With Little Mix, Maturity Equals Improvement

Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock came together to become the first girl group to ever win The X Factor in 2011. Four albums and many awards later, they have won over thousands of people with their raw talent, flawless harmonies, and endless charm.

However, an average fan would receive quite a shock when they listen to their most recent album, “Glory Days” (2016).

In their previous albums, they had shied away from mature topics, doing nothing more than dropping at most a few hints toward something more sexual. But in “Glory Days,” it is clear that Little Mix has taken into account their own maturation as artists, as well as the maturation of their intended demographic from teens to adults.

In “Glory Days,” Little Mix manages to infuse a variety of musical styles with a creativity exclusive to them alone, from sweet ballads to fun dance jams.

Their first released single of the album, “Shout Out To My Ex,” is meant to be uplifting and inspiring to those who still haven’t quite gotten over their past lovers breaking their hearts. The accented beats perfectly accentuate the confident lines, with each girl making sure to let the ex know he isn’t needed. Edwards even makes sure to include in her beginning verse an unexpected sassiness: “I hope she gettin’ better sex, hope she ain’t fakin’ it like I did.”

Although the placement of an acoustic guitar in such a beat-heavy song is odd, it’s precisely what the track needs to tie it all together. The guitar is the perfect accompaniment to the girls harmonizing over the chorus, with lyrics like, “I’m all the way up, I swear you’ll never bring me down.”

The sound of them singing together and the stripped-down feel we get from the guitar makes the tight bond and unity between all the girls clear, as they help each other rise above their previous breakups.

“Touch,” their second single, is a passionate declaration of love. It begins soft and slow, with nothing more than Pinnock’s sweet statements of love and a simple background melody. But once the beat drops, the song transforms. The strong beat and perfectly executed harmonies for the catchy chorus make it the perfect song to dance to.

It is implied that the “touch” of the love they’re receiving isn’t exactly a PG-13 kind of love. Edwards and Thirlwall’s lines include the lyrics, “Fingers on my buttons and now you’re playing, master of anticipation,” while Nelson makes it most evident with “Photograph with no t-shirt on, why you making me wait so long?” The girls knew singing of a more “adult” love would escalate their level of passion, and it just so happened to create the perfect dance song in the process.

Despite being a pop group, Little Mix successfully incorporates more old-fashioned musical aspects. “F.U.” provides a satisfying, pleasing-to-the-ear throwback to the ‘50s. The girls croon about how they can’t stay mad at their corrupt lover: “Had my break-up speech ready, then you kissed my face, it’s the way you persuade me.”

It starts off deceptively simple, with a rolling drumbeat and the bluesy strumming of a guitar. Nelson’s distinct, unique vibrato is perfect for introducing the song, followed up by Thirlwall infusing a little bit of grit into her usually smooth vocals.

They’re more subtle about sexual content here, but its presence is undeniable; when Pinnock belts out the lyrics, “I wish you were dead ‘til you take me to bed, you’re so good, so good,” it’s obvious as to what she’s singing about. Even so, the girls manage to use the perfect combination of a breezy beat and powerful vocals to truly get their message of conflicting feelings of love and hatred across.

Little Mix does phenomenally when it comes to ballads. “Nobody Like You” is their attempt—a successful one—to top their previous noteworthy ballad “Good Enough.”

It starts with Nelson accompanied by soft piano. Nelson tones down her rasp for this song in order to showcase more of her soulful vibrato, making her low notes sound raw and emotional. When she showcases her upper register in the second half of the chorus, she truly sounds like she’s almost on the verge of tears as she sings, “I’m screaming ‘I don’t want you’ but you know that I do.”

The rest of the girls follow up with an equally emotional performance. The piano is slowly joined by other instruments and an intensifying beat while the girls sing their hearts out over the pain inflicted on them after breaking up with someone they truly loved.

As they sing “I only like myself when I’m with you” and “All I want is to feel again,” instead of each member sounding like a teenager crying over young love, they sound like a woman mourning over a person she loved with all her heart.

Their most explicit track is definitely “Private Show.” Its heavy bassline and sharp brass notes give the song energy and electricity and make it nearly impossible to stop oneself from dancing along and lip-syncing with the girls.

Yes, it’s definitely a surprise as to how extreme some of their lyrics are. None of the girls hold back at the chorus, singing, “Who said we got to go slow, turn down the lights and watch my private show” and “To get high, we got to get low.” But it can’t be denied that this is definitely one of their boldest and best tracks to date.

“Glory Days” is a statement of how bold is better. Some may be put off by how much Little Mix has matured in the time span between their most recent album and this album, preferring their old sound in comparison. But it’s important to understand that artists change. From what we’ve heard, it’s clear that a lack of non-sexual content doesn’t correlate to a lack of quality for Little Mix.

“Glory Days” is only Little Mix’s transition to maturity. As they continue to “grow up,” their music will only continue to improve.