"Secret Love Song" is a song released by British girl groupLittle Mix, featuring guest vocals from American singer-songwriterJason Derulo. It was released as the third single from the group's third studio album,Get Weird, bySyco Records andColumbia Records. The single was co-written by Derulo along with Jez Ashurst, Emma Rohan, andTich. It is a slowballad consisting of pounding bass and melancholic strings. It was met with mixed reviews from music critics, with some praising the group's vocal performances and its emotional depth, while others deemed it cheesy and overly sentimental, and criticized Derulo's involvement.
"Secret Love Song" is apop-inspired ballad, with lyrics that is about unrequited and forbidden love, and has been interpreted in different ways, with Derulo's verse being about his personal experience of having a real-life affair. The song has come to be regarded as agay anthem, and has been cited as helping people to deal with their own sexuality and feelings. The group have since dedicated "Secret Love Song" to theLGBTQ+ community, with apride flag being displayed in the background after each performance.
On theUK Singles Chart, the song peaked at number six, becoming the group's eighth top-ten single in the country. It reached the top twenty of the charts within Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Lebanon. It has become one of the group's best-selling singles and one of the best-selling girl group singles in the United Kingdom. A second version of the single without Derulo, titled "Secret Love Song, Pt II", is included on the deluxe edition ofGet Weird. The song received renewed attention in 2022 after becoming viral on the video-sharing social platform,TikTok.[1]
In July 2015,Little Mix member Jesy Nelson stated that the group's third studio album,Get Weird, would have a song "that is possibly going to be a single that we've never done anything like before".[2] Afterwards Perrie Edwards added: " And it may or may not have a feature...."[2] "Secret Love Song", was written by Jez along with Ashurst, Emma Rohan, andTich and produced by Jayson DeZuzio.[3] The group sent the song toJason Derulo who positively reacted to it, and later wrote his own verse.[4] The recording stages for the song took place between at the Poinsettia Place inLos Angeles and at Blue Box Studios inLondon.[3]
Derulo's decision to collaborate with the group came afterHit 30 presenters Angus O'Loughlin andAsh London played him the group's cover of his 2015 single "Want to Want Me" forBBC Radio 1'sLive Lounge in July 2015. He reacted to it positively and said he understood why the cover had become aviral video.[5] Group memberJade Thirlwall felt the song's slowtempo was "a nice change" for Derulo and "[showed] his voice off a lot".[6] A piano-driven solo sequel of the song, "Secret Love Song Pt. II", was included on the deluxe version ofGet Weird.[3]
"Secret Love Song" is a slow, pop ballad. It consists of a pounding bass and melancholic strings.[7] Derulo's vocal usesvibrato andauto-tune,[8][9] as he sings the song's second verse.[10] Nelson sings the high note during itsbridge.[11]
Lyrically, "Secret Love Song" details unrequited and forbidden love.[12] Edwards said the lyrics are about "being with someone and you want to scream it from the rooftops but you have to hold it in".[13] According to Derulo, his verse serves as a "twist" in the song, discussing his personal experience of having anaffair: "I told a true story about this girl that I am really into but she has a boyfriend but we still do our thing."[4] Some commentators have interpreted the song as representing the struggles of LGBT couples who cannot display affection in public and has been referred to as an unintentionalgay anthem by fans of the group. This sentiment was shared byJade Thirlwall who reacted positively to gay fans of the group interpreting that message in the song.[14][15] The song has also been cited as helping people to deal with their own sexuality and feelings.[16]
The group revealed the song's title on 7 September 2015, onInstagram.[17] On 13 October 2015, they announced Derulo's involvement onTwitter, ahead ofGet Weird's release the following month.[18] The song was first made available as part of the album whenGet Weird was released on 6 November 2015. On 5 December 2015, Little Mix confirmed on Twitter that "Secret Love Song" would be the third single from the album in the UK and Ireland.[19] They unveiled the single'scover art on Instagram on 8 January 2016.[20]
