Little Mix have released the ‘album they’ve always wanted to make’ and have fired an LP full of empowering and confident pop songs into our lives once more.
Fresh out of the so-called ‘scandal’ that pitched Little Mix against Piers Morgan after they stripped naked in an attempt to bring light to the insults and offences they’ve received, Little Mix’s album shows us exactly what they must be thinking right now – they don’t care what someone like Piers Morgan thinks about them.
The album opens strongly with ‘The National Manthem’, an acapella that lasts just 30 short seconds but immediately shows that the group we have grown to love are staying loyal to their fans who have always loved their acapella renditions of their hits. Their lead single Woman like Me, also instantly shows us that Little Mix are experimenting with a different type of sound than we’re used to from the girls, one that resembles the current music industry.
If there’s one thing Little Mix have always been good at, it’s changing with the times, and LM5 is obviously no different.
From songs that are reminiscent of their previous albums, like ‘Monster in Me’, to songs that you would be forgiven for thinking came from a completely different artist like ‘Joan of Arc’. This is one of the songs that stands out the most on this album for being more of a conventional R&B song, with experimental production that may dishearten some fans for being so different to the Little Mix we’re used to. This same production is seen across the album, in body-confident song ‘Strip’ and ‘Wasabi’, a song that resembles a mixed influence of the electronic style and a style more reminiscent of the noughties.
However, Little Mix still managed to include more stripped back and simple songs like ‘The Cure’ that show Little Mix at their best, and songs like ‘Told You So’ that highlight the strong and unbreakable bond Perrie, Jesy, Jade and Leigh-Anne have formed over the 7 years they’ve been together, and proves that they aren’t going anywhere.
In an album that still just about adheres to the style that their fans love, whilst also being a record that challenges society and teaches their fans to stand out and up against people that argue against them. Little Mix are continuing to teach the younger generations how to stand up for what they believe in and use their voices for good – a message that we need now, more than ever.
You can stream LM5 here.
By Faith Pring