Little Mix – DNA
Loooove the jewelry….
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[4.14]
Jonathan Bogart: I’m generally not fond of ballads that feel as though they’re being bellowed at me, but Little Mix seem to only have the one setting. It worked on the glorious gospelly “Wings,” but slowing down the tempo does their lack of variety or personality no favors.
[4]
Iain Mew: That’s a fairly grim résumé that production team TMS have. Well done to them, then, for the fact that this can take on the similar sounding “Starring Role” by Marina and the Diamonds with Greg Kurstin, and it’s the X Factor winners track which comes off sounding much the more musically exciting of the two. The vworp and clatter are great, and so is the choral bit that makes fine use of the group’s voices. Less great: excruciating science word association puns. Even less great: framing attraction (to someone with blue eyes, of course) in terms of genetic superiority.
[3]
Katherine St Asaph: “It’s the blue in his eyes that helps me see the future.” What is this, The Giver? You’ll find better science in the packaging for pheromone spray, which is probably why the bridge segues “science can’t explain” into, I shit you not, a celestial choir. Non-sequitur after popstep and flatlining. On an X Factor debut. Someone out there is bullshitting over us.
[6]
Anthony Easton: Bad use of the music beat/heart beat combo — and the DNA sections are pure nonsense.
[4]
Brad Shoup: Frankenstein’s metaphor runs roughshod over massed voices. Less genetic determinism and music box, more terrifying choir. They can sing: let them!
[4]
Will Adams: Imagine the various components of this song are in a race. They ready themselves at the start, and the gun fires. The flaccid dubstep falls on its face within the first ten seconds. The extended metaphor gives out by the second verse. It’s the oversung vocals that cross the finish line first, but is anyone really a winner?
[3]
Alfred Soto: They’re spirited, they’ve got a sound. But they’re in the market for a producer.
[5]