LM5 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 16 November 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2017–2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:15 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Little Mix chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from LM5 | ||||
|
LM5 is the fifth studio album released by British girl group Little Mix, on 16 November 2018 through Syco Music and Columbia Records. Described as a pop and R&B record, while incorporating elements of reggae pop, trap-pop, hip-hop, 90s, and reggaeton sounds. It features collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Sharaya J, and Kamille, while the deluxe edition of the album features a previously released single with Cheat Codes. It was also the group's last album to be recorded with Syco Music, after parting ways with the label days prior to its release.
LM5 marked the first time that Little Mix was listed as executive producers. It has been described as a feminist album, with lyrics that were focused around women's rights, the MeToo movement, sexism, feminism, sexuality, and body positivity. [3] It received positive reviews from critics, with praise drawn towards the album's exploration of other genres, maturity in lyrics, and their vocal performance. It has since been hailed by fans as the group's best album. [4] The albums lead single "Woman Like Me" with Minaj peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in seven other countries. It won British Video of the Year, at the 39th Brit Awards. Its final single "Think About Us", with Ty Dolla Sign reached number twenty-two in the UK.
LM5 peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, which made Little Mix the first girl group to have five consecutive top-five studio albums in the UK. It also reached the top ten in seven other music markets, and became their first album to appear on the charts in South Korea. To promote the album, the group aired exclusive performances from Apple Music Presents: Little Mix, Live From London, and performed at shows including, Strictly Come Dancing UK, MTV Europe Music Awards, and Brit Awards.
In March 2018, Leigh-Anne Pinnock announced that the group's fifth studio album was set to be released later in the year, and would be followed up with a tour for 2019. [5] On 15 October 2018, Little Mix announced that the album was scheduled to be released on 16 November 2018, with the announcement revealing the album's title, with three editions of the album. [6] [7] The group chose to name their album LM5 as a tribute to their fans, who had used it as the name for the album before it was announced. [8] Two days later, the track listing for the album was revealed on social media. [9]
Ahead of its release, Little Mix had shared photos and videos on their social media's celebrating female and LGBTQ+ activists. [10] The album took inspiration from the group's own experiences with sexism and from the Me Too movement. The album was also largely co-written by Little Mix, who are listed as executive producers for the first time. [11] Six days before the album's release date for 16 November, Little Mix left Syco Music. The decision came after problems had surfaced between Simon Cowell's label and Little Mix's management company, Modest, allegedly over disagreements with the record label over the making of "Woman Like Me", with the group not receiving a writing credit, their musical direction, and the creative control. [12] The group was moved within Sony Music to the RCA UK label for future releases. [13]
In 2019, in an interview for The Guardian , former member Jesy Nelson stated that the group originally wanted to release "Strip" as the lead single. Nelson said "We co-directed the video, we’d done the [naked] photoshoot, so we were excited. When 'Woman Like Me' was put on the table, in our heads 'Strip' was going to be the first single". In an interview two years later in Brazil, Jade Thirlwall also said that the band’s split from Syco in 2018 "really f****d us over. It was hard to put all our creativity out there exactly how we would have liked to have done. The LM5 album was very heavily on women's rights, what it feels like to be a woman [and] our experiences in the industry." [14]
To promote the album LM5 was supported by two singles. The album's lead single, "Woman Like Me", featuring American rapper Nicki Minaj, was released on 12 October 2018. The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten of the charts in nine other countries. The single had its first televised performance on The X Factor, on the 28 October 2018. [15] On the 4 November in Bilbao, Spain, Little Mix performed the song with Minaj for the first time at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards, which was named by Billboard as the best performance of the night. [16] The group furthered promoted the song on other televised programmes including the Michael McIntyre's Big Show, [17] The Voice of Holland, [18] and at the 2019 Brit Awards, with Ms Banks, in which the song received the fan-voted award for British Artist Video of the Year. [19]