"Secret Love Song" has received mixed reviews frommusic critics.Popjustice wrote that the song would be better without Derulo, but called it "a big ballad" with an "amazing" chorus and gave it a rating of seven out of ten.[10] Brad O'Mance from the website disliked Derulo's "dulcet/song-ruining tones".[21] Lewis Corner ofDigital Spy said the group matured emotionally on the track and described it as a "sweeping slowie [...] that soars highest on the perfectly polished chorus".[22]
Cameron Adams of theHerald Sun described the song as "uber cheese".[23] Harriet Gibsone fromThe Guardian viewed the song as one ofGet Weird's "odd moments of mediocrity".[24] Chuck Campbell of theKnoxville News Sentinel felt the song tried too hard.[25] Nick Levine fromNME regarded the song as "melodramatic" and "not as entertaining" as the rest of the album.[26] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of theFinancial Times said: "Their manufactured origins surface on 'Secret Love Song', a by-the-numbers ballad watermarked with[Simon] Cowell's foreboding features."[27] Andy Gill ofThe Independent criticised Derulo's "ghastly, tremulous vibrato" on the track, calling it "by far, the worst [irritation]" onGet Weird.[8] Matthew Horton ofVirgin Media opined that "Secret Love Song" failed to help the album "catch fire", dismissing it as "syrupy" and "an unrequired duet".[28]
"Secret Love Song" debuted at number 66 on theUK Singles Chart on 8 January 2016, selling 8,635 units.[29] The following week, it sold 14,964 units and rose to number 34.[30] It peaked at number six, making it their eighth top-ten single. On 1 April 2016, the song was certified gold in the UK for selling over 400,000 copies. The song peaked at number 16 in Australia[31] and has been certified double platinum for selling over 140,000 copies.[32] The song has since become one of the group's best selling singles to date and one of the best-selling girl group singles in the United Kingdom between 1994 and 2019.[33]
The accompanyingmusic video for "Secret Love Song" was directed by Frank Borin.[34] and was filmed atLondon Bridge[35] andTower Bridge.[34] The music video was originally set to feature a same sex couple, a straight couple and an interracial couple.[36] Thirlwall previously revealed on Twitter on 5 November 2015 that the group pictured the video to depict the struggles of an LGBT couple.[37] Stomp Models required the couples to be relatable and emotional with "a cool or hip factor", and to act with a sense of longing and fulfilment.[38] Thirlwall previously mentioned that the music video is "very different" from the group's previous visuals.[39]
When the video was released on 3 February 2016, six days later than expected, all the scenes featuring the same sex couple, the opposite sex couple and the interracial couple had been removed from the final cut which featured only connected scenes of the singers appearing solo and isolated from each other during the singing of the song. On its release, only British fans could access the video, before worldwide viewing was enabled a few days later.[40] Thirlwall later expressed her annoyance at Syco for scrapping the LGBT narrative-led storylines from the final cut of the video.[41]
Little Mix and Derulo performed "Secret Love Song" for the first time live as part of their set-list atCapital'sJingle Bell Ball on 5 December 2015.[42][43] They opened with "Salute" which was followed by "Move" and "Love Me Like You".[44] Prior to singing "Secret Love Song", Little Mix introduced the track and said "We have an exclusive for you. We know you'll enjoy a cheeky little surprise. This song is going to be our next single. We hope you enjoy it."[42] They concluded with "Wings" and "Black Magic".[42][44] In 2016 they joined Derulo on his 2016 arena tour atThe O2 Arena on 5 February 2016 to perform "Secret Love Song".[45]
In 2016,Morissette released a cover version of the song on "Wish 107.5 Bus". In 2018, the cover become the channel's most watched video with over 75 million views as of 2018.[56] As of March 2022, it has over 180 million views.[57] She performed the song again when she represented her country at theAsia Song Festival in 2017.[56]
In 2017, Yoohyeon from the South Korean girl groupDreamcatcher covered the song.[58]
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