Secret Love Song
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"Secret Love Song" is a song released by British girl group Little Mix, featuring guest vocals from singer-songwriter Jason Derulo. It was released as the third single from the group's third studio album, ''
Get Weird ''Get Weird'' is the third studio album released by British girl group Little Mix, on 6 November 2015, through Syco Music and Columbia Records. The group began work on a previous album before it was scrapped in 2014, with only a few tracks makin ...
,'' by
Syco Records Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
and Columbia Records. The single was co-written by Derulo along with Jez Ashurst, Emma Rohan, and
Tich Tich may refer to: English cricketers * Tich Cornford (1900–1964), Sussex cricketer * Tich Freeman (1888–1965), Kent cricketer * Tom Richmond (cricketer) (1890–1957), Nottinghamshire cricketer Entertainers * Ian "Tich" Amey of Dave Dee, ...
. It is a slow
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
consisting of pounding bass and melancholic strings. It was met with mixed reviews from music critics, who praised the group for their vocal performance. Secret Love Song is a pop-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 a
gay anthem A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community, although some of these songs have also become anthems for the wider LGBT community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems" ...
, and has been cited as helping people to deal with their own sexuality and feelings. The group have since dedicated "Secret Love Song" to the LGBTQ+ community, with a
pride flag A pride flag is any flag that represents a segment or part of the LGBT community. ''Pride'' in this case refers to the notion of gay pride. The terms ''LGBT flag'' and ''queer flag'' are often used interchangeably. The rainbow flag is the most ...
being displayed in the background after each performance. On the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, 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 of ''Get Weird''. The song received renewed attention in 2022 after becoming viral on the video-sharing social platform,
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
.


Background

In July 2015, Little Mix member Jesy Nelson stated that the group's third studio album, ''
Get Weird ''Get Weird'' is the third studio album released by British girl group Little Mix, on 6 November 2015, through Syco Music and Columbia Records. The group began work on a previous album before it was scrapped in 2014, with only a few tracks makin ...
'', would have a song "that is possibly going to be a single that we've never done anything like before". Afterwards Perrie Edwards added: " And it may or may not have a feature...." "Secret Love Song", was written by Jez along with Ashurst, Emma Rohan, and
Tich Tich may refer to: English cricketers * Tich Cornford (1900–1964), Sussex cricketer * Tich Freeman (1888–1965), Kent cricketer * Tom Richmond (cricketer) (1890–1957), Nottinghamshire cricketer Entertainers * Ian "Tich" Amey of Dave Dee, ...
and produced by Jayson DeZuzio. The group sent the song to Jason Derulo who positively reacted to it, and later wrote his own verse. The recording stages for the song took place between at the Poinsettia Place in
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and at Blue Box Studios in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. Derulo's decision to collaborate with the group was influenced by a string of events; Hit 30 presenters Angus O'Loughlin and Ash London who played him the group's cover of his 2015 single "
Want to Want Me "Want to Want Me" is a song recorded by American singer Jason Derulo for his fourth studio album, '' Everything Is 4'' (2015). It was released as the album's lead single on March 9, 2015. The song was written by Derulo, Sam Martin, Lindy Robbins, ...
" for
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's
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in July 2015. He reacted to it positively and said he understood why the cover had become a
viral video A viral video is a video that becomes popular through a viral process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhong Lan, Alexander Haupt ...
. Group member
Jade Thirlwall Jade Amelia Thirlwall (born 26 December 1992) is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums and achi ...
, felt the song's slow
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
was "a nice change" for Derulo and " howedhis voice off a lot". A piano-driven solo sequel of the song, "Secret Love Song Pt. II", was included on the deluxe version of ''Get Weird''.


Composition and lyrics

"Secret Love Song" is a slow, pop ballad. It consists of a pounding bass and melancholic strings. Derulo's vocal uses
vibrato Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
and
auto-tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
, as he sings the song's second verse. Nelson sings the high note during its
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
. Lyrically, "Secret Love Song" details unrequited and forbidden love. 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". According to Derulo, his verse serves as a "twist" in the song, discussing his personal experience of having an affair: "I told a true story about this girl that I am really into but she has a boyfriend but we still do our thing." 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 unintentional
gay anthem A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community, although some of these songs have also become anthems for the wider LGBT community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems" ...
by fans of the group. This sentiment was shared by
Jade Thirlwall Jade Amelia Thirlwall (born 26 December 1992) is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums and achi ...
who reacted positively to gay fans of the group interpreting that message in the song. The song has also been cited as helping people to deal with their own sexuality and feelings.


Release

The group revealed the song's title on 7 September 2015, on Instagram. On 13 October 2015, they announced Derulo's involvement on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, ahead of ''Get Weird''s release the following month. The song was first made available as part of the album when ''Get 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. They unveiled the single's cover art on Instagram on 8 January 2016.