On 13 November, Little Mix, Live From London took place in London, in partnership with Apple Music. Little Mix gave exclusive performances of some of their songs from their fifth studio album LM5 with a live band. It was followed up with a Q&A with British presenter Julie Adenuga. The group performed "Told You So", "The Cure" and "Joan of Arc" for the first time including some of their previously released singles including "Black Magic" and "Touch". They was joined by American rapper Sharaya J, where they performed "Strip" for the first time. [20] On 2 November 2018 "Joan of Arc" was released as the first promotional single of the album. [21] A music video was originally created but never released. On 9 November 2018, "Told You So" was released as the second promotional single. [22] On 13 November 2018, "The Cure" was released as the albums third and final promotional single. [23]
On 15 November 2018, the group posed for a naked photoshoot for their Strip Campaign to help promote body positivity, which showed insults being marked on their bodies that the group had endured since their rise to fame. It led to fans taking to social media to take part in the hashtag Strip With Little Mix. [24] On 16 November, a music video featuring Sharaya J, that the group co-directed for the first time was released. [24] The music video also featured Nimco Ali, Bryony Gordon, and Hannah Witton who all took part in the campaign with interviews raising awareness on OCD, female genital mutilation, mental health, and other topics. [25] Little Mix received mostly praise for their Strip campaign but faced criticism from British journalist Piers Morgan, who accused the group of "using sex to sell records". [26] The group was defended by American singers Ariana Grande and Lauren Jauregui via social media. [27] [28] A music video for "More Than Words" was also released on 16 November 2018. [29]
On 21 January 2019, it was announced that "Think About Us", featuring Ty Dolla Sign, would be released as the album's second and last single. [30] The single was performed at shows including on The Graham Norton Show, [31] The Brits Are Coming, [32] and The Voice of Holland. [33] The song reached number 22 in the UK and charted in New Zealand, Scotland, Czech Republic and Croatia. It was the Little Mix's last single to be released under Syco Music. Despite not being released as a single, a lyric video for "Wasabi" was released on 26 July 2019, [34] and on On 12 March 2020, an official video for "Wasabi" was posted onto their YouTube channel. A deluxe version of LM5, was later released and features the single "Only You", with Cheat Codes.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 69/100 [35] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [36] |
Attitude | [37] |
Belfast Telegraph | 7/10 [38] |
The Guardian | [1] |
Hot Press | 9/10 [39] |
Idolator | 4/5 [40] |
The Independent | [41] |
Metro | [42] |
NME | [2] |
The Times | [43] |
Evening Standard | [44] |
Kate Solomon from Metro pointed out that the album "hangs together better than last year's Glory Days but still ricochets wildly between styles. Some elements are pure Little Mix. Their lush harmonies permeate even the minimal half-rapped anthem 'Strip'." She further commented: "LM5 has a handful of songs destined to be hits and feels like a group of best friends welcoming you into their fold". [42] Joe Passmore from Attitude started by saying, "Sounding 'more mature' is a common buzz-phrase for pop artists on the promotional circuit for a new album, but LM5 does make genuine effort to step away from the always infectious but often Disney-fied pop that we have come to expect from them", and added that the sound of this record "is more cohesive, polished and confident than their past two records in particular". [37] Mike Nied from Idolator found the album "filled with creative risks", and stated that "Low on filler and high on quality pop that bridges a variety of sounds, LM5 is easily one of Little Mix's best releases to date", also considering it "perhaps their most ambitious". [40] Michael Love Michael of Paper noted that the "resulting collection is arguably their most uplifting batch of songs yet". [45]
Amy McMahon of Hot Press magazine gave LM5 nine out of a possible ten, appreciating the song "The National Manthem" by saying that it "showcases the girls' true talent. Stripped back, no catchy beat just beautiful harmonies. It also opens the album with a pledge to girlhood, setting the tone for the loud and proud feminist album that it is." She finally deemed the album as "made by empowered women to empower women". [39] Hannah Mylrea of NME opined that the album was somewhat lacking in tunes but that "there are moments of pop sparkle" and that "lyrically [it's] the most mature they've ever been", concluding that the record "is the culmination of the band's growth over the past seven years. Yes it may sometimes musically miss the mark; but with its strong and relevant message it's something of a milestone for the band". [2]
Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stated that the album "ticks most of modern pop's boxes" but felt that it was aimed at the US market and that "the group often sing not so much in an American accent but in a full-blown imitation of a deep south mumble rapper". According to Petridis, however, "LM5's flaws aren't really down to its US-focused slant... They're the classic flaws of today's pop albums: it's too long, its highlights appearing amid boilerplate filler... but the strike rate is high enough for LM5 to prolong Little Mix's career even further, at least in Britain." [1] In The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer , Alim Kheraj also had mixed feelings, saying, "Little Mix albums have always struggled to find their own identity, and LM5 still owes too much to Beyoncé's flirtation with hip-hop and top-40 trend chasing. It's frustrating, because songs like 'Love a Girl Right' (which channels Ricky Martin, Sisqó and Mis-Teeq), the trip-hop of 'American Boy' and 'Strip''s stomps of stilettos are weird wonders that prove Little Mix can be a formidable pop force." [46]
Alexandra Pollard of The Independent said that the album "hopscotches between genres with whiplash-inducing speed" and that "at points, the whole thing starts to feel a little derivative", concluding that "ultimately, despite a few high points, LM5 is so scattershot, both thematically and musically, that it's hard to find much to grab onto". [41] Rachel Howdle from Belfast Telegraph gave the album a seven out of ten rating, stating that Little Mix "embraced the sound and feels of early 90's pop" and described parts of the album as "highly reminiscent of Janet Jackson". [38]
In the United Kingdom the album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, making Little Mix the first female group to score five consecutive top-five studio albums in the United Kingdom. [47] In its release week it sold over 56,000 copies and was the most streamed album of that week. [48] In Ireland it peaked at number two on the Irish Albums Chart, becoming the group's fourth top-five studio album there. It missed the number one spot by just six sales. [49]
Outside of the United Kingdom, the album charted inside the top ten in several other countries, including Spain, Australia, and Portugal. It charted inside the top-twenty in Greece, Denmark, Estonia, and debuted at number sixteen on the South Korean International Albums, becoming their first album to chart there. In the United States it debuted at number 40 on the US Billboard 200, and reached the top forty in nine other countries, and charted in an additional four others. LM5 has surpassed a billion streams on Spotify, making Little Mix the first girl group to have three or more albums receive over a billion streams each on the platform. [50]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "The National Manthem" | Joe Kearns | 0:29 | |
2. | "Woman Like Me" (featuring Nicki Minaj) | Steve Mac | 3:49 | |
3. | "Think About Us" |
|
| 3:55 |
4. | "Strip" (featuring Sharaya J) |
|
| 3:19 |
5. | "Monster in Me" |
| 3:45 | |
6. | "Joan of Arc" |
| Loosechange | 3:11 |
7. | "Love a Girl Right" |
|
| 3:02 |
8. | "American Boy" |
|
| 3:11 |
9. | "Told You So" |
|
| 3:12 |
10. | "Wasabi" |
| 2:34 | |
11. | "More Than Words" (featuring Kamille) |
| 3:18 | |
12. | "Motivate" |
| 3:21 | |
13. | "Notice" |
| 3:34 | |
14. | "The Cure" |
| 3:35 | |
Total length: | 44:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Forget You Not" |
| 3:07 | |
16. | "Woman's World" |
| 3:37 | |
17. | "The Cure" (stripped) |
|
| 1:47 |
18. | "Only You" (with Cheat Codes) |
|
| 3:09 |
Total length: | 55:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
19. | "Only You" (acoustic) |
|
| 3:09 |
Total length: | 59:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
19. | "More Than Words" (featuring Kamille) (video) | 3:19 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [90] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [91] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [92] | Platinum | 331,000 [93] |
United States | — | 16,000 [94] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Edition | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 16 November 2018 |
| [95] | ||
7 December 2018 | LP | Standard | [96] |
Up All Night is the debut studio album by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released by Syco Records in November 2011 in Ireland and the United Kingdom, followed by a worldwide release during 2012. Four months after finishing third in the seventh series of British reality singing contest The X Factor in December 2010, One Direction began recording the album in Sweden, the UK, and the United States, working with a variety of writers and producers. The album's lyrical content regards being young, relationships, heartbreak and empowerment.
