. “We were in a headspace of ‘Let’s just write and see if we get an album, and if we don’t, we don’t,'” says Edwards. Read on as Little Mix guide us through each track of Confetti. 
Break Up Song
Perrie Edwards: “We wrote this with [UK singer, songwriter and producer] KAMILLE and some others. We had a two-day writing session where we wrote around seven songs, and the majority of them made it to the album. It was just a good session. Champagne was popping. ‘Break Up Song’ is just that '80s feel-good pop fun. It’s very nostalgic.”
Leigh-Anne Pinnock: “This song reminds me a bit of ‘Black Magic’, but cooler. It’s just that ’80s synth that makes you feel good. We always love a great introduction to the album as well. When we released this song [in March 2020], everyone just needed a bit of a pick-me-up and a bit of a boost.” 
Holiday
PE: “We get a lot of inspiration when we go through breakups and personal stuff. And it’s always the easiest thing to write about. We write with the heart and about how you’re feeling emotionally. But for this one, we were just like, ‘Why don’t we write instead about being happy and how a boy can make you feel amazing when he’s the one?’ And it just went from there.” 
Sweet Melody
Jade Thirlwall: “There are a few songs on this album that are quite bass-heavy. For this one, Leigh-Anne and I, when we were in LA, did a few sessions with [US singer-songwriter] Tayla Parx, who did ‘7 rings’ with Ariana Grande and some massive bangers in the US. She played us this, which she’d done with [British singer, songwriter and producer] MNEK, who we work with a lot, and we were singing it for days after. The song tells a story as well—to me, it’s like the big sister to ‘Touch’.” 
LP: “With that beat dropping in the chorus, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m sold. This is it!’ It’s a banger!” 
Confetti
PE: “‘Confetti’ is sexy. It's very understated but cool. And we just feel cool listening to it. As soon as we had this song, we just knew this would be what the album would be called. It was fun, cool, and you could do so much with it.”
JT: “We always think of video ideas and gender reversals. You know when you see rappers in the club with girls dancing? Imagine if that was switched round.” 
Happiness
PE: “The melodies take you somewhere—my boyfriend absolutely loves this one because of them. The concept of this song and the lyrics are really nice, too. I think the song is relatable to everybody. People, especially in the world we’re living in right now, are very dependent on other people for their happiness. I’m a bit like that: My emotions are based on how somebody else makes me feel. And I think this song is amazing—the message is that you don’t need somebody to make you feel good. You should just be happy within yourself.”
JT: “I think it’s very empowering. It’s like, ‘I was searching for happiness. I thought it was with you, but actually it's just with myself.’ It's the anti-co-dependent bop of 2020!” 
Not a Pop Song
LP: “We did this with Tayla Parx, too. It was about the crummy year we had. Basically, it's a bit of tea, that song, isn't it? We were sipping a bit of tea when we wrote it. A lot of people in the past have said that we're puppets just because we’re in a pop girl group and that we’re a guilty pleasure. 'We don’t do what Simon says' is the lyric.”
JT: “There's so much to us. We deserve credibility and respect.” 
Nothing But My Feelings
JT: “We wrote this song in LA. I think it's quite empowering actually for women to write about getting a booty call, and being like, ‘Yeah, do you know what? Sometimes, I just want to have sex. And I'll give you a call and I'll let you know when you can come around. I've got nowt on.’ We tried to make the chorus a bit nursery rhyme-y so it was quite innocent. But when you hear the lyrics, they’re a bit filth. To me, the big chorus is like two people having a one-night stand, and then the gospel choir is like, ‘Yeah, well done!’ That bit will be good on tour as well.” 
Gloves Up 
PE: “This was done with [songwriter] Maegan Cottone, who we wrote ‘Salute’ with, as well as other songs. We absolutely love Meg. I feel like she just gets us so well. It’s a very anthemic song, and the chorus is quite Ciara-ish. We just had fun with it.”
LP: “‘Gloves Up’ takes me back a little bit within Little Mix, but I don’t mind that. I feel like this one will be a fan favourite. We had it in mind when we wrote this song that it would maybe be a tour opener.” 
A Mess (Happy 4 U) 
LP: “The lyrics in this song, to me, are kind of Robyn-esque. It’s sad—it’s about seeing your ex with somebody else. And it’s like, ‘Look, if you're happy, I'm happy.’ Even though you're not. It sounds quite cutesy and happy, but it's actually really freaking sad. You’re actually dying. We love a happy sad song.” 
My Love Won’t Let You Down 
PE: “I think, for me, the thing that makes me so emotional when I hear this song is the space in it. It's not like a flowing, typical ballad. There's so much space and the piano just drops out—it just really gets me every time. And it's like we're singing it to each other. You can interpret it in so many different ways, but it is nice to think that we're singing it to each other, like we've got each other's backs.” 
Rendezvous
JT: “This song is quite dark, sexy and low, which we don't all do that often. Everyone's kind of down there on this one. It’s exactly about owning your sexuality. Like, ‘How do you feel about a rendezvous?’”
LP: “It’s quite stripped back as well. I feel like we're used to throwing bells and whistles at songs, so it was quite nice to hold it back a little bit and just do just something really cool and sultry.” 
If You Want My Love
JT: “The meaning of ‘If You Want My Love’ is like, I'm sick of your shit. If you want my love, work for it. Put the effort in. We're very busy girls, you see? We’re very successful! And you’re putting in some half-arsed effort. Just work for it.” 
Breathe
LP: “It's nice to be vulnerable every now and again. This song reminds me of ‘No Air’ [by Jordin Sparks, featuring Chris Brown]. It’s got that vibe. This is probably the closest to R&B I feel like we've got with our music, and I feel like we needed an R&B feature. The lyric is ‘I can’t breathe when you’re not with me.’ You do feel like that after a breakup sometimes. Even though it's not true—you can survive without him. But that’s the feeling you’ve got at the time.”

