U.K. pop royalty Little Mix are looking to drop their hotly-anticipated fifth album in November, as bandmember Jade Thirwall revealed after a surprise cameo at Manchester Pride yesterday (Aug. 26) to march with British LGBT charity Stonewall.
“It was really emotional actually. I feel like as someone in the public eye and as an artist it’s our duty to raise awareness,” Thirwall told the Manchester Evening News of her experience at Manchester Pride. “We have a lot of LGBT fans and it’s really important for us to encourage them to be who they are and to celebrate that through our music.”
The outlet also notes that the band’s new album “is set to be released around November.”
“This is definitely my favourite album, you can tell it’s come from us,” Thirwall said. “I’m really excited for this album. We’re definitely ready to release something, we’re missing having our music out there.”
In addition to the anthems of empowerment and self-confidence that have become the girl group’s M.O., Thirwall noted that the band’s follow-up to 2016’s Glory Days will feature queer-positive sentiments. The first single from the album will be unveiled soon, though an official release date is unconfirmed for now.
Little Mix has a noted history for celebrating queer love in their music. Their recent partnership with EDM pop trio Cheat Codes, “Only You,” tells a fantastical queer love story in its music video. “Secret Love Song,” a collaborative 2015 ballad with Jason Derulo, was also written as an ode to the LGBT community.