Following the empowered pop feminism of 2018's
LM5
, Britain's
Little Mix
return with their sixth studio album, 2020's effusive and fun
Confetti
. Once again showcasing the vocal skills of
bandmates
Jade Thirlwall
,
Perrie Edwards
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
, and
Jesy Nelson
, the record is a dance-oriented production that balances sugary club hooks with lyrics about romance and relationships. Helping them achieve this sweetly attenuated balance are a handful of in-demand pop producers/songwriters, including
Camille Purcell
(aka
Kamille
), the Swedish duo
Goldfingers
Raphaella
MNEK
, and others. On
took a page out of
Beyonce
's playbook, imbuing their songs with strong messages about women and society. On
, while still striking a fierce and confident stance, they seem to take an intentionally lighter, more relaxed approach, with songs that favor good-time pop dazzle over any explicit feminist messaging. It's a balanced tone they strike with wry playfulness on the funky, minor-key title track, singing "We wanna celebrate like we in the club every day/Got all my friends here with me/And I don't need ya, I don't need ya/Got this dress up on me/So I don't need your stress up on me." Equally engaging are cuts like the opening "Break Up Song" and the sparkling "Holiday,'' both club-ready anthems that bring to mind a deft combination of
Robyn
and
Rihanna
. We also get the reggaeton-infused "Sweet Melody," the kinetic, early-2000s hip-hop groove of "Gloves Up," and the electronic pop of "Nothing But My Feelings." As the title implies,
is an album of brightly colored feel-good songs, meant to light your way to the dancefloor. ~ Matt Collar