In case you hadn’t heard, there was a major development involving a girl group earlier this month.
No, we’re not talking about Camila Cabello’s departure from Fifth Harmony. We’re talking about the spread of Little Mix’s acoustic “Touch” performances.
The breathtaking, emotional performances emphasized the absurdity (and travesty) of the fact that Little Mix lacks traction in America.
The group is as hot as ever in its UK home, yet new album “Glory Days” posted the group’s worst first-week sales total in the US.
The most frustrating part is that Little Mix now has the records to go along with its talent. While the first two albums were admittedly light on US-friendly singles, Little Mix’s two most recent albums (particularly the new “Glory Days”) feature several songs that absolutely belong on US radio.
It’s enough already. It is time for Little Mix to become a big deal in America.
In pursuit of that aim, we have created a three-step strategy for finally securing the US support Little Mix so richly deserves.
Before reading, be mindful that we are making a few assumptions:
— Little Mix cares about blowing up in America. Executing this strategy will require a significant amount of patience, effort, schmoozing and campaigning. If Little Mix and its team are not truly hungry for US superstardom, they may not make the necessary commitment or investment.
— Little Mix accepts that it is not a superstar American act. There is a degree of humility associated with this strategy. Little Mix will have to work radio the way a new, emerging act would because that’s very much what the group is to American audiences. Some pride will need to be swallowed by a group that is revered outside of the US.
— Neither Little Mix nor its fans are fixated on “coolness.” There are some old-fashioned elements to Little Mix’s performing style and sound, and part of the strategy involves embracing those elements. If the idea of occupying the space between pop and hot adult contemporary (as opposed to pop and rhythmic, like Fifth Harmony) is unappealing, this strategy will be problematic. If the idea of Little Mix being popular with suburban moms is unappealing, this strategy will be problematic.
Don’t Let “Shout Out To My Ex” Flop
The US campaign for lead “Glory Days” single “Shout Out To My Ex” understandably caused frustration among Little Mix’s fans.
Despite rocketing to #1 in the group’s UK home and making a surprisingly strong splash on the US iTunes sales chart, Columbia dragged its feet when it came to radio promotion in America.
Rather than immediately pushing the song to US radio — as most would have expected — the label spent several weeks noting that such a push was “coming soon.” The hesitation echoed Columbia’s approach to previous Little Mix singles “Secret Love Song” and “Hair,” both of which ultimately fizzled in the US. Was Columbia about to let another Little Mix song die a quiet death?
By the time Columbia finally announced an American radio impact date for “Shout Out To My Ex” (January 17), Little Mix had already moved onto “Touch,” its second single, overseas. Citing its more “current” sound, fans and critics seemed to prefer “Touch” to “Shout Out To My Ex.” The issue thus caused another source of frustration for “Mixers” — Columbia was not simply pushing the older single to US radio but the weaker one.
Something happened in the wake of Columbia’s announcement, however. Numerous radio stations (including some within the nation’s biggest markets) began playing the song. It cracked US pop radio’s Top 65 earlier this month. Radio has begun to give the song a chance, and it seems to have a realistic chance of charting (going Top 40) in the New Year.
The key, therefore, is for Little Mix and Columbia to remain committed to “Shout Out To My Ex.” They can embrace “Touch” and its raves overseas, but they need to ensure US radio programmers that “SOTME” is worth its time. They need to hype “Shout Out To My Ex” in January, perhaps by playing another TV show or two. Assuming the song is still active in February, Little Mix should also make promotional radio stops in conjunction with the Ariana Grande tour (on which they’re providing direct support).
Switching singles is a risky move for even super-hot US radio acts, and that description unfortunately does not apply to Little Mix. If radio is playing one of its songs, it needs to run with that reality.
Granted, the odds are greatly stacked against “Shout Out To My Ex” becoming a huge hit in the United States, and Little Mix and Columbia should also recognize that reality. While they need to strongly promote the song, they should not burn through every promotional option. Little Mix should not go on every talk show now and risk the possibility that they cannot get booked when promoting a different single later in the year.
The good news: “Shout Out To My Ex” does not need to smash. It just needs to avoid flopping. It just needs to be a credible performer that establishes Little Mix’s presence on US radio.
