Salute is a song by Little Mix that serves as the third single and final single and appears as the first track on their second album, Salute.
Background and release
After winning the eighth series of The X Factor UK, British girl-group Little Mix released their debut album, DNA, in November 2012. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, while also being a success on the charts, besides spawning the number-one single "Wings", as well as the top-three hit "DNA" and the top-twenty singles "Change Your Life" and "How Ya Doin'?". A few months later, the group stated that they were working on a new album, stating: " I think we probably might mature slightly for this album, but we want to keep the kind of uplifting message we had on the last one. [...] We’re just gonna make it better; step it up." "It's definitely matured more and it's a bit more R&B," they completed in another interview. The girl group recorded material in Los Angeles with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as TMS, who produced their number-one single "Wings". The production team produced six tracks on the album, including "Salute", which also became the album's title. On 5 April 2014, the group announced the track as the album's third single. They teased their single announcement with a video of them rehearsing a dance routine to the track alongside their backing dancers. Later, on 19 April 2014, the group revealed the single's cover art.
Critical Reception
Jon O'Brien wrote for Yahoo! that the song is "a perfect attitude-laden statement of intent." Lewis Corner of Digital Spy noted that the "Blitzkreig siren and fierce attitude on female empowerment call-out 'Salute' is primed for an arena tour intro," while McGrath of Entertainment Wise called it "one of the strongest openers of 2013." Mongredien of The Observer thought that "it shouldn't work, but is delivered with such chutzpah that it has a certain ludicrous charm", while Clarke of So So Gay named it a "perfect, in-your-face opening track." Nick Barnes of Unreality TV was very positive, writing that the song "has everything you’d want in a track," noting that "Salute" "would serve as an amazing opening to the girls’ tour to get the audience really pumped and it would, strangely, work as a single as it’s very infectious."
Chart Performance
"Salute" debuted at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart week of 11 May 2014, becoming the "greatest gainer" the following week, climbing to number 51. It cracked the top-forty in its third week, climbing to number 35. After falling to number 40, the song climbed once again to number 24. The song peaked at number 6 the following week, on 21 June 2014, becoming the band's sixth top-ten single. [1]
Music Video
The music video for the song was directed by Colin Tilley. It was released on May 1, 2014.
Synopsis
It features the band dancing in an underground warehouse with an entourage of male dancers, some of whom are on leads. As noted by Kadeen Grifiths of Bustle, band members Nelson and Edwards "even march with the men on leashes at one point. And yet they are next to her rather than behind her or beneath her, dancing with her rather than against her or in front of her, as if the girls wanted to be clear that men and woman are equal, but it’s the women who are in control right now."
Lyrics
Jesy:
Ladies all across the world, listen up
We're looking for recruits
If you're with me, let me see your hands
Stand up and salute
Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps
Or lace up your boots
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Jade:
Ladies all across the world, listen up
We're looking for recruits
If you're with me, let me see your hands
Stand up and salute
Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps
Or lace up your boots
Representing all the women, salute, salute
All:
It's who we are, we don't need no camouflage.
It's the female federal, and we're taking off.
Jade:
If you're with me, women
All:
Let me hear you say
Ladies all across the world, listen up
We're looking for recruits
If you're with me, let me see your hands
Stand up and salute
Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps
Or lace up your boots
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Attention! Salute!
Attention! Salute!
Attention!
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Leigh-Anne:
Sisters we are everywhere
Warriors, your country needs you
If you're ready, ladies
Better keep steady, ready, aim, shoot
All:
Don't need ammunition, on a mission
Now we'll hit you with the truth
Leigh-Anne:
Divas, queens, we don't need a man
All:
Salute
Perrie:
Sisters we are everywhere
Warriors, your country needs you
If you're ready, ladies
Better keep steady, ready, aim, shoot
All:
Don't need ammunition, on a mission
And we'll hit you with the truth
Perrie:
Representing all the women
Salute, salute
All:
It's who we are, we don't need no camouflage
It's the female federal and we're taking off
Jade:
If you're with me, women
All:
Let me hear you say
Ladies all across the world, listen up
We're looking for recruits
If you're with me, let me see your hands
Stand up and salute
Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps
Or lace up your boots
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Attention! Salute!
Attention! Salute!
Attention!
Representing all the women, salute, salute
You think we're just pretty things
You couldn't be more wrong
We're standing strong, we carry on
Now that we keep moving up
Moving up, yeah
Can't stop a hurricane
Ladies, it's time to awake, yeah!
Attention! (Ladies, ladies)
Attention! (Individuals, originals)
Listen up, ha!
(Let me hear you say)
Ladies all across the world, listen up
We're looking for recruits
If you're with me, let me see your hands
Stand up and salute
Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps
Or lace up your boots
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Attention! Salute!
Attention! Salute!
Attention!
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Background voice
Ladies, the time has come
The war has begun
let us stand together and remember
Men fightin' great
But women are great fighters
All:
Representing all the women, salute, salute
Audio
References
- ↑ wikipedia.org - Chart performance
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