Released: 16th October
Writers: Iain James, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Henrik Michelsen, Edvard Forre Erfjord, Camille Purcell
Trivia: Little Mix’s performance of Shout Out To My Ex on The X Factor was, to me, the pinnacle of their career. It was the first live performance of the Glory Days era, and followed on from the unexpected success of their previous album, Get Weird, which outsold One Direction and produced 2 of their biggest (and best) hits. This was their chance to confirm their place in girlband history, as not just a contender for the current crown, but a successor to Girls Aloud and the Spice Girls. They aced it. They shone with confidence, sang and danced at their very best, and finally connected with the British public as individuals, as well as a group. But it wasn’t just their success that allowed that moment to happen – it was the song. Shout Out To My Ex was written with four of their most frequent collaborators, and produced by their best. It capitalised on the tabloid stories of the past year, and responded with strength and sass. It called out all the boys that have done them wrong, but it wasn’t bitchy – instead it sounded totally joyous, celebrating the fact that they came out on top. It wasn’t just a “fuck you” but a “we did it!” and that’s exactly how this story should be told.
Best bits: 1. Shout out to my ex, you’re really quite the man
2. You made my heart break and that made me who I am
3. I’m all the way up, I swear you’ll never, you’ll never bring me down