Wikipedia

Touch (Little Mix song)

"Touch" is a song by British girl group Little Mix. The song was originally released as a promotional single before being announced as the second single from the group's fourth studio album Glory Days (2016).[1] A remix of the song featuring American rapper Kid Ink is featured on the album's reissue Glory Days: The Platinum Edition.

"Touch"
Single by Little Mix
from the album Glory Days
Released9 December 2016 (2016-12-09)
Genre
Length3:33
LabelSyco
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Little Mix singles chronology
"Shout Out to My Ex"
(2016) 		"Touch"
(2016) 		"No More Sad Songs"
(2017)
Kid Ink singles chronology
"I Love You"
(2017) 		"Touch"
(2017) 		"F with U"
(2017)
Music video
"Touch" on YouTube

"Touch" is a dance pop track with elements of tropical house. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise given to its empowering message about being in tune with your sexuality and feeling confident in your own skin.[2] It has since been cited as a gay anthem, and a fan favourite among their discography.[3] It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's tenth top-ten single in the country.[4]

The song also reached the top ten in Ireland and the top twenty in Australia and on the Mexico Ingles Airplay chart, and charted in ten other countries including Hungary and New Zealand. It has since been certified triple platinum in the United Kingdom, double platinum in Brazil and Australia, and has received one platinum and five gold music certifications in other countries. The song was nominated for British Single of the Year and Best British Video of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards.[5]

Background and release

edit

Preceding the release of Glory Days, "Touch" was released as the fourth promotional single on 15 November 2016.[6] On 5 December 2016, Little Mix announced that the song would become their second single from the album and was later released on 9 December 2016.[7] On 28 February 2017, a remix featuring Kid Ink was also made available.[8]

Composition and critical reception

edit

"Touch" is a dance-pop[9] and tropical house[10][11] song. The song has been described as a "club anthem" by several critics.[who?] Lewis Corner from Digital Spy gave the song a positive review, describing it as "more than ready for the dancefloor with dancehall vibes, bouncy beats and an infectious chorus that's enough to take over the whole of your body."[12]

Zoe Briggs from OK! magazine commented: "Sending social media into a total meltdown with the music release, Little Mix fans are happy to see The X Factor winners doing what they do best. However, after being labelled as one of their sexiest music videos yet, Perrie Edwards has continued to cause controversy with her fashion choices."[13] Glamour praised the video: "Perrie, Jesy, Leigh Anne and Jade can all be seen showing off some pretty excellent dance moves as they are joined with a load of hot banking dancers. It's a tough job, eh girls?"[14]

The song was ranked as one of the most underrated pop songs of 2016 by Billboard.[15]

In 2021, "Touch" was named by BuzzFeed as a gay anthem.[16]

Attitude named the song number two on their list of 32 greatest Little Mix singles of all time stating "‘Touch is a club staple as well as a genuine all round crowd pleaser. Everything from MNEK's sublime production, to the sensual verses, as well as the euphoric “golden” middle 8, makes listening to 'Touch' a truly religious experience."[17]

Comedian Phil Wang stated that "Touch" "might be greatest pop song of the 21st century".[18]

Music video

edit

The music video was released to Little Mix's YouTube account on 19 January 2017. The video was directed by Director X and Parris Goebel. The video takes place at a colourful maze, where the girls perform choreography with their male dancers.[19] The music video was ranked as one of the sexiest music videos of 2017 by MTV.[20]

Promotion and live performances

edit

On 5 December 2016, Little Mix announced via their social media that "Touch" would be the second single from Glory Days.[21] The song was performed as a medley with "Oops", featuring Charlie Puth, on 11 December 2016 on The X Factor UK to coincide with the fifth anniversary of Little Mix winning the show. The band started off by performing the intro of the acoustic version of the song before switching to the original version of the song for the chorus.[citation needed] Little Mix performed "Touch" on the Today Show in the US on 28 February 2017 and on The Late Late Show with James Corden on 28 March 2017.[22][23] The group performed the song with modified lyrics at the 2017 Kids' Choice Awards as a medley with their song "Shout Out to My Ex" on 11 March 2017.[24] On 19 April 2020, the group performed an acoustic version of the song on the UK exclusive broadcast of the One World: Together at Home concert.[25]

On 1 February 2017, the group posted behind the scenes footage of their "Touch" music video shoot on YouTube.[26] The group released a maze game inspired by the song's music video with the song playing all throughout the game to celebrate their nomination for British Artist Video Of The Year at the 2018 Brit Awards.[27]

Chart performance

edit

Before "Touch" was released as the second single from the album, it debuted at number 62 on the UK Singles Chart. The song re-entered the charts at number 23 following its official release,[28] and the following week the song peaked at number four, where it stayed for three weeks, becoming the group's tenth top-ten single in the UK.[29] As of June 2019, it ranked as the seventh-best selling single by a girl group in the United Kingdom.[30]

Elsewhere "Touch" debuted within the top five in Scotland and Ireland and the top twenty in Australia. It charted in a further ten other countries including Canada and the Netherlands.

