Tim: No idea what the point of the acronym is, since the title also includes the expansion of it, but never mind. Prepare for an utterly gratuitous profanity in the pre-chorus.
Tim: And that is a bit weird, actually, because the rest of NLTO (Not Like The Others) is so family-friendly, entirely standard pop that you’d expect from any current female act. Slightly reminiscent of the ‘shhh’ in the first Little Mix single – not there to do anything except be a bit “ooh, how rude!”
Tom: Considering that the association I had in my head was Sesame Street’s “One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others”, that was a bit surprising.
Tim: That aside, though, NLTO (Not Like The Others) is a largely inoffensive piece of pop, and I think one of very few singles that manages to sit perfectly on the fence between banger and ballad.
Tom: Yep. It’s difficult to sit on that fence: cracking piano intro, decent melody, and just the right amount of – to use a vague word – ‘oomph’.
Tim: Indeed, but this manages it – the vocals could all be underpinned by a gentle piano piece if so intended, but without much effort the energy in the backing could be cranked up to floorfiller status easily enough. Not many songs can do that, so top marks to NLTO (Not Like The Others).
Tom: I. (Indeed.)