Little Mix released their 5th album on the 16th November 2018. The name LM5 was named by the fans as a “for now” name before the album was released or being talked about and the band decided to stick with it.
The album has been hyped for so long that the expectations of both fans and critics were high and continually rising as we got snippets of songs from the long-awaited album from the girls, although nobody really knew what to expect.
The album consists of 18 tracks which include 3 singles; Only You (ft Cheat Codes), Woman Like Me and Strip.
The National Manthem starts the album being only 5 lines long and just over half a minute, the girl’s individual voices and beautifully blended harmonies open the album perfectly.
Woman Like Me is the first single from the album which created the hype for this ‘era’. The single features Nicki Minaj who adds a more urban vibe to the track. This initiated the change in the girl’s style of music from traditional pop vibes to a sassier empowering approach.
Think About Us gives off the same kind of vibes as the previous single from the girls, Reggaeton Lento in a slightly toned down way as well as Only You. The vibes of the song are hybrid as there is an element of a ballad as well as a dance track.
Strip is an empowering track on the album which has a message of self-love. The sound is very modern and upbeat rather than soft and emotional enhancing the feeling of confidence, a very different sound to Little Mix’s previous work. The song fights back at the media and critics about body confidence and has had some controversy which is ironic considering what the lyrics actually say.
Monster In Me is a slow love song that has been referred to as similar to DNA from the girl’s first album. The song is one of the only ballads on the album as LM5 has a more upbeat approach than previous albums.
Similar to Strip is Joan Of Arc in that it’s very different for Little Mix and also promotes confidence and self-love. The song was first heard in a snippet the girls posted on Instagram. The song empowers females to be okay with being on their own and owning it.
Love A Girl Right has great 2000’s vibes and is similar to the track Going Nowhere from the album DNA. The noughties vibes bring a nostalgic element to their sound which the older fans may appreciate more.
American Boy is VERY CATCHY!! This song complements Love A Girl Right well as the tones can be very similar however the messages of the songs do contrast.
The first and only acoustic track on the album is Told You So. The track includes soft, almost lullaby-like lyrics making it comforting to listen too. A real feel-good breakup song.
Wasabi is also very similar to the tracks Joan Of Arc and Strip, however, there is a little twist in this song. There is a hint of Artic Monkeys kind of sound in there especially the line: ” all the ugly things you say, come say them to my face.”
More Than Words features Kamille and is a pop anthem! The repetition of words gives the song a robotic feel and highly futuristic, therefore enhancing modern feel to their album. The chorus contrasts this however by having a ballad style.
Motivate brings out “scary mix” with vibes similar to Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande making it sexy yet sophisticated.
The cure is about growth within, another feel-good song and also a ballad. The song is about moving on from a bad place and finally growing from it.
Forget You Not has a slight Chris Brown vibe and keeps it very modern sounding. This another one of the tracks that are very different to the usual preppy Little Mix.
Woman’s World is very empowering and a great song to end the album with, again showing the girl’s vocals off and doing them justice.
Overall it’s very different for Little Mix and there’s something for everyone on the album. There is a very different tone about this album that sets it apart and above all their previous ones. However, there are still songs like Think About Us and Told You So that still have that classic Little Mix vibe to them although still have an element of maturity to them.
The girls will be performing their new album next autumn on their LM5 tour kicking off in October 2019.
Written By Sophie Turner and Ellie Boyle
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