Reception


Critical response

"Secret Love Song" has received mixed reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
.
Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', '' Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cr ...
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. Brad O'Mance from the website disliked Derulo's "dulcet/song-ruining tones". Lewis Corner of '' Digital Spy'' said the group matured emotionally on the track and described it as a "sweeping slowie ..that soars highest on the perfectly polished chorus". Cameron Adams of the '' Herald Sun'' described the song as "uber cheese". Harriet Gibsone from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' viewed the song as one of ''Get Weird''s "odd moments of mediocrity". Chuck Campbell of the '' Knoxville News Sentinel'' felt the song tried too hard. Nick Levine from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' regarded the song as "melodramatic" and "not as entertaining" as the rest of the album. Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Ni ...
'' said: "Their manufactured origins surface on 'Secret Love Song', a by-the-numbers ballad watermarked with imonCowell's foreboding features." Andy Gill of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' criticised Derulo's "ghastly, tremulous vibrato" on the track, calling it "by far, the worst rritation on ''Get Weird''. Matthew Horton of
Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint ventu ...
opined that "Secret Love Song" failed to help the album "catch fire", dismissing it as "syrupy" and "an unrequired duet".


Chart performance

"Secret Love Song" debuted at number 66 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
on 8 January 2016, selling 8,635 units. The following week, it sold 14,964 units and rose to number 34. It peaked at number six, making it their eighth top ten single to date. 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 and has been certified double platinum for selling over 140,000 copies. 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.


Music video

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Secret Love Song" was directed by Frank Borin. and was filmed at London Bridge and
Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...
. The music video was originally set to feature a same sex and an interracial couple. Thirlwall previously revealed on Twitter on 5 November 2015 that the group pictured the video to depict the struggles of a LGBT couple. 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. Thirlwall previously mentioned that the music video is "very different" from the group's previous visuals. 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. The final cut depicts the song narrative as an unresolved love triangle of one man and two women, each singing in solo isolation from each other.


Live performances

Little Mix and Derulo performed "Secret Love Song" for the first time live as part of their set-list at Capital's
Jingle Bell Ball The Jingle Bell Ball is a concert held annually in December since 2008 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), by the radio station Capital FM at The O2. Artists that have headlined the concert include Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, ...
on 5 December 2015. They opened with "
Salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sco ...
" which was followed by "
Move Move may refer to: People * Daniil Move (born 1985), a Russian auto racing driver Brands and enterprises * Move (company), an online real estate company * Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer * Daihatsu Move Go ...
" and "
Love Me Like You "Love Me Like You" is a song by British girl group Little Mix. It was released through Syco Music and Columbia Records, as the second single from the group's third studio album, ''Get Weird'' (2015). It was produced by Steve Mac, who co-w ...
". 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." They concluded with "
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
" and "
Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 14 ...
". In 2016 they joined Derulo on his 2016 arena tour at The O2 Arena on 5 February 2016 to perform "Secret Love Song". On 12 February, Little Mix and Derulo performed the song on ''
The Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...
''. The group also performed the solo version regularly during
The Get Weird Tour The Get Weird Tour was the third concert tour and the first worldwide tour held by British girl group Little Mix, in support of their third studio album, ''Get Weird'', announced in July 2015. The tour began on March 13, 2016 in Cardiff, Wales ...
(2016), The Glory Days Tour (2017), as the support act for Ariana Grande's
Dangerous Woman Tour The Dangerous Woman Tour was the third concert tour and the second arena tour by American singer Ariana Grande in support of her third studio album, '' Dangerous Woman'' (2016). It traveled across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and O ...
the same year, the Summer Hits Tour (2018),, LM5: The Tour (2019), and
The Confetti Tour The Confetti Tour was the seventh concert tour held by British girl group Little Mix, in support of their sixth studio album, ''Confetti'' (2020). The tour began on 9 April 2022 at the SSE Arena in Belfast, and concluded on 14 May 2022 at The ...
(2022). On The Get Weird Tour in 2016, the group dedicated the song to the Orlando nightclub Victims after a mass shooting took place at a
gay nightclub A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term '' gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities. Gay bars once serv ...
in Orlando, Florida. In 2018, the group performed the song during a show in Dubai while displaying a rainbow flag; homosexuality is illegal in the UAE. On 7 November 2020, Little Mix performed the second part of the song during the final of '' Little Mix The Search.''


Cover versions

* 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. As of March 2022, it has over a 180 million views. She performed the song again when she represented her country at the Asia Song Festival in 2017. *In 2017, Yoohyeon from the South Korean girl group
Dreamcatcher In some Native American and First Nations cultures, a dreamcatcher ( oj, asabikeshiinh, the inanimate form of the word for 'spider') is a handmade willow hoop, on which is woven a net or web. It may also be decorated with sacred items such as ...
, covered the song.


Credits and personnel

*Jez Ashurst – writer *Emma Rohan – writer * Rachel Furner – writer * Jason Desrouleaux – writer *Jayson DeZuzio – producer, engineering, all instruments and programming *
Maegan Cottone Maegan Cottone is an American songwriter, singer, vocal producer and vocal arranger. In 2012, Cottone signed to British publishing company Phrased Differently and managed by Wide Awake Music. She achieved international songwriting success in the ...
 – vocal producer *
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer. Early life and education Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atla ...
 – mixing *Sam Ellison – assistant vocal producer Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Accolade


References

{{Authority control 2015 songs 2016 singles Jason Derulo songs Little Mix songs Music videos directed by Frank Borin Songs about infidelity Songs written by Jason Derulo Songs written by Jez Ashurst Songs written by Tich (singer) LGBT-related songs Male–female vocal duets Torch songs Pop ballads 2010s ballads Songs written by Emma Rohan