"Move" is a song by British girl group Little Mix. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, Salute. It was co-written by the group with Maegan Cottone and Nathan Duvall, and produced by the latter. An R&B song, that moves away from Little Mix's previous melody-led ventures, featuring more quirky sounds with bass synth. The girl band stated that the song is about when a boy on the dance floor is "acting too cool for school" and they would like him to move. The single was made available for pre-ordering in the iTunes Store on the same day as its radio impact without the official single artwork. The song received acclaim from critics, with many praising the group’s transition from their previous work. The single received its first airplay in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2013 and was released for digital download on 3 November 2013, a week before the release of Salute in that country. It debuted and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.
Background
Following Little Mix's debut headlining tour, they began work on their second studio album. They wrote the song wanting to show off their musical progression with mature sound. The group achieved this by allowing the song to be more production-led than their previous material. Little Mix co-wrote "Move" with Nathan Duvall and their vocal coach, Maegan Cottone. During a livestream, the group revealed the name of their next single and Jade Thirlwall described the songwriting process as, "We all sat in the studio together and vibed and made little noises..." Lyrically, the song talks of boys who think they are too cool to dance and ultimately leads to Little Mix telling them to move.
Critical reception
"Move" garnered critical acclaim from music critics. The Daily Record gave the song five out of five stars, mentioning that it contains inspiration from 90sclubpop as well as being R&B-infused compared to their previous singles. It highlighted the lyrics as being "full of attitude and the trademark Little Mix harmonies and melodies, making this song a sure hit." Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the track four out of five stars and wrote it "subtly blends the current pop trends with own inimitable style," also noting similarities with 1990s club music. Idolator's Sam Lansky gave the single a positive review: "The best girl group singles are always so wonderful because they're strange, and British girl groups do that better than anyone: “Move” fits the bill perfectly." Jamie Clarke of So So Gay called the song "brilliant" and wrote "the girls have strong enough vocals to sing R&B convincingly." Jon OBrien from Yahoo! UK & Ireland wrote on his review of the album that "the tongue-clacking beats and addictive harmonies of 'Move' have already signalled that the group have upped their game considerably." Billboard named the song #92 on their list of100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
Music video
The official music video premiered on YouTube on 25 October 2013. The video starts with silhouettes of the band members appearing in front of brightly coloured backdrops. They are then seen in a shiny white room and Thirlwall then begins to sing the first verse. Throughout the video, the members are seen performing hip-hop style dances, with several dancers in the background. The video then moves to a large stage with bright flashing lights, where the group perform the final dance for the song.
