Madhouse

Madhouse is a song by Little Mix which appears as the twelfth track on their debut album, DNA.

Background

Perrie Edwards said about the track "When we were writing that, we were thinking about how music takes you over and gets inside of you," she said. "It's so good that you can't help but move. It makes you go crazy when you hear that song. It turns a bit creepier and creepier. We had those effects over "Welcome to the madhouse". It ends the album well!"

Jesy recalled to Artist Direct- "We were in the studio, and they played us this really unusual and funky beat. We decided to make a song about how music can take you over and make you crazy."

Critical Reception

Popdust writer Andrew Unterberger stated: "So “Madness” is about how Little Mix’s music is so intoxicating and maddeningly catchy that it’s actually driven them to outright insanity, and they’re pretty cool with that? Makes sense, we guess. You can’t say that they don’t follow through with the analogy, though, down to the creepy Vincent Price-esque laughter that pops up throughout the song, and the extremely silly “Men in white coats, coats” bridge. If there was a music video for this song, it’d probably look like a cross between N’ Sync’s “Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)” and Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” and that certainly sounds like fun.

As for the actual lunacy of the song, it’s not quite on the level of Rihanna’s similarly-titled intro jam, but it’s frenetic enough to come off as at least mildly nutty, which makes for a good time. We’d certainly rather the regular edition of DNA close with a song like this than with yet another mid-tempo ballad, anyway." ^[1]

Live Performances

Little Mix performed "Madhouse" as a part of their DNA Tour in 2013.

Little_Mix_-_Madhouse_-_DNA_Tour_-_at_the_BIC,_Bournemouth_on_16_02_2013

Credits

The song was produced by Rufio Sandilands and Rocky Morris under the name of Pegasus. Sandilands and Morris were members of the English pop rock band Palladium who had a minor hit in 2007 with the song "High 5." Jesy recalled to Artist Direct- "We were in the studio, and they played us this really unusual and funky beat. We decided to make a song about how music can take you over and make you crazy."

Little Mix - Writing
Ian James - Writing
Rufio Sandilands - Writing
Rocky Moris - Writing
Pegasus - Writing, Production

Lyrics

Jesy:
I feel a strange sensation taking over from my head to my toes
I got the shakes body rippling it's enough to shatter my bones

Perrie:
Is it all a dream? Cause I don't wanna stay awake
But I won't remember a thing
And now it's running through my veins
I don't know what's happening, the beats so sick

All:
Running from the madhouse, they won't take me back
Got the medicines to give me what I need
Yes I'm burning up but music is my drug
Doesn't matter if I shout or if I scream

They're coming for me
They're coming for me

Leigh-Anne:
Everywhere I look I'm shook I got bloodshot eyes
I'm like a fugitive tryna climb the walls but my hands are tied

Jade:
In just one touch and I'm infected by the sound crawling all over my skin
And the sky is falling down, I don't know what's happening, beats so sick

All:
Running from the madhouse, they won't take me back
Got the medicines to give me what I need
Yes I'm burning up but music is my drug
Doesn't matter if I shout or if I scream

They're coming for me

Jade:
They're coming for me

They're coming for me

All:
Oh oh

Men in white coats, coats, getting so close, close
Saying my prayers, don't take me back there
Men in white coats, coats, getting so close, close
Saying my prayers don't take me back,
Take me back, take me back there

Perrie:
They're coming for me

All:
Running from the madhouse, they won't take me back
Got the medicines to give me what I need
Yes I'm burning up but music is my drug
Doesn't matter if I shout or if I scream

They're coming for me
(Perrie: It's like I'm running but I just can't find my way)
(Jade with all: I don't wanna go back)
(Perrie: And they can't hear my voice no matter how I scream
They're coming for me)