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Released



2012

Wings" is the debut single by British girl group Little Mix. It was released 24 August 2012, through Syco Music and Columbia Records as the lead single from their debut studio album DNA (2012). The song was written by group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards, with the production team TMS and songwriters Iain James, Erika Nuri, Michelle Lewis, Mischke Butler and Heidi Rojas. The song was lyrically inspired by the hardships they had experienced while contestants on The X Factor UK. Described as an R&B and Bubblegum pop track, the song's production is mixed with bombastic brass that was inspired by Christina Aguilera's album Back to Basics.[1]

"Wings"
Little Mix pose in front of a blue background with "Wings" written in yellow.
Single by Little Mix
from the album DNA
Released
24 August 2012
Studio
The Music Shed (London)
Genre
Bubblegum popR&B
Length
3:39
Label
SycoColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Thomas BarnesPeter KelleherBen KohnIain JamesPerrie EdwardsJesy NelsonLeigh-Anne PinnockJade ThirlwallErika NuriMichelle LewisMischke ButlerHeidi Rojas
Producer(s)
TMS
Little Mix singles chronology
"Cannonball"
(2011) "Wings"
(2012) "DNA"
(2012)

Music video
"Wings" on YouTube
"Wings" was acclaimed by music critics who found it catchy, complimented its double chorus, the group's vocal performance and considered it one of the best introductions to a band that would go on to re-define what a girl-group can do, act and sound like.[2] Wings has been credited with helping to shape the Little Mix brand with messages of girl power and feminism.[3] It has also been cited for helping the girl band renaissance in the UK during the late 00s and into the early 10s.[4] The song peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart, selling over 106,000 copies in its first week and later becoming the group's second number-one in the UK. It also made them only the third winners from The X Factor UK to follow up their winner's single with a second number-one single.[5]

The single was also a success in other countries. It topped the Irish Singles Charts and reached the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Japan, and charted in nine other countries including South Korea, Canada, and France. It reached number seventy-nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. A Japanese and Korean version of the track was later released.[6] Little Mix performed "Wings" at the One Love Manchester, following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.[7] It has been performed on all seven of the group's tours, the most recent being The Confetti Tour in 2022.

Writing and inspiration
Edit
Little Mix performing on stage with their hands raised.
Little Mix performing "Wings" during their 2013 DNA Tour.
Little Mix wanted their first original single after winning the eighth UK series of The X Factor to be instantly recognisable when it was played on the radio and believed that without their own input, the track would misrepresent their sound.[8] After working with producers for around a month and being new to group writing, the band struggled to find a song they liked.[8][9] Group member Jesy Nelson said, "We were like, 'We want our sound to be Nicki Minaj, mixed with Missy Elliott with a bit of En Vogue put in a blender.' I think everyone got so confused. We'd hear some of the songs and were like, 'Oh my God, we're never going to get it.'"[10] However, when production team TMS played them a backing track of "Wings",[8] Nelson recalled, "my hairs stood up on my arms and I was like 'Oh my god!', and I looked at the girls and I went 'That's our first single.'"[9]

The band wrote most of "Wings" with TMS and songwriter Iain James in February 2012 but writing continued until they felt the song was complete.[11][12] Michelle Lewis, Erika Nuri, Mischke Butler and Heidi Rojas are also credited as songwriters.[13] It was important to Little Mix for "Wings" to showcase their vocals individually, and have complex harmonies and melodies.[8] Eschewing dance music popular at the time, it was composed as a retro-style pop and R&B song, influenced by music by Beyoncé and Michael Jackson.[14][15][16] Jade Thirlwall from the band said, "It was really important for us to bring something fresh and different to the table".[14]

The lyrics were inspired by doubt and negativity Little Mix experienced as a girl band during The X Factor, and being the favourites for elimination during the first week of live shows.[9] They were disheartened by odds overheard in the show's green room and paparazzi predicting their elimination interview on British daytime television programme This Morning the following Monday.[17] "Wings" was also written as an uplifting message for the group's fans to relate to.[18] The band, however, did not want the song to sound "cheesy" or as though they were preaching; instead, they wrote it with a theme of maternal advice using the line "Mama told me not to waste my time".[19][20] The track was recorded at The Music Shed in London.[21]