Having refused to follow the usual X Factor winners’ career path of a swift cliff jump into obscurity, after four albums Little Mix are more popular than ever, and the only thing little is the height of their fans.
Pity the security guards at this Greenwich Music Time series, used to policing admirers of Cliff Richard, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe last week, who spent this evening trying to persuade eight-year-olds in flashing bunny ears to stop standing on the chairs. In a stunning location overlooking the Thames, Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock raced through one of the decade’s more impressive collection of hit singles.
They’ve had 11 songs in the UK top 10, including four number ones. Shout Out to My Ex, a brassy kiss-off to an old boyfriend, is deservedly the current holder of the Brits best single award. With edgier sounds than the Spice Girls — Salute and Down & Dirty were particularly bold — they delivered the same message of girl power, confidently knocking over their male backing dancers during Hair.
However, this may have been a stripped back show away from the arenas. With just four dancers and one costume change (from Formula One pit girls to wasps) the spectacle felt lacking next to the real pop giants. The soaring tunes, regardless, left nobody’s feet on the ground.
