LM5 (album) explained

LM5
Type:studio
Artist:Little Mix
Cover:Little Mix – LM5.png
Border:yes
Alt:The band's members stand in a row on a tree lined street. Around the image is a white border, and in the top left corner is the title "LM5" and the name "Little Mix".
Caption:Standard edition cover
Recorded:2017–2018
Genre:
Length:44:15
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Glory Days
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Confetti
Next Year:2020

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, MeToo movement, sexism, feminism, sexuality, and body positivity.[1] 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.[2] 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.

Background

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.[3] 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.[4] [5] 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.[6] Two days later, the track listing for the album was revealed on social media.[7]

Ahead of its release, Little Mix had shared photos and videos on their social media's celebrating female and LGBTQ+ activists.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] The group was moved within Sony Music to the RCA Records label for future releases.[11]

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 heaily on women's rights, what it feels like to be a woman [and] our experiences in the industry."[12]

Promotion

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.[13] 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.[14] The group furthered promoted the song on other televised programmes including the Michael McIntyre's Big Show,[15] The Voice of Holland,[16] 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.[17]

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.[18] On 2 November 2018 "Joan of Arc" was released as the first promotional single of the album.[19] A music video was originally created but never released. On 9 November 2018, "Told You So" was released as the second promotional single.[20] On 13 November 2018, "The Cure" was released as the albums third and final promotional single.[21]

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.[22] On 16 November, a music video featuring Sharaya J, that the group co-directed for the first time was released.[22] 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.[23] 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".[24] The group was defended by American singers Ariana Grande and Lauren Jauregui via social media.[25] [26] A music video for "More Than Words" was also released on 16 November 2018.[27]

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.[28] The single was performed at shows including on The Graham Norton Show,[29] The Brits Are Coming,[30] and The Voice of Holland.[31] 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, 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.

Critical reception

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". 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". 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".[32] Michael Love Michael of Paper noted that the "resulting collection is arguably their most uplifting batch of songs yet".[33]

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". 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".

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, "LM5s 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." In The Guardians 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."[34]

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". 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".[35]

Commercial performance

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.[36] In its release week it sold over 56,000 copies and was the most streamed album of that week.[37] 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.[38]

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.[39]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Estonian Albums (Eesti Ekspress)[40] 16
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[41] 56
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[42] 60
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[43] 7
South Korean International Albums (Gaon)[44] 16
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[45] 31

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[46] 185
Irish Albums (IRMA)[47] 27
UK Albums (OCC)[48] 25
Chart (2019)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[49] 143
UK Albums (OCC)[50] 57