Album: Between Us by Little Mix (2021)
Genre: Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: Columbia
Format: Compilation

Description: Between Us is the first greatest hits album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 12 November 2021 through RCA. It was supported by two singles, "Love (Sweet Love)" and "No", which both peaked within the top forty of the UK Singles Chart.

The announcement of Between Us was made on the group's ten-year anniversary of their formation on the eighth series of the British version of The X Factor. The standard edition of the album which consists of twenty-two tracks, includes eighteen of the group's previously released singles, including four of their five number-one singles, "Wings", "Black Magic", "Shout Out to My Ex", and "Sweet Melody". The group's debut single "Cannonball", which peaked at number one in the UK, is included on the CD deluxe edition as the final track. Additionally, the standard edition of the album includes two other new tracks called "Between Us" and "Cut You Off", both of which charted on the UK Singles Chart. A fifth new song titled "Trash" is featured on the deluxe editions of the album.

The recording of the new songs took place between the COVID-19 pandemic and group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards' pregnancies. The group gave a televised performance of the album's title track on The Graham Norton Show. Commercially, the album peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the group's seventh album to reach the top five of the charts there, and was later certified Silver. Between Us also entered inside the top five on the Irish, Scottish, and Portuguese album charts, and entered inside the top ten on the Spanish, Dutch, and Australian album charts, where it received a Platinum music certification there two weeks after it's release. The album was nominated for "Best Album" at the 2021 Power Radio Awards.

Artist Background: Little Mix are a British four-piece girl group formed in 2011, consisting of members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall. They were formed exclusively for the eighth series of The X Factor, where they became the first group entry to win in the programme's eight-year history. Following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records. The group subsequently signed in the United States with Columbia Records. Little Mix have been branded th... Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Cheerful, 2020s, Compilation, Columbia


Between Us is the first greatest hits album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 12 November 2021 through RCA. It was supported by two singles, "Love (Sweet Love)" and "No", which both peaked within the top forty of the UK Singles Chart.

The announcement of Between Us was made on the group's ten-year anniversary of their formation on the eighth series of the British version of The X Factor. The standard edition of the album which consists of twenty-two tracks, includes eighteen of the group's previously released singles, including four of their five number-one singles, "Wings", "Black Magic", "Shout Out to My Ex", and "Sweet Melody". The group's debut single "Cannonball", which peaked at number one in the UK, is included on the CD deluxe edition as the final track. Additionally, the standard edition of the album includes two other new tracks called "Between Us" and "Cut You Off", both of which charted on the UK Singles Chart. A fifth new song titled "Trash" is featured on the deluxe editions of the album.

