Music Critic Halima Ahad reviews Little Mix’s Between Us, finding it a fitting celebration of their career and growth as a group
As the news of Little Mix taking a hiatus comes forward, I decided to take up my chance and listen to their last album for some time now. The album is celebrating their 10 year anniversary as a group together, with five new tracks in the deluxe edition of Between Us. The album spans the girls’ biggest successes, including their 2012 debut of DNA.
Some of the songs reminisce on who the girls used to be, going back to eras such as ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ from the Glory Days era. As Perrie told Buzzfeed News, ‘I look back at that, and I think it was one of the happiest, most amazing times in my life.’ ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ gave listeners of the album a hard statement about the girls’ view on breakups and how their previous breakups had inspired the track altogether. However, it may have been difficult for Little Mix at the time to put out a song that was so personal to them and would be scrutinised by the public for every little meaning.
It was refreshing listening back to some of their old songs and seeing how much the girls have developed over the years
It was refreshing listening back to some of their old songs and seeing how much the girls have developed over the years. The upbeat, peppy beat of their debut song ‘Wings’ highlights the girls’ naivety at the time as they were just entering the music industry. As the group develop, their songs gradually get more serious. This suggests the evolution of the band’s sound across their six albums altogether from Salute to Confetti.
The lyrical maturity is reflected in the themes that their recent songs portray, for example their songs touch on themes such as empowerment and feminine solidarity. An example of this is their songs in the LM5 album where the girls’ sound took a drastic turn and they showed what it meant to be female singers in the music industry through songs such as ‘Wasabi’ and ‘Woman’s World.’
‘Between Us’ is an emotional ballad, charting the girls’ journey together since their time on X Factor. ‘It’s a song that we’re not gonna be able to get through on tour. We’re all gonna be sobbing. The fans are gonna be sobbing. Yeah, get the tissues out for that one’ Leigh-Anne tells BuzzFeed News.
a timeline for how Little Mix have developed over the years
‘Cut You Off’ is the song rumoured to address Jesy Nelson’s leaving of the band in late 2020, and the girls. The savage pop breakup song charts the girls’ independence and is an anthem for any single girl out there going through a breakup.
Overall, I found the album to be a great listen. Between Us acts as a timeline for how Little Mix have developed over the years and their lyrical maturity as a band. It is typical in its sound, conforming to the pop genre, with a little R&B in their recent songs to show how the girls have recently been experimenting with their sound.
Rating: 9/10
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