Songs of Protest: How Little Mix Broke the Looking Glass
“Woman Like Me” by Little Mix breaks gender stereotypes and challenges the status quo by questioning society’s ability to view men and women as equals.
Music is one of society’s best teachers. In Songs of Protest, writers analyze some of music’s greatest hits, using their findings to make sense of the world around them.
Written by Nehal Kamel
Photo courtesy of Syco Records
“The looking-glass vision is of supreme importance because it charges the vitality, it stimulates the nervous system. Take it away and man may die.” - Virginia Woolf
In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf explains how men build themselves up by pushing women down. She explains that they look at women as inferior creatures and treat them as inferior creatures, so they can look at their reflection and see it bigger than that of their female counterparts. In other words, take away the perceived inferiority of women, and men lose all their power. In “Woman Like Me,” British girl group Little Mix discuss how the looking glass is shattering forcing men’s awareness of powerful women.
The song opens up with two powerful lines:
I always say what I’m feeling
I was born without a zip on my mouth
The “Woman Like Me” lyric video displays images of women from old, black-and-white TV shows who lived in a time when women were censored and suppressed. They were told how to behave and what society expected of them. With that in mind, the above lyrics juxtapose the photographs shown and it seems as if the past and present are put side-to-side. Women are now finding their voice and breaking the chains society had shackled their wrists with.
“I was born without a zip on my mouth” is a carefully crafted line. Little Mix did not say “I don’t have a zip on my mouth.” They say they were not born with it. Alluding to the idea that said zip is something attained with time — as if we were born equal, then later made to believe that we were not. This parallels Woolf’s theory that women’s reflection has been minimized so man can appear greater.
“Woman Like Me” goes on to paint a picture of the modern woman: unchained, “fired up” and accepting their natural selves, “Many things that I could get rid of / ain’t about to give it up.” The music builds up to the lyrics:
My momma always said, “Girl, you’re trouble” and
And now I wonder could you fall for a woman like me
“Could you fall for a woman like me?” It’s a striking question –– could men accept women as their natural and powerful selves? Untainted by societal expectations and outdated values? Could men accept the idea of women being equally strong and powerful?
Photo courtesy of Syco Records
A vertical video featured on Spotify is comprised of small clips of the four members dressed in suits, drinking, manspreading, and otherwise displaying a very masculine image. When put next to the lyric video, which is filled with scenes of women dancing in dresses and working in the kitchen, the message becomes clear.
The women displayed in the lyric video are never made to seem weak or less than the women of today. In fact, the scenes glorify and empower them. As the words “Woman like me” are repeated, images of dancers, mothers, cooks, pilots, models, scientists, and athletes flash through the lyric video. Put this message next to that of the music video, in which Little Mix dress and behave as men, and their words ring loud and clear.
“Women are gentle.”
“Women are caring.”
“Women are smart.”
“Women are strong.”
“Women are equal.”
And as women continue to rise in power there are men –– there are entire communities –– who continue to resist it. Little Mix brings this to attention by presenting the issue as a love story and asking a daring question: could a man fall in love with a powerful woman? Can society accept women as equal to men, or will they try to diminish us in order to maintain the status quo?
Little Mix’s target audience is predominantly young women who look up to them for inspiration. “Woman Like Me” is just one of a multitude of songs in which the girl group empowers women. There is still a gaping hole where female-empowering music should be, but song by song, female artists like Little Mix continue to challenge the status quo.