Girl power! For their highly anticipated fifth album, Little Mix “made a conscious decision to focus on female empowerment, body image and just being women in general,” according to Jade Thirlwall.
“We felt like it was the right time,” the singer, 25, tells Us Weekly exclusively about LM5, which drops on Friday, November 16. “We always sort of embodied girl power, but this album, particularly, we really sort of honed in on it and sang very clearly about things that are happening right now and how we feel.”
Over the years, girl groups such as the Spice Girls, The Pussycat Dolls and Fifth Harmony have found worldwide success, but ultimately decided to go their separate ways. Little Mix’s Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jesy Nelson, on the other hand, are still crushing it seven years after winning season 8 of The X Factor U.K.
“We’re stronger than ever,” Thirlwall tells Us. “You can’t fake that sort of chemistry and you can’t force it. I think we’re very lucky in that we all have the same vision as a group. You know, there’s no egos. There’s nobody trying to outdo each other. We genuinely do support each other. We’re like sisters, and I guess that’s what we try and show our fans — that when women support each other and stop competing with each other, then that’s when you’re at your most successful.”
Case in point: “Told You So,” an ode to the group’s long-lasting friendship from their latest record.
“We’ve literally all been there, where we’ve been dumped or we’ve finished a relationship and we’ve cried on each other shoulders and we’ve sat together and had a sleepover and, you know, had a good rant and a bottle of wine,” Thirlwall explains about the inspiration behind the song. “We’re just normal girls.”
Little Mix are also excited about being able to spend more time behind the camera together, like they did for their new “Strip” music video, which features a mix of different women.
“We co-directed this one,” Thirlwall raves. “It’s so authentic, and I feel like nobody knows more than we do what is best for us. So the more control we have, the better.”
With reporting by Sharon Tharp