Little Mix are an English girl group that formed on the eighth series of The X Factor. They are the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The lineup consisted of Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and originally Jesy Nelson, before her departure from the group in 2020. Regarded as the show's most successful winning act, their success led to a girl band renaissance in the UK. Little Mix's vocals and harmonies have garnered critical acclaim and the group have been ranked as one of the best vocal girl groups. They were often dubbed, by some media, as the "biggest girl group in the world", before going on a hiatus in 2022, allowing its members to pursue solo projects.
Take Me Home is the second studio album by British-Irish boy band One Direction, released on November 9, 2012 by Syco Music and Columbia Records. As a follow-up to One Direction's internationally successful debut album Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home was written in groups and has an average of just under five songwriters per track. Largely recorded and composed in Sweden during 2012, Savan Kotecha, Rami Yacoub and Carl Falk, who composed One Direction's hits, "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing", spent six months in Stockholm developing songs for the album, and were able to shape melodies around the members' tones.
DNA is the debut studio album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 19 November 2012 through Syco Music and Columbia Records. The recording stages for the album took place between December 2011 and concluded in September 2012. Throughout the recording process, the group worked with several producers, with the album being largely co-written by them and other girl group members, Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud, Shaznay Lewis of All Saints and T-Boz of TLC. The group stated that they were involved in the development of the album as much as possible.
British girl group Little Mix have released six studio albums, one compilation album, 33 singles and 40 music videos, 17 of which has been received over 100 million views on Vevo. As of 2021, the group have amassed 44 chart entries on the UK Singles Chart, 31 Top 40 singles, nineteen top ten entries and five number ones. Their singles has charted for over 630 weeks, while their albums have charted for over 429 weeks. According to the Official Charts Company, the group have sold over 28 million singles and 3.6 million albums in the UK. They have amassed over 15 billion streams across all streaming platforms, and are one of the world's best-selling girl groups.
Salute is the second studio album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 8 November 2013 through Syco Music and Columbia Records. The album was mostly co-written by Little Mix, who stated that they were more involved in the development of this album compared to their debut album DNA. The album was preceded by the lead single "Move", and included two further singles, "Little Me", and "Salute". It is also one of two studio albums by the group to not feature any collaborations.
Get Weird is the third studio album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 6 November 2015 through Syco Music and Columbia Records. It was supported by four singles: the UK number-one single "Black Magic", "Love Me Like You", "Secret Love Song" featuring American singer Jason Derulo, and "Hair" featuring Jamaican singer Sean Paul. A deluxe edition was released on the same day and features four additional tracks, while the Japanese edition of the album includes a collaboration with Japanese girl group Flower.
Back from the Edge is the second studio album by British singer and songwriter James Arthur. It was released on 28 October 2016 by Columbia Records. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and was certified platinum—denoting 300,000 sales—the following year, in September 2017. It includes the multi-platinum number-one single "Say You Won't Let Go".
"Shout Out to My Ex" is a song by British girl group Little Mix, released on 16 October 2016 through Syco Music and Columbia Records, as the lead single from the group's fourth studio album Glory Days (2016). A dance-pop song, it was co-written by group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Jesy Nelson, with lyrics referencing the downfall of a relationship at the expense of a cheating ex. The song is cited as a girl power and breakup anthem.
Glory Days is the fourth studio album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 18 November 2016 by Syco Music and Columbia Records. When released it was met with acclaim from critics, with lyrics that addresses themes on sexuality, sexual relationships, female solitude, and other topics. Little Mix worked with various producers including MNEK, Freedo, Matt Rad, all of whom had worked with them on previous releases.
"Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)" is a song by Latin American boy band CNCO. It was released on August 26, 2016, as the third single from their debut studio album, Primera Cita (2016). The song was written by Eric Perez, Jadan Andino, Jorge Class and Yashua Camacho. The video has received over 1.5 billion views on YouTube as of April 2019. On August 18, 2017, the group released an English-language remix of the song recorded with British girl group Little Mix.
Camila is the debut solo studio album by American singer Camila Cabello. It was released on January 12, 2018, through Epic Records and Syco. Work on the album began in January 2017, following Cabello's departure from the girl group Fifth Harmony. The project was originally titled The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving., with Cabello's debut solo single "Crying in the Club" intended as the lead single. The album was later retitled Camila with "Havana" serving as its official lead single due to the rising success of the song, and "Crying in the Club" was cut from the final track listing. "Havana" became an international success, topping the charts of multiple countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, the UK, and the US, and reaching the top 10 of several others. Primarily a pop record, it also incorporates elements of R&B, Latin, reggaeton, dancehall and hip hop. Camila was produced by Frank Dukes, Skrillex and T-Minus, among others.
"Only You" is a song by American electronic music trio Cheat Codes and British girl group Little Mix. It was released on June 22, 2018, as a single through Syco Music and 300 Entertainment. The song was written by Richard Boardman, Pablo Bowman, the three members of Cheat Codes, and Digital Farm Animals, and was produced by Dahl and Digital Farm Animals, along with Maegan Cottone. The song featured on the Ministry of Sound compilation album The Pool Party, and later on the deluxe edition of Little Mix's fifth studio album LM5 (2018), and the acoustic version appears on the Japanese edition of the album.
"Woman Like Me" is a song by British girl group Little Mix featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on 12 October 2018, by Syco Music, as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album LM5. The song was co written by Jess Glynne, Ed Sheeran, Minaj and the song's producer Steve Mac.
Origins is the fourth studio album by the American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on November 9, 2018 by Kidinakorner, Polydor Records and Interscope Records.
"Joan of Arc" is a song recorded by British girl group Little Mix, and appears as the sixth track on their fifth album LM5 (2018). It was released on November 2, 2018 as the album's first promotional single. It was written by group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, along with Loosechange handling the production.
"Think About Us" is a song by British girl group Little Mix. The original version appeared on their fifth studio album, LM5 (2018). A remixed version featuring American singer Ty Dolla Sign was released on 25 January 2019 as the second and final single from the album. The song was written by Kamille, Goldfingers, Frank Nobel, Ty Dolla Sign and Victor Bolander, and produced by Kamille, Goldfingers and Louis Bell.
Confetti is the sixth studio album by British girl group Little Mix, released on 6 November 2020 by RCA Records. It was largely recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, which interfered with the promotion plan for the album. Group member Jesy Nelson announced her departure from the group in December 2020. Confetti is their first to be released under RCA Records, following their departure from Syco Music. Confetti is a pop and R&B record that lyrically addresses themes of self-acceptance, self-worth, freedom, and independence.
"Wasabi" is a song recorded by British girl group Little Mix. It was released from their fifth studio album LM5 (2018), on 16 November 2018 by Syco, and appears as the tenth album track. It was co written by group member Jade Thirlwall, with MNEK, Mike Sabath, and Shungudzo, with production handled by Sabath, John Hill, and Joe Kearns.
Between Us is a greatest hits album by English girl group Little Mix, released on 12 November 2021 through RCA Records Described by the members as a celebration of sisterhood, friendship and fun, the announcement was made as part of the group's celebrations commemorating the 10th anniversary since their formation on the eighth series of The X Factor UK. It was supported by the release of two songs, "Love " and "No".
LM5 still owes too much to Beyoncé's flirtation with hip-hop
Little Mix review: Role models unveil odes to women like them