Sometimes, everything just clicks into place. This weekend, on the X Factor, this happened to Little Mix. Taking the winner's crown with their cover of Cannonball - the first time a girl group, let alone a group, had ever done so - they crystallised the hopes and dreams of pop lovers across the nation.
Here, at last, there is the potential for a truly incredible X Factor winner, for Little Mix to take up the Girls Aloud baton and continue the UK's tradition of girl power. Long may they reign supreme!
Even their cover art looks fresh and fun, a far cry from the tired black & white 'safe' shots of past winners. Hearing them take up Damien Rice's classic acoustic number and transform it into an impassioned enormo-ballad, it was clear they were already in another league from runner up Marcus.
I'll be the first to admit I was sceptical about the group during the course of the series, but from the moment they banged out their ace cover of You've Got The Love, I knew they had what it takes.
The styling, spot on. The vocals - well, Perrie showed the whole UK exactly what she's capable of on the group's take on Silent Night. Simply beautiful, truly sublime.
This is the new face of pop, the new force for good. Yes, the winner's single isn't perfect - we all wanted a Sound of the Underground-esque up-tempo banger... but you can't have everything.
What does their cover of Cannonball have going in its favour? Well, on the most basic level, it's a well-rounded, distinctly 'pop' version of the original, erasing all the singer-songwriter trappings of Damien Rice's version. Its best moments are in the gorgeous synth flourishes, crisp R&B beat and echoey piano riffs - as the string sections surge in it all gets a bit Madonna 'Power of Goodbye' - which is a very, very good thing. But above all, it shows how accomplished the group are vocally.
We can only wait and hope that when the girls' career-proper begins, they'll deliver a pop album of genuine merit. Cher Lloyd showed it could be done, I expect even better from Little Mix.
