THROWBACK THURSDAY - Little Mix's ‘SALUTE’

By Haydn Hickson

I’ve always lived vicariously through girl-groups. While other children spent their summers outside throwing a footy around, I was the kid that had his eyes glued to Video Hits and Rage, just waiting for Destiny’s Child to come on and slay me. I grew up on glossy music videos of these female icons that had boys in the palm of their hands with their captivating choreography. Girl-groups possessed a certain type of confidence that I never had and always wanted. And so, we enter 2013.

2013 was my final year of high school and the year that I came out as gay. And while my coming-out experience was great - in that I had very positive responses - it was a time where I needed come out of my shell, show the world who I really was and let myself shine. As crazy as it sounds, Little Mix’s sophomore album Salute helped me achieve just that.

Salute, with its use of bold beats and a shift to an R&B sound, shook me to my literal core.

Sonically and lyrically, the foursome exuded a level of confidence that I could have only dreamt of achieving. The title-track provided me with a soundtrack for anytime I felt insecure in my own skin. The pulsating synths under the anthemic chorus was so motivating, I even attribute much of my weight loss to the girls, given how much I sprinted to the banger.

Even the resident ballad of the album, Little Me, wasn’t sad - but powerful. The single was jam-packed with the all-too relatable message of needing to believe in yourself and moving on from a past that you’re not too proud of to ultimately achieve personal growth.

At this point in Salute, it’s already hit you that this album is too good for its own good. Coming off of an X-Factor win, these girls we’re destined for one-hit wonder territory. Yet through impressive harmonies, layered R&B production (resembling the greatest hits of Destiny’s Child), and an aura channelling a new era of Brit-pop girl power, the girls weren’t going down without a fight.

And fight they did. From their urban-flare bangers (notably: Competition and A Different Beat) to their heartbreaking ballads (These Four Walls), there was something in this for everyone. But more importantly, something in it for every Haydn-mood.

Salute was a project that saw Little Mix get more personal, more confident and more risqué than ever before, resulting in new career heights and a growth in popularity. I’m eternally grateful that I had this album, because it eventually shaped my growth as a person to achieve exactly that.

Thanks for teaching me to be sassy, Little Mix. And thanks for teaching me that boys ain’t sh*t.