The recording of the new songs took place between the COVID-19 pandemic and group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards' pregnancies. The group gave a televised performance of the album's title track on The Graham Norton Show. Commercially, the album peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the group's seventh album to reach the top five of the charts there, and was later certified Silver. Between Us also entered inside the top five on the Irish, Scottish, and Portuguese album charts, and entered inside the top ten on the Spanish, Dutch, and Australian album charts, where it received a Platinum music certification there two weeks after it's release. The album was nominated for "Best Album" at the 2021 Power Radio Awards.

Album: DNA by Little Mix (2013)
Genre: Pop | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: Syco Music
Format: Album

Description: Little Mix’s rise to stardom began with their 2011 triumph on the British version of The X Factor—a surprising win, given that the show had traditionally overlooked girl bands. But the arrival of DNA, the group’s smash debut album, would prove that hard-won victory had been no fluke.

Released a year after the X Factor whirlwind, DNA harnessed the best elements of their small-screen performances—the eerie, stuttering pop of the title track is reminiscent of their rendition of Katy Perry’s “E.T.”—while wisely omitting the drab cover of Damien Rice’s “Cannonball”, which served as their winner’s single. Much of DNA finds the group members leaning heavily on their girl band forbears, with co-writing appearances from Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts (“Going Nowhere”), All Saints’ Shaznay Lewis (“How Ya Doin’?”) and TLC’s T-Boz.

The result is a reboot of the early-1990s-girl-group sound pioneered by En Vogue and TLC, in which slick, watertight harmonies are augmented by off-kilter beats. DNA’s lead single “Wings” adopts a more-is-more approach, incorporating a thumping drumbeat, double-time handclaps and a surprise appearance from a marching band. The track may feature some trite lyrics—“And we don’t let nobody bring us down/No matter what you say, it won’t hurt me”—but it’s neutralised by sheer force of personality and powerful vocals. 

Elsewhere, De La Soul’s classic “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” is repurposed to great effect on “How Ya Doin’?”, a shoulder-rolling ode to playing hard to get, one that features a guest verse from Missy Elliott. And while some of the ballads, including “Always Be Together”, stick to more predictable territory, “Going Nowhere” masterfully combines the unlikely mix of languid vocals, Spanish guitar and punchy rap.

Little Mix’s assured debut proved them more than capable of transcending their beginnings and going the distance denied to many of their talent-show forebears. While the reality-TV machine would begin to flounder in subsequent years, DNA marked the beginning of Little Mix’s ascent into British pop’s upper echelons.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Rock/Pop, Cheerful, 2010s, Album, Syco Music

Additional Context: Sales figures: 2000000. Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace

Little Mix’s rise to stardom began with their 2011 triumph on the British version of The X Factor—a surprising win, given that the show had traditionally overlooked girl bands. But the arrival of DNA, the group’s smash debut album, would prove that hard-won victory had been no fluke.

Released a year after the X Factor whirlwind, DNA harnessed the best elements of their small-screen performances—the eerie, stuttering pop of the title track is reminiscent of their rendition of Katy Perry’s “E.T.”—while wisely omitting the drab cover of Damien Rice’s “Cannonball”, which served as their winner’s single. Much of DNA finds the group members leaning heavily on their girl band forbears, with co-writing appearances from Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts (“Going Nowhere”), All Saints’ Shaznay Lewis (“How Ya Doin’?”) and TLC’s T-Boz.

The result is a reboot of the early-1990s-girl-group sound pioneered by En Vogue and TLC, in which slick, watertight harmonies are augmented by off-kilter beats. DNA’s lead single “Wings” adopts a more-is-more approach, incorporating a thumping drumbeat, double-time handclaps and a surprise appearance from a marching band. The track may feature some trite lyrics—“And we don’t let nobody bring us down/No matter what you say, it won’t hurt me”—but it’s neutralised by sheer force of personality and powerful vocals. 

Elsewhere, De La Soul’s classic “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” is repurposed to great effect on “How Ya Doin’?”, a shoulder-rolling ode to playing hard to get, one that features a guest verse from Missy Elliott. And while some of the ballads, including “Always Be Together”, stick to more predictable territory, “Going Nowhere” masterfully combines the unlikely mix of languid vocals, Spanish guitar and punchy rap.

