Guest Blogger: Nicole 2

Season 8 of the X Factor UK ended in two records being broken: first group to win the X Factor and first girl group to win the X Factor; and Little mix was just starting. About a year after their win on the X Factor UK, this quartet consisting of members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall released their debut album, DNA, which debuted in America at number 4, higher than the Spice Girls’ debut at number 6, and became the highest debut by a British girl group on the Billboard charts. DNA hit its peak position at number 2 on the iTunes charts, but the album had 3 singles in the top 20: “Wings” peaking at number 1, “DNA” peaking at number 3, and “How Ya Doin’?” peaking at 16. Little Mix’s sound is best classified as R&B and pop and the debut album showcased that with “placid, feline production, tight harmonies and breezy beats” according to Al Fox in his BBC Music review of Little Mix. Little Mix’s DNA features dynamic R&B vocals, powerful ballads, drum beats, fast pace rap, girl power, and reminiscing about all they have accomplished and experienced on the X Factor. DNA’s eleventh track, “Going Nowhere” is an attitude heavy song which consists of Spanish guitar, beatboxing by Jesy Nelson, and a sassy rap from Leigh-Anne Pinnock. The song is laid out by the first line “Sick of you playing on that Xbox thing” and sets up the message of saying goodbye to a boy and relationship that’s “Going Nowhere”. Not all songs on the album are about relationships, however. “Always Be Together” represents the four girls’ friendship, “Change Your Life” reflects on how winning the X Factor affects their lives, and “We Are Who We Are” speaks to the fans with its empowering message of “We are who we are, who we are, pretty's just a pretty word”. In 2013, Little Mix released its sophomore album Salute which travelled to number 1 in the UK and number 4 in the US with its R&B sound. The album starts with “Salute”, a call to arms for women around the world with lyrics including “Divas, queens, we don't need no man, salute!” The song features a “Blitzkreig siren and fierce attitude on female empowerment” and is “primed for an arena tour intro” according to Lewis Corner in his article “Little Mix Salute album review: A razor-sharp record that makes a mark” on Digital Spy. Track eight, “About the Boy” features Perrie Edwards with a high note fit for opera, while track nine, “Boy”, showcases all of Little Mix’s vocals with a 54 second acapella to start the song. Little Mix has not forgotten their fans, however, as they include “Little Me”, a song empowering young girls and boys to love themselves with the powerful lyrics “You gotta speak up, you gotta shout out, and know that right here, right now, you can be beautiful, wonderful, anything you wanna be”. The ballad “Good Enough” is Little Mix fighting back against people that said Little Mix would not amount to anything. Little Mix’s new album is to be released soon and many critics are looking forward to it as am I. Surely I will buy it, and I believe you should as well because Little Mix is bound to have a well done production.