LM5 (Deluxe)

Editors’ Notes From becoming the first group winners of The X Factor in 2011 to claiming a BRIT Award in 2017, Little Mix’s journey has been meteoric. High-profile heartbreak, fame, and growing up under the glare of social media have shaped the four-piece, and they’re here to share the lessons they’ve learned. “If you’ve never shouted to be heard/You ain't lived in a woman’s world,” their silky harmonies cry over the rousing “Woman’s World.” Their fifth album is a glossy celebration of womanhood that plays like a checklist of hot-button issues: “Woman’s World” condemns the pay gap and “Strip” embraces body positivity. Power bop “Joan of Arc” pays tribute to fiercely independent female figures and shares the swagger of Nicki Minaj-assisted “Woman Like Me,” while “Told You So” reveals how breakups have bonded Perrie, Jade, Jesy, and Leigh-Anne to one other.