| "Wings" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Little Mix | ||||
| from the album DNA | ||||
| Released | 24 August 2012 | |||
| Studio | The Music Shed (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | TMS | |||
| Little Mix singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Wings" on YouTube | ||||
"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" 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.
- ^ "Flashback 2012: Little Mix spread their Wings and fly to Number 1". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Flashback 2012: Little Mix spread their Wings and fly to Number 1". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Goodbye Little Mix (For Now...)". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ "Flashback 2012: Little Mix spread their Wings and fly to Number 1". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ "Flashback 2012: Little Mix spread their Wings and fly to Number 1". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff (20 August 2013). "Little Mix's 'Wings' Goes K-Pop With New Version: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Three New Performers Added To Ariana Grande Benefit Concert, Including Two British Acts". HuffPost UK. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2022.