Some may question that notion. “Wings” and “Black Magic” also had moderate success in the US, yet here we are with Little Mix again being treated as a new, unproven group. The key comes down to the follow-up, which is detailed below.
“Touch” America With Vocals
It is tricky to determine exactly when (or even if) “Touch” should be issued as a single in the United States. A lot will depend on the longevity of “Shout Out To My Ex” and the extent to which “Touch” is embraced in international markets. The “Dangerous Woman” tour schedule further complicates matters; it allows Little Mix to connect with local fans and radio stations, but it may restrict the ability to do national promotion.
More clear, however, is the fact that Little Mix needs to introduce America to the vocal magic demonstrated on the “Touch” acoustic performances.
The acoustic recording (bundled with the “Glory Days” album) is utterly stunning in its own right. The live versions that have recently gone viral add another layer of powerful emotion.
Why not leverage both?
One goal should be securing a major television “sync” for the acoustic “Touch” recording. Columbia should do whatever it takes to get the recording featured during a pivotal “This Is Us” scene (or perhaps the enduring “Grey’s Anatomy” as a backup). The emotional summation of a great television scene and the great recording will undoubtedly put “Touch” on the American map.
The other goal involves securing a high-profile television performance; either a big-impact show like “The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon” or “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” or, depending on timing, something like the May Billboard Music Awards. While it would be great if the booking coincided with a radio push for “Touch,” the goal needs to be bigger than that. It needs to be a starmaking moment that affirms a simple fact: these girls can sing…really, really well!
Hoping for an industry-shifting “Chris Stapleton moment” is unrealistic. There is no reason Little Mix could not, however, score itself “Tori Kelly credibility.”
Tori Kelly has, quite frankly, not had major success at US radio. She is actually yet to score a legitimate “hit” by any reasonable commercial standard.
She has, however, garnered universal recognition for her talent. By routinely stealing awards show stages, the singer-songwriter has established herself as one of the elite mainstream vocalists of this generation — and thus a legitimate star. There is not a stage for which she feels too small.
By delivering its stellar acoustic rendition of “Touch” (perhaps with “FU” blended in — the lyrics and sound would make for an interesting pairing), Little Mix would earn (or at least move closer to earning) that prestige. Instead of relying solely on its strong social metrics, the girl group gimmick or the momentum of a hit song, it would establish itself as an inherently talented act. The result would not only be more credibility but more receptiveness from American audiences and more opportunities to perform on prominent stages.
Oops, We’ve Taken Over Hot Adult Contemporary
Alluded to in the beginning of this piece, Little Mix’s core fanbase tends to be young and pop-oriented. “Mixers” tend to react more notably to the fresher, dance- and rhythmic-leaning songs than the retro tracks.
In essence, they want Little Mix to be more “Rihanna” and less “Meghan Trainor.”
The problem, of course, is that Little Mix does “Meghan Trainor” so well. I don’t mean “You Gotta Not,” the song she actually wrote. That, more akin to the music on her disappointing “Thank You” than her breakthrough “Title,” is arguably the worst song on “Glory Days.”
Instead, I point to the fact that the four Little Mix members seem to have old souls. The group seems to have a more retro approach to stage presence, mannerisms and facial expressions, and it shines vocally on soulful songs like “FU.” This quality allows for a huge opportunity: conquering hot adult contemporary radio.
Best of all, “Glory Days” provides a vehicle for doing so: “Oops.”
The fun, infectious song is exactly the type of track that would work on hot adult contemporary radio in the summer. And just in case there were any doubt about its fitness, it features vocals from format favorite Charlie Puth. If seriously promoted, it should definitely reach the format’s Top 10.
Success on hot adult contemporary would broaden the group’s audience, helping it transcend the limitations associated with “girl groups.” Hot adult contemporary audiences may not be the biggest users of streaming services, but they buy music, support their favorites and carry industry influence. Winning over this crowd would be invaluable for Little Mix.
And it’s not like “Oops” would flop at pop; it should, by all accounts, be reasonably successful at the format. In fact, it may be a refreshing “change of pace” in the summer given that so many other acts will likely be sending dance pop songs to radio.
Little Mix does not need to be huge in the United States; it has and will continue to achieve incredible success regardless.
But there is no reason why the talented group shouldn’t be huge in the US as well. And it is hard to imagine the aforementioned approach not majorly aiding in that ambition.