Charts

edit

Certifications

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[53] Gold 10,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[54] 2× Platinum 120,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[55] Platinum 80,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[56] Gold 25,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[57] Gold 20,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] Gold 15,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[59] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] 3× Platinum 1,800,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

edit

Release history

edit
Release dates and formats for "Touch"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom 9 December 2016 Contemporary hit radio
[66]
Italy 27 January 2017 Sony [67]

References

edit
  1. ^ Copsey, Rob (5 December 2016). "Little Mix announce second single from Glory Days album". Officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Little Mix's Single "Touch" Just Got a Major Upgrade". Teen Vogue. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  3. ^ "MNEK's biggest singles he's worked on for other artists". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Little Mix's Touch is the UK's top trending song this week". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran Lead Brit Awards 2018 Nominations". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Listen to Little Mix's huge new club anthem 'Touch'". Digital Spy. 15 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  7. ^ Corner, Lewis (5 December 2016). "Little Mix confirm their next single, and it's a banger". Digital Spy. United Kingdom: Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Remix Of Little Mix's "Touch" Premiering At US Radio This Week; Kid Ink Featured". 26 February 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  9. ^ "Album Review: Little Mix - Glory Days". 28 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  10. ^ "CD: Little Mix - Glory Days - The Arts Desk". www.theartsdesk.com. 16 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  11. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: LITTLE MIX – GLORY DAYS". Renowned For Sound. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  12. ^ Corner, Lewis (5 December 2016). "Little Mix confirm their next single, and it's the one we all wanted". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Little Mix release Touch music video and Perrie Edwards fans are divided over controversial outfit". OK!. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  14. ^ "Little Mix unveil their video for Touch and it's pure sass". Glamour. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  15. ^ "20 Sadly Underrated Pop Songs From 2016". Billboard. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  16. ^ Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (20 June 2021). "69 Songs That Are Certified Gay Anthems Whether Straight People Know It Or Not". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  17. ^ "All 32 of Little Mix's singles ranked in order of greatness". Attitude.co.uk. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  18. ^ "'Touch by Little Mix might be the greatest pop song of the 21st century': Phil Wang's honest playlist | Phil Wang | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Little Mix - Touch (Official Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  20. ^ "The Sexiest Music Videos Of 2017". www.mtv.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  21. ^ ""Little Mix on Twitter "This year's been so amazing. No way we could end 2016 without giving you a new single. Just a #Touch of something new. the girls x""". Twitter. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Watch Little Mix perform 'Touch' live on TODAY". Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  23. ^ "James Corden Adds a 'Touch' of Little Mix to 'Late Late Show'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  24. ^ Clark, Minou; Williams, Abigail (12 March 2017). "Little Mix Adjusts Lyrics To Make Kids' Choice Performance A 'Touch' More Kid-Friendly". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  25. ^ "Little Mix and Tom Jones in Together At Home concert". BBC News. 19 April 2020. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Little Mix Reveal Behind The Scenes On Their 'Touch' Video Shoot". Capital FM. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  27. ^ "Little Mix released Touch Maze Game". 4th Floor Creative. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  28. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 16 December 2016 - 22 December 2016". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  30. ^ Copsey, Rob (13 June 2019). "The Official Top 100 girl band singles and albums of the last 25 years". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Little Mix – Touch". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  32. ^ "Little Mix – Touch" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  33. ^ "Little Mix – Touch" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  34. ^ "Little Mix Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  35. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 17. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  36. ^ "Billboard Euro Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  37. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés - SNEP (Week 4, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  38. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  39. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Touch". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  40. ^ "Chart Search - Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  41. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 15, 2017" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  42. ^ "Little Mix – Touch" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  43. ^ "Little Mix – Touch". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  44. ^ "Little Mix – Touch". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  45. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  46. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 11. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  47. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 15. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  48. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  49. ^ "ARIA End of Year Singles 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  50. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2017". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  51. ^ Copsey, Rob (3 January 2018). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2017". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  52. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2017 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  53. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2017". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  54. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Little Mix – Touch" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  55. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Little Mix – Touch". Music Canada. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  56. ^ "Italian single certifications – Little Mix – Touch" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  57. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Little Mix – Touch" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 24 March 2017. Enter Touch in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2018 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  58. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Little Mix – Touch". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 March 2017. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link]THE FIELD archive-url MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION from obsolete website.
  59. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 October 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Touch in the search box.
  60. ^ "British single certifications – Little Mix – Touch". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  61. ^ Roth, Madeline. "Ed Sheeran 'Smashed' His Cover Of Little Mix's 'Touch'". MTV News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  62. ^ "WATCH: We PROMISE You'll Lose It When You Hear Anne-Marie's Live Mash-Up Of 'Touch' And 'Shape Of You'". Capital. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  63. ^ "Watch: "Produce 48" Features Covers Of BTS, BLACKPINK, And More + 1st Place Crowned For Each Position". Soompi. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  64. ^ "Dreamcatcher's Yoohyeon continues to tease what a solo career would look like with special clip cover of Little Mix's "Touch"". Asian Junkie. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  65. ^ "BBC Radio 1 - Live Lounge Uncovered, Mabel covers Touch by Little Mix". BBC. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  66. ^ "Radio 1 Playlist". BBC. 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  67. ^ "LITTLE MIX "Touch" | (Radio Date: 27/01/2017)".
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Touch_(Little_Mix_song)&oldid=1256122824"