Pop becomes wretched when it forgets to be fun, with 2018 records from usual banger bandits like <person>Lily Allen</person> and <person>Robyn</person> wearing their serious face. Thank goodness Little Mix didn’t get that memo – their fifth album is loaded with empowerment pop, breakup bops and memeable relatability. Woman Like Me and Joan of Arc drip with cheeky swagger, even if the former was co-written by <person>Ed Sheeran</person>, and the latter’s take on feminism is as profound as a T-shirt slogan. When the album’s tempo drops, the songs avoid syrupy heartbreak, opting to blast crappy boyfriends or celebrate self-love instead: Notice, a murky jam about ambivalent lovers, and the skittish More Than Words are what pop ballads should sound like in 2018.
Little Mix albums have always struggled to find their own identity, and LM5 still owes too much to <person>Beyoncé</person>’s flirtation with hip-hop and top-40 trend chasing. It’s frustrating, because songs like Love a Girl Right (which channels <person>Ricky Martin</person>, <person>Sisqó</person> and <person>Mis-Teeq</person>), 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.