Little Mix’s assured debut proved them more than capable of transcending their beginnings and going the distance denied to many of their talent-show forebears. While the reality-TV machine would begin to flounder in subsequent years, DNA marked the beginning of Little Mix’s ascent into British pop’s upper echelons.

Album: LM5 by Little Mix (2018)
Genre: Pop | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Cheerful
Record Label: Columbia
Format: Album

Description: In the seven years since Little Mix’s arrival in 2011, the group had established itself as the UK pop scene’s unproblematic faves, thanks to four hit albums and a spotless public image: There had been no public bustups, no scandals and no “artistic differences”. 

But less than a week before the release of LM5, the group’s fifth album, the apple cart was momentarily overturned, thanks to the news that they had parted ways with Simon Cowell’s Syco label, owing to disagreements over creative control. Yet by then, the more irritating thorn in Little Mix’s pop crown was the group members’ inability to thoroughly break America, where they’d failed to replicate the mammoth success of their first two albums. 

LM5 appears precision-engineered to change the narrative. Ed Sheeran co-wrote the lead single, “Woman Like Me”, which sees the group retool its trademark female-empowerment messaging with a reggaetón-tinged slice of dance pop, featuring an imperious guest verse from Nicki Minaj. They’re not the only big talents brought in to help out here: Legendary producer Timbaland steps up with “More than Words”, a thumping synth-led ballad, while Missy Elliott protégée Sharaya J features on the minimal, half-rapped “Strip”, an ode to body positivity (“If you got little boobs, love it/If you got a big ass, grab it”). Meanwhile, “Love a Girl Right” is a surprisingly successful reimagining of Sisqó’s “Thong Song”, powered by an unlikely combination of flamenco beats and electric guitars. 

If there are any doubts that the album has been assembled with one eye across the Atlantic, the trip-hop inflected “American Boy” (“And I met him back when I was out in California”) should silence them. And if any British fans felt led astray by Little Mix’s attempt to conquer the States, they could at least take comfort from the MNEK-penned guitar ballad “Told You So”, in which the group comfort a heartbroken friend with a very British reassurance: “We can put the kettle on.” Some things are beyond reinvention.

Related Artists: Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson, Jesy Nelson

Music Scene: Part of the London, England music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Pop movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Pop, Rock/Pop, Cheerful, 2010s, Album, Columbia

In the seven years since Little Mix’s arrival in 2011, the group had established itself as the UK pop scene’s unproblematic faves, thanks to four hit albums and a spotless public image: There had been no public bustups, no scandals and no “artistic differences”. 

But less than a week before the release of LM5, the group’s fifth album, the apple cart was momentarily overturned, thanks to the news that they had parted ways with Simon Cowell’s Syco label, owing to disagreements over creative control. Yet by then, the more irritating thorn in Little Mix’s pop crown was the group members’ inability to thoroughly break America, where they’d failed to replicate the mammoth success of their first two albums. 

LM5 appears precision-engineered to change the narrative. Ed Sheeran co-wrote the lead single, “Woman Like Me”, which sees the group retool its trademark female-empowerment messaging with a reggaetón-tinged slice of dance pop, featuring an imperious guest verse from Nicki Minaj. They’re not the only big talents brought in to help out here: Legendary producer Timbaland steps up with “More than Words”, a thumping synth-led ballad, while Missy Elliott protégée Sharaya J features on the minimal, half-rapped “Strip”, an ode to body positivity (“If you got little boobs, love it/If you got a big ass, grab it”). Meanwhile, “Love a Girl Right” is a surprisingly successful reimagining of Sisqó’s “Thong Song”, powered by an unlikely combination of flamenco beats and electric guitars. 

If there are any doubts that the album has been assembled with one eye across the Atlantic, the trip-hop inflected “American Boy” (“And I met him back when I was out in California”) should silence them. And if any British fans felt led astray by Little Mix’s attempt to conquer the States, they could at least take comfort from the MNEK-penned guitar ballad “Told You So”, in which the group comfort a heartbroken friend with a very British reassurance: “We can put the kettle on.” Some things are beyond reinvention.

Little Mix

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