The British pop girl-quartet that surprised us seven years ago when they were the first group to ever win The X Factor UK, has made it again. Some know them as the group of Zayn’s ex-girlfriend, the modern Spice Girls, or Fifth Harmony’s rivals, but Little Mix just gave us more evidence that they’re way more than that. They came out with their fifth album in mid-November and are showing us that they have a lot to say about female empowerment, equality, self-love and sisterhood.
Image courtesy of Little Mix on Twitter
The album starts with their acapella “National Manthem” which is their anthem to bother all haters and other people in general that have been annoyed by a woman as a form of empowerment to all the women who have been disrespected by a man or even by other women, and calls for women unity. Secondly, we have “Woman Like Me” in which they collab with no other than Nicki Minaj. Songs like “Think About Us,” “American Boy,” “Motivate” and “Love a Girl Right” bring new rhythms to the table, mixing pop with a little dance and even some Latin and flamenco. This thanks to Draco Rosa, a former member of Menudo (Ricky Martin’s boy band alma mater), and features lyrics about “Living la vida loca,” an electric guitar solo modeled in the image of Santana, alongside fantastic catchy chorus. Ballad “Told You So” discusses the importance of being there for your friends through tough breakups, while “Joan of Arc” teaches the value of self-love. “Strip” is an incredible anthem to love your body no matter what shape, size or color it is. From stretch marks, being a “cover girl, even with no make-up,” and even loving your boobs no matter if they’re big or you have an A-cup, it encourages you to be confident in your own skin because you’re perfect the way you are. The latter along with “Wasabi” are the perfect songs to sing out loud while dancing with all your girlfriends any Friday night, try it and you’ll thank me later.
The real strength of the album is apparent when the girls harmonize and showcase their powerful vocals on singles like “More Than Words” and “The Cure.” Although most of the bubble-gum pop tracks are filled with clichés and lack cohesiveness, the group manage to deliver powerful anthems that are worth a listen. After listening to this album you will not only never want to stop clicking the replay button, but it’ll also make you feel way better and empower you if you have been down lately for the crappy winter weather, a fight with your significant other, or anything in general. With no doubt, this is the perfect album to jam out loud with your besties or even just alone in your dorm. Here’s a link of a YouTube playlist of all the songs of the album – 10/10 would recommend.
Image courtesy of Little Mix’s website