30 August 2012
Here’s Little Mix with their second Irish number one – and their last. I had expected to be featuring ‘Black Magic’ and ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ here in due course, but those will only peak at numbers three and two respectively. Granted, it’s not a chart injustice of Girls Aloud proportions. However, Little Mix have been a solid pop act with brash and energetic hits such as those above plus slinkier latter-day singles like ‘Holiday’ and ‘Sweet Melody’.
‘Wings’ still has one foot in The X Factor winner’s-single idiom of inspirational journey. Happily, though, it forgoes that genre’s usual sludgy balladry, instead going for up-tempo brass, handclaps and kick-bass drums. The verses are haters-be-hating sassy, the double-movement chorus is sweeping, the tune is satisfyingly varied, and the group here have an exuberant charm that lends character to their strong voices. As with Girls Aloud and Leona Lewis, that much-maligned TV talent show sausage-grinder occasionally ground out something worthwhile.
Irish Number Ones 