In the void left by the indefinite hiatus of one of the United Kingdom’s greatest girl bands of all time, Little Mix, former member and pop star Perrie Edwards has returned to the industry with her latest single, “You Go Your Way”.
Working with London-based electronic duo Joy Anonymous—the regular collaborators of cult DJ Fred again. . who originally recorded the song as an underground club track—the 31-year-old has unabashedly launched into her new solo era with an uptempo dance anthem that features finishing touches from Brat producer Hudson Mohawke.
Not too sonically dissimilar to the debut offering by her bandmate Jade Thirwall, “Angel Of My Dreams”, Edwards candidly writes about finding strength in a new relationship and the pressures that come with love.
As you may recall, the artist famously dated One Direction member Zayn Malik after meeting on the set of The X-Factor in 2011. After Malik proposed to Edwards in 2013, the father-of-one reportedly ended their engagement over text in 2015.
A year later, Little Mix recorded and released one of their most lucrative hits “Shout Out To My Ex”, a number that now boasts over 700 million streams on Spotify. During this time, however, Edwards secretly fell in love with English footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
As the singer revealed, the nascent days of their high-profile romance served as the lyrical inspiration for the track. Speaking on the ‘tuning’ stage before going official, Edwards revealed that she hesitated to label things as she was about to tour with Ariana Grande for two months in the US.
“I told Alex, you go your way and I’ll go mine and if it’s meant to be we’ll find each other again when I am back,” she shared. “He wasn’t happy with this idea and made our relationship official there and then! Fast forward 8 years and we are very happy, engaged and have our beautiful son well.”
Her philosophy resonates over effortlessly toe-tapping drums and a catchy vocal melody, making it the perfect song to play while sipping Aperol Spritz during balmy pool days ahead. (Especially given the fact we’re about to head into cuffing season, this earworm has certainly arrived at the right time.)
Edwards has also released an accompanying music video directed by Charlie Di-Placido. (If you’ve seen Jungle’s viral “Back On 74” dance, you’ll know his work.)
Filmed in one take at London’s iconic biker bar Ace Cafe, the electric choreography and buoyant tone makes the songstress a pop aficionado to be reckoned with. Edwards has undoubtedly made strides tracking her own course, and if the memorability of this hook is anything to go by, she’s living proof that all’s well that ends well.
Stream “You Go Your Way” on all platforms, now.
