It’s been quite some time since a girl band has earned success in the music business. We all fondly remember the days of the Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, and The Pussycat Dolls (if you can even count them as a band; we all know they were nothing without Nicole Scherzinger). In recent years the groups in the music industry have been predominately male. Maroon 5, One Direction, Mumford & Sons, fun., and The Wanted are dominating the radio. Even the re-imagined careers of New Kids on the Block, 98˚, Backstreet Boys, and Boyz II Men are still going strong. But finally, the girls are back in the game with the latest sensation from across the pond, a group that brings the girl power mantra of their predecessors to a new generation of women, Little Mix.
Their story is similar to that of male counterpart One Direction. Jade Thirlwall (20), Jesy Nelson (21), Leigh-Anne Pinnock (21), and Perrie Edwards (19), all auditioned as solo artists for the eighth season of UK Version of The X Factor. After failing to make it past the first stages of bootcamp, the girls were placed into two different groups. Both of those groups disintegrated after being cut before making it judges’ houses. It was then that the judges decided to take two girls from each group to form the band Rhythmix. From then on, the girls dominated the competition, changing their name to Little Mix after a legal situation with a children’s music charity of the same name. On December 11, 2011, Little Mix became the first group in X Factor history to win the competition. Since then, the girls have been taking the UK by storm with their debut album DNA. Their daring fashion, crazy hair styles and colors, relatable music, and quirky personalities all lend themselves to major public appeal.
Powerhouse vocalist and hair-dye queen Perrie Edwards, whom my mom referred to as a “mini-Adele” while I was listening to their album online, has the adorable quirkiness that has quickly won over hearts. Her ground-breaking fashion, although sometimes a little questionable, provides a different way of looking at clothing. More importantly, she has shown girls around the world how to be classy. Since she began dating One Direction’s Zayn Malik in May of 2012, Perrie has faced a sea of hate from jealous fans in every way possible. Somehow she has managed to keep her multi-colored head held high, hold on to her relatively private relationship with Zayn, and never say a word against the people that try to tear her down. Jade Thirlwall keeps her hair as equally colorful as Perrie, and has also exhibited class amidst the haters. Unlike her bandmates, Jade’s audition for the eighth season was not her first. She failed to make it past bootcamp stages of season five and season seven. Because of her never-take-no-for-an-answer attitude, she has been referred to by some as the least talented of the four. Personally, I think her willingness to fight for her dream is something that is incredibly admirable, and it is a lesson for girls (and even boys) of all ages. They say the third time’s the charm, and in silky-voiced Jade’s case, truer words have never been spoken.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock somehow has perfect hair and skin as well, but underneath that is a tough and sassy songstress and rapper. She lends her skills to several songs on the girls’ debut album, but it’s her fighter attitude that is worth noticing. She brings a fierceness to the group that is most definitely needed, and shows women that toughness does not mean a loss of femininity. It is her spark that perfects the quartet and brings these inspirational girls to the driving force they are quickly becoming. And last, but certainly not least, beatboxing and raspy-voiced beauty Jesy Nelson brings to life the role model every woman needs. In a celebrity world were the majority of women wear a size four or smaller, Jesy shows that you don’t have to be stick skinny to be undeniably gorgeous. With curves for days and hair to die for, she has pulled through insane amounts of cyberbullying for her weight and came out on the other side to bring forth the message that curvy girls are just as beautiful as those with thin hips and toned abs. I can’t think of anything more empowering for girls in a society like today’s.
Their success over the last year has led Simon Cowell, owner of their label Syco Records, to bring the girls overseas. In January they signed with Columbia Records, and just wrapped up their first US publicity tour, stopping in cities all around the country to promote the release of their first US Single “Wings” (which debuted at #1 in the UK). Their album DNA features an array of R&B-infused pop songs, some incredibly empowering and some incredibly sassy. Little Mix has managed to balance the girl power of the Spice Girls with the genuinely good music of Destiny’s Child, something that has yet to be done by any of their predecessors. You’ll find yourself dancing to “Stereo Soldier” and “How Ya Doin’?”, shedding a tear at the power-ballad “Turn Your Face”, and feeling ready to conquer the world after listening to “Change Your Life” and “Wings”. With each track you find yourself captivated by the beauty of their voices and relating to the songs about relationships and life from the female perspective. Their harmonies couldn’t be better, with the different tones of their vocals blending to create the ideal sound. Add unique melodies and rhythms, and there is no way Little Mix will be anything but huge here in the States.
Unfortunately there is no word on when Perrie, Jade, Jesy and Leigh-Anne will be making their official US debut with the release of DNA, but until then we always have YouTube. For a taste of what’s to come, click here to listen to their fabulous single “Wings”!