EXCLUSIVE: Little Mix - DNA




Introduction.
Finally the debut album of the 8th X-Factor series winner, girlband Little Mix, has been released. After two consecutive singles reaching #1 on the UK singles chart, the expectations about this album are high…let’s check this out together!




Track by Track.
The opening track is the chart-topper Wings. Inspite of the common theme of the song (I’m sure you’re able to mention at least 4-5 songs that talk about “Mama’s advices” and “self-reliance”), the music is quite interesting, I love the “clapping drum” and the way this song differs from the debut single of the band, Damien Rice’s cover of Cannonball. Let’s explore Little Mix. The second track is DNA. Lyrics about inevitable love, mixed with scientific and biological references. Electronic, dark. Electrocardiogram sounds mixed with a creepy carillon. I love it. A very good choice for the second single of the album in my opinion, and another side of the girlband. Change your life follows. Cool piano background with strong beat, even if the rap beginning could sound a little weird, it’s a nice song about being self-confident, strong and being able to make a change. Good, indeed.

Track number four is Always be together. Some kind of power ballad about true friendship. I really love the voices of the girls in this one, if you have a beautiful voice, ballads always justice you. Step back, it’s Stereo soldier time! Nice up-tempo track, with a military drum rhythm. A little “Gwen Stefanish”. Love the breakdown. At number six, arrives the track I’m really curious to listen. Pretend it’s OK, a song co-written with Xenomaniacs Miranda Cooper and Brian Higgins. From this song I was expecting an up-tempo but unexpectedly, it’s a ballad. Violins background, amazing beat. I really love the lyrics, especially the first verse and the bridge. One of my favorites. Another ballad follows, but not as powerful as the previous. Turn your face is a pure ballad, accompanied just with a piano. The rhythm drops more than before. Touching try. We are who we are is next. Cool upbeat electronic about being yourself (ok, again!) but it’s a theme I’ve always loved. Let’s make a change now. How ya doin’? it’s a different track, the Future Cut production is touchable. A little bit “ghetto”, very rhythmic track.

ETs are coming with Red Planet. Upbeat, electric guitars. Nice track, nothing pretentious. Here we are with track number eleven ,another one I was waiting for. Co-written and co-produced with Girls Aloud ginger Nicola Roberts and DJ Diplo. I was expecting a new Beat Of My Drum, but I was wrong. The track is really fluent, some kind of “spanish mood” but with lyrics about a lazy and boring boyfriend. Love the rap bridge, a thing I would expect from Diplo. A really particular song, it’s the kind of innovation I like to hear in pop music. Ending track of the standard edition is Madhouse. Dark, dark and electronic. Yes! I love these songs that are a little bit mental. Amazing track, personally I wouldn’t put it as the final song of the album.
I think we should also talk about the three bonus tracks we found on the deluxe edition of DNA. Love Drunk is a heavy electronic track, seasoned with house sounds of “Satisfaction” by Benny Benassi. I personally don’t like house music, but this use of these melodies, is cool. An nice enjoyable track, a lot better than other tracks of the album. Make you believe is a power ballad with harmonized choruses by the girls. Again, a track I would personally put into the standard edition of the album. What a pity. The last bonus of the album is Case closed. Yet a ballad, but what a ballad! These are the kind of songs that tickle my hearts. Why making a bonus track of it?!

The Verdict.
I think this album is quite good. I love the way Little Mix seems able to be change continuously style, to be kaleidoscopic. There is something that doesn’t convince me, though. Maybe I would have arranged the tracks differently, there are too long “ballad periods”  and “uptempo periods”. Also, I feel that there’s something missing in the architecture of the album, don’t know exactly what, should give it another listened.

Good moments: DNA, Pretend It’s OK, Going Nowhere, Madhouse, Love Drunk, Case Closed.
4-/5

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