Little Mix, Shout Out to My Ex | Track Review 🎵

[usr 3.5]

Little Mix throws mad shade at their exes in “Shout Out to My Ex,” the promo single for upcoming album, ‘Glory Days’. 

Girl pop group Little Mix returns with a bang.  It just seems like yesterday they had an acronym for being horny (“A.D.I.D.A.S.”) and created buzz with “Hair.”  Now, Little Mix is going for the kill, tackling their exes ON “Shout Out to My Ex.”  What has been creating a stir about the song are references to Zayn, who dated member Perrie Edwards for four years.  Fittingly, Edwards kicks off the ex-slaughter fest.

Edwards begins respectably, singing:

“This is a shout out to my ex
Heard he in love with some other chick
Yeah, yeah, that hurt me, I’ll admit
Forget that boy, I’m over it.”

That excerpt represents familiar, relatable feelings that exes feel towards one another.  The juiciest part follows with the second half of the verse.

“I hope she gettin’ better sex
Hope she ain’t fakin’ it like I did, babe
Took for long years to call it quits
Forget that boy I’m over it.”

Edwards throws some serious shade at Zayn, asserting he’s lousy in the bed and that the relationship was a waste of time.  Members of Team Zayn won’t be pleased, but the personal, feisty lyrics that initiate “Shout Out to My Ex” make it truly intriguing.

After a fiery first verse, the girls sum up their scornful feelings on the chorus:

“Shout out to my ex, you’re really quite the man
You made my heart break and that made me who I am
Here’s to my ex, hey, look at me now
Well, I, I’m all the way up
I swear you’ll never bring me down.”

Essentially, the girls consider their exes assholes.  The tone is sarcastic through and through.  Amplifying the sarcasm is how fun the song is conceived to be.  It’s set in a minor key and the energy is tremendous.  The girls are happy to be rid of their respective exes (“Oh, I deleted all your pics / then blocked your number from my phone”), but are also sorry that they wasted their time.

Final Thoughts 

“Shout Out to My Exes” is a well-produced, fun, and feisty single – unless you’re Zayn or another Lil Mix ex.  While the sound is great, it is the lyrics – specifically the first verse – that makes the record notable.  It’s a pro when pop culture influences a pop song – it can only elevate Little Mix’s profile stateside.

[usr 3.5]

Little Mix • Glory Days • Sony • Release: 11.18.16

Photo Credit: Sony