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelEdition
Various16 November 2018[51]
7 December 2018LPStandard[52]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Feeney . Nolan . 2018-11-15 . Little Mix on Their 'Ballsy' New LP, Sampling Sisqo & Writing Feminist Anthems: 'We're Not As Scared Anymore' . Billboard . en-US . 2022-03-05.
  2. Web site: Kazi . Safeeyah . 2018-11-16 . Little Mix album LM5 sends fans into complete MELTDOWN . 2022-10-15 . Evening Standard . en.
  3. Web site: Little Mix's New Album 'LM5': Release Date, Title, Tracklist & More . 2022-03-07 . . en.
  4. News: 15 November 2018 . Little Mix's New Album 'LM5': Release Date, Title, Tracklist & More . Capital FM . live . 29 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181016203347/https://www.capitalfm.com/artists/little-mix/news/new-album-fifth/ . 16 October 2018.
  5. Engelman . Nicole . 2018-10-16 . Little Mix Announce Upcoming 'LM5' Album . 2022-03-08 . Billboard . en-US.
  6. Web site: Evans . Mel . 2018-10-15 . Little Mix divides fans as they announce title of eagerly awaited 5th album . 2022-03-08 . Metro . en.
  7. News: 18 October 2018 . Little Mix Reveals The Tantalizing Tracklist Of 'LM5' . . live . 29 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210420130644/https://www.idolator.com/7687126/little-mix-lm5-tracklist?chrome=1 . 20 April 2021.
  8. Web site: Mier . Tomás . Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock Opens Up About Feminism and Sisterhood Following Release of LM5 . 16 November 2018 . 2022-03-07 . PEOPLE.com . en.
  9. 2018-11-15. Little Mix on Their 'Ballsy' New LP, Sampling Sisqo & Writing Feminist Anthems: 'We're Not As Scared Anymore'. 2021-11-28. Billboard.
  10. News: Hodgkinson . Will . Little Mix on Simon Cowell, new album LM5 and online trolls . . en . 2022-10-16 . 0140-0460.
  11. News: 2018-11-10. Little Mix split from Syco days before LM5 album release. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-10-18.
  12. Web site: Copsey . Rob . Little Mix open up about new album and record label drama . 16 March 2020 . 13 October 2022 . Official Charts Company.
  13. Web site: Little Mix's Perrie Edwards' X Factor Shower Vocal Warm Up Claps Back At 'Miming' Accusations . 2022-03-11 . Capital . en.
  14. Lynch . Joe . 2018-11-05 . 2018 MTV EMAs: All the Performances Ranked Worst to Best . 2022-03-11 . Billboard . en-US.
  15. Web site: Seven star guests confirmed for Michael McIntyre's Big Show revealed . 2022-03-11 . www.officialcharts.com . en.
  16. Web site: 2019-02-01 . Little Mix komt in september naar Ziggo Dome . 2022-03-11 . RTL Nieuws . nl . 27 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190227183548/https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/boulevard/artikel/4595071/little-mix-september-naar-ziggo-dome . dead .
  17. Web site: Little Mix win British Video vote . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190221054745/https://www.brits.co.uk/news/little-mix-win-british-video-vote . 21 February 2019 . 20 February 2019.
  18. Feeney . Nolan . 2018-11-15 . Little Mix on Their 'Ballsy' New LP, Sampling Sisqo & Writing Feminist Anthems: 'We're Not As Scared Anymore' . Billboard . en-US . 2022-03-05.
  19. Bajgrowicz . Brooke . 2 November 2018 . Little Mix Drop Fierce Anthem "Joan Of Arc" Listen . live . Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20201125083144/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8482936/little-mix-joan-of-arc . 25 November 2020 . 4 November 2018.
  20. Aniftos . Rania . 8 November 2018 . Little Mix Comfort a Heartbroken Friend in 'Told You So': Listen . live . Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20201025214922/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8484096/little-mix-told-you-so-listen . 25 October 2020 . 9 November 2018.
  21. Bowenbank . Starr . 13 November 2018 . Little Mix Uplift Their Fellow Women in New Empowerment Ballad 'The Cure': Listen . live . Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402095149/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8484837/little-mix-the-cure-song-lm5 . 2 April 2019 . 13 November 2018.
  22. Web site: Little Mix pose naked and scrawled with insults for new song Strip . 2022-03-11 . Sky News . en.
  23. Web site: Blair . Olivia . 2018-11-17 . A guide to who's who in Little Mix's empowering music video for 'Strip' . 2022-10-13 . Cosmopolitan . en-GB.
  24. Web site: Little Mix Fans Hit Back At Piers Morgan After He Accused Them Of 'Using Sex To Sell Records' . 2022-03-11 . Capital . en.
  25. Web site: Lauren Jauregui Defends Little Mix In Powerful Statement After 'Strip' Music Video Criticised . 2022-03-11 . Capital . en.
  26. Web site: Little Mix Respond To Ariana Grande's Defence From Piers Morgan's Criticism . 2022-03-11 . Capital . en.
  27. Stiernberg . Bonnie . 18 November 2018 . Little Mix Release Videos for 'Strip,' 'More Than Words': Watch . live . Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20181122000818/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8485595/little-mix-strip-more-than-words-video . 22 November 2018 . 28 November 2018.
  28. Web site: White . Jack . Little Mix reveal rap remix of their new single . . 21 January 2019 . United Kingdom . en . 21 January 2019 . 16 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190216154635/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/little-mix-to-release-remix-of-think-about-us-featuring-ty-dolla-sign-as-the-next-single-from-lm5__25360// . live .
  29. Web site: Jason Momoa on life after Game Of Thrones: I didn't get much work after that . 2022-03-11 . independent . en.
  30. Web site: Little Mix reveal rap remix of their new single . 2022-03-11 . www.officialcharts.com . en.
  31. Web site: 2019-02-01 . Little Mix komt in september naar Ziggo Dome . 2022-03-11 . RTL Nieuws . nl . 27 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190227183548/https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/boulevard/artikel/4595071/little-mix-september-naar-ziggo-dome . dead .
  32. Web site: Nied . Mike . Album Review: Little Mix's 'LM5' . . 19 November 2018 . 20 November 2018 . 20 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210420130650/https://www.idolator.com/7688451/album-review-little-mix-lm5?view-all=&chrome=1 . live .
  33. Michael Love Michael . Bops Only: 10 Songs You Need to Start Your Weekend Right . . 16 November 2018 . 20 November 2018 . 20 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181120224212/http://www.papermag.com/bops-only-new-music-2620087035.html?rebelltitem=6#rebelltitem6 . live .
  34. News: Kheraj . Alim . Little Mix: LM5 review – formidable and frustrating . . 18 November 2018 . 20 November 2018 . 20 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181120030213/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/18/little-mix-lm5-review . live .
  35. News: Albums of the week: From Boyzone to Little Mix. en-GB. Belfast Telegraph. 2021-07-02.
  36. Web site: The Official Top 40 biggest girl band studio albums. 2021-09-13. www.officialcharts.com. en.
  37. Web site: Michael Bublé scores his fourth UK Number 1 album. 2021-09-29. www.officialcharts.com. en.
  38. Web site: Just SIX combined sales separate this week's Irish Albums Chart Top 2. 2021-09-13. www.officialcharts.com. en.
  39. Web site: World. Music. 22 February 2022. LM5 surpasses one billion streams. 22 February 2022. Music World Awards.
  40. Web site: ALBUMID TIPP-40. Eesti Ekspress. 27 November 2018. 27 November 2018. 17 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917173631/https://ekspress.delfi.ee/areen/eesti-tipp-40-muusikas-em-mein-gott-em-igas-tabelis-uued-number-uhed-kes-on-voidukas-nublu-voi-uudo?id=84563065. live.
  41. Web site: LM5 on Billboard Japan Hot Albums. 23 November 2018. Billboard Japan. 23 November 2018. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331042652/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot_albums&year=2018&month=11&day=26. live.
  42. Web site: 週間 CDアルバムランキング . 21 November 2018 . 28 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190428142331/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/591228/products/1295731/1/ . live .
  43. Web site: ALBUMŲ TOP100. lt. AGATA. November 23, 2018. March 3, 2020. 9 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191009185655/https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/savaites-klausomiausi-47/. live.
  44. Web site: Gaon Album Chart – Week 46, 2018. Gaon Chart. ko. 22 November 2018. 22 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122092204/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=E&serviceGbn=&targetTime=46&hitYear=2018&termGbn=week. live.
  45. Web site: Slovak Albums – Top 100. ČNS IFPI. sk. 27 November 2018. 21 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170721225622/http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparada/index.php. live. Note: On the chart page, select "SK – Albums – Top 100" and then 201847 in the boxes at the top, and then click the word "Zobrazit" to retrieve the correct chart data
  46. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2018 Albums. Hung Medien. 25 December 2018. 27 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227181011/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2018&cat=a. live.
  47. Web site: Ireland's Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2018. Official Charts Company. White. Jack. 4 January 2019. 13 January 2019. 4 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190104175730/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/irelands-official-top-40-biggest-albums-of-2018__25261/. live.
  48. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2018. Official Charts Company. 4 January 2019. 28 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200928120925/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20180101/37502/. live.
  49. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2019. Ultratop. 20 December 2019. 22 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200222160725/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2019&cat=a. live.
  50. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2019. Official Charts Company. 4 January 2020. 17 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210117150529/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20190101/37502/. live.
  51. Various citations for the 16 November 2018 release date include:
    • Web site: Little Mix – LM5 – Amazon.com Music . . 16 November 2018 . United States . 18 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191018025059/https://www.amazon.com/LM5-Little-Mix/dp/B07HSJ5BG8/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1542377104&sr=1-2 . live .
    • Web site: LM5 by Little Mix on iTunes . . 16 November 2018 . Germany . de .
    • Web site: LM5 (Deluxe) by Little Mix . iTunes Store . 16 November 2018 . 16 November 2018 . Germany . de . 16 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181116175039/https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/lm5-deluxe/1439137827 . live .
    • Web site: LM5 by Little Mix on iTunes . iTunes Store . 16 November 2018 . 16 November 2018 . United Kingdom . 16 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181116175043/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lm5/1439133724 . live .
    • Web site: LM5 (Deluxe) by Little Mix . iTunes Store . 16 November 2018 . 16 November 2018 . United Kingdom . 19 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190419183915/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lm5-deluxe/1439137827 . live .
    • Web site: LM5 by Little Mix on iTunes . iTunes Store . 16 November 2018 . United States . 5 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181105063353/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lm5/1439133724 . live .
    • Web site: LM5 (Deluxe) by Little Mix . iTunes Store . 16 November 2018 . 16 November 2018 . United States . 16 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181116215840/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lm5-deluxe/1439137827 . live .
    • Web site: LM5 (Deluxe) . . 16 November 2018 . Sweden . 27 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201127153735/https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ho8gAx4haSxv1eFLQwvTj . live .
    • Web site: LM5 (Deluxe) / Little Mix – TIDAL . . 16 November 2018 . United States . 27 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090257/https://listen.tidal.com/album/98072887 . live .
  52. Web site: LM5 – LP. 23 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181123200958/https://store.little-mix.com/products/lm5-lp. 23 November 2018. dead.