Little Mix v Rizzle Kicks Pop Slam!

Two of the biggest pop stars in the universe

are about to go into battle.

The popalicious Little Mix versus the super cool Rizzle Kicks.

There can only be one winner so stay right here.

I'm Amberley Lobo and this is Pop Slam!

Going head-to-head we've got...

..the ladies of Little Mix.

Perrie, Jesy, Leigh-Anne and Jade.

They are the pop sensation who will totally make you want to move.

# So when we move You move... #

But how will they fare going against...

# Mamma do the hump Mamma do the hump, hump... #

..Rizzle Kicks?

They are the uber cool duo made up of Jordan and Harley.

These guys are so hot, they're practically on fire.

# Mamma do the hump Mamma do the hump, hump

# Mamma won't you please let me do the hump, hump... #

This Pop Slam is going to be off the hook!

So whose team are you on? Team Little Mix or team Rizzle Kicks?

I'll be hitting the road to find out everything there is to know

about their superstar lives to see who deserves

to win the coolest prize in pop - the Ambo.

There's only one way to win the Ambo,

and that's by gaining as many of my Ambo points as possible.

I'll be dishing them out over three slamming rounds of poposity

where I meet the people who knew the stars back in the day...

..then I check out how hard they've been working...

..and, finally, I scrutinise their style.

All before the big moment.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

Now, you might not agree with the outcome and, if not, that's OK.

Get onto the CBBC website and have your say.

Who do you think's going to win?

Little Mix, look at them. They're so cool.

Their hair's pretty, their shoes are pretty. So jealous.

But then the Rizzle Kicks, I mean, they're so cute

and they look like they have so much fun.

Well, there's only one way to solve it. It's time for Pop Slam!

Round One, Pop Potential.

This is all about how our stars made it big.

# Let's get down with the trumpets Let's get down with the trumpets... #

Nowadays the boys from Rizzle Kicks

are riding sky-high on their hip-hop pop success.

But before all that, Jordan and Harley were right here, in Brighton.

# Mamma told me not to waste my life...#

Today Little Mix are one of the biggest girl bands in the world

but, before that, they were four normal girls

growing up across England who dreamt of being singing superstars.

# Cos wings are made to fly... #

How did Little Mix and Rizzle Kicks become the supercool megastars

they are today? I'm going to find out.

First up, Little Mix.

# These wings are made to fly... #

# Change, change your life Take it all... #

We all know X Factor brought Little Mix together

and it's pretty hard to believe the girls

with so much chemistry had never met before.

# Change, change your life Take it all... #

These girls were born stars.

Leigh-Anne and Jesy grew up in the south of England

and both briefly went

to the world-famous Sylvia Young School in London.

Perrie was also studying performing arts at Newcastle College.

Which brings us to Jade who, like Perrie,

grew up in the north-east of England.

# So remember we were driving, driving in your car

# Speed so fast felt like I was drunk... #

Here she is before she was famous singing with her friend, Tom.

# Arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder

# And I had a feeling that I belonged... #

I tracked down Tom in South Shields whilst he was busking.

Well, if it's good enough for Jade...

'I want goss so he's going to get an interruption.'

# You need me, man, I don't need you

# You need me, man, I don't need you You need me, man... #

-I'm just going to stop you there. Keen for a chat?

-Yeah.

OK. Tom, loved it. So much fun.

-I understand you actually used to play with Jade?

-I did, yeah.

For a little bit, yeah.

# I remember we were driving... #

So how does it feel to know someone you've performed with,

one of your really good friends,

has gone on to become this massive megastar?

Can't believe it. Honestly, can't believe it.

All the time we used to sing she was amazing

but I never thought she would ever get this big, to be honest.

She's still really down-to-earth. She's still just a friend, really.

She's still exactly how she was but a lot more people know her.

Did she have a big stage presence when she was performing with you?

She was always quite shy, really.

She always just kind of kept herself to herself

but now she's just let herself go.

# Tell her to speak up Tell her to shout out... #

So Jade was strutting her stuff at gigs in the north-east.

And Leigh-Anne, Perrie and Jesy

were trying to break into the music industry.

So it was no surprise that in 2011 they all decided to audition

for the biggest show on TV, the X Factor.

I don't know if you remember

but all four girls wanted to be solo singers.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

They were not chosen to go beyond Boot Camp as individuals.

But they were given a lifeline

and put together to form a four-piece girl group.

# I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket... #

I met them in Mykonos in the judges' homes

when they'd just been put together.

They were so shy, they were really, really nervous.

# And big girls don't cry. #

Watching them progress from what they were like at the judges' homes

to what they were like by the end of the show was amazing.

It was, like, the kind of confidence and strength that they found

throughout the show was so great to see.

It was like a completely different act by the final.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

On December 11th, 2011,

Little Mix won the X Factor.

# What's it going to be... #

They were the first group ever to win the competition.

I'm going to predict, this time next year,

this is going to be the biggest girl band in the UK by a mile.

Have three Ambo points for winning the biggest competition on TV.

# Stones taught me to fly... #

Their winners single was a cover of Damien Rice's Cannonball,

and it went straight in at number one in the charts,

becoming the fastest selling single of 2011.

That's an awesome achievement. Have another three Ambo points.

# When you know that you just don't know... #

That must have been a life-changing moment for the four girls

but while they were just getting to know each other,

our next act had been friends for years.

# I can remember that when I was a little youth

# I wanted to fly around the world making a new life... #

Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule

both lived on the south coast of England in Brighton.

# Back when I was younger

# I wanted to be everything on the planet... #

Before they hit the big time they were two young boys

who were both developing a love for music, particularly hip-hop.