Daria Paterek
Little Mix took the UK (and later the world) by storm after their historic win on X-Factor in 2012, when they became the first group to win the show. 11 years later, and one member down, Little Mix remain one of the biggest girl groups in the world. In preparation for their Confetti Tour, Daria ranks and reviews the group’s discography.
1 – ‘LM5’ (2018)
‘LM5’ is the definition of pop perfection. It is Little Mix’s most versatile, well-produced, and lyrically masterful album. From feminist anthems such as Woman’s World to break up bangers like Think About Us, to sexually empowering songs such as Motivate, the album is the definition of well rounded and versatile. Upon release, LM5 received criticism for being too explicit and mature. However, I think that the increase in mature topics was only natural- and fit the growth of Little Mix’s audience, who likely started listening to them when they were tweens. This album does it all: it’s empowering, it’s feminist, it’s comforting, and it’s sexy. As someone who started listening to Little Mix during their ‘Get Weird’ era, this album highlights their massive evolution as artists.
2 – ‘Salute’ (2013)
‘Salute’ is a great second album that skilfully intertwines pop and R&B. Not only is the album extremely nostalgic, with hits such as Salute and Move, it’s extremely fun. The instrumentals on songs such as Nothing Feels Like You and A Different Beat are unique, making the album sound fresh almost a decade later. ‘Salute’ is reminiscent of the sounds of Destiny’s Child and TLC- which I love. Overall, it can be defined as an instrumental album, showing at the time that Little Mix are here to stay.
3 – ‘Glory Days’ (2016)
‘Glory Days’ is the definition of an anthemic summer album – it’s the perfect balance between mature and fun. ‘Glory Days’ showcases the girls’ flawless vocals, with songs such as Power and Freak. Despite some weaker tracks like Oops and You Gotta Not, the album holds up wonderfully, and I’ll continue blasting it in the summer of 2022.
4 – ‘Confetti’ (2020)
I think ‘Confetti’ is a solid album. The vocals are flawless. I wanted to like it more since it is their most recent album and the last one with Jesy Nelson, exploring Little Mix’s struggle under Syco (their former label). However, the reason their most recent album is low on this list is that it is their least cohesive album. I don’t like listening to it as a whole. Rather, I prefer specific songs or singles, such as Confetti, Sweet Melody, Bounce Back and Rendezvous. The other songs feel like filler to me, which is disappointing since the vocal performance is the best of all the albums.
5 – ‘Get Weird’ (2015)
Listening to ‘Get Weird’ in 2022 does not make me feel grown. The album has some highlights- such as Secret Love Song, Pt. II (that explores the struggles of same-sex relationships) and Love Me Or Leave Me (a heart wrenching breakup song). However, the singles such as Black Magic and Love Me Like You sound quite childish. Overall, the album has not aged well. Sadly, ‘Get Weird’ is not an album that I see myself returning to.
6 – ‘DNA’ (2012)
It is not a bad body of work – it’s simply the least developed
Predictably, Little Mix’s debut album is the lowest on this list. ‘DNA’ was released shortly after Little Mix’s historical win on X-Factor. It is not a bad body of work – it’s simply the least developed, lyrically and musically. But it’s not short of bops – I still play DNA and How Ya Doin’? regularly.
Regardless of your opinions of Little Mix, you cannot deny the musical impact they have had. Despite facing misogyny, excessive control by their former label, and mental health struggles, Little Mix have facilitated themselves as one of the biggest girl groups in history, and one of the best acts to come out of the UK.
Daria Paterek
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. No changes made to this image. Permission to use granted to Impact.
In-article images courtesy of @littlemix via instagram.com. No changes made to these images.
In-article videos courtesy of Little Mix via youtube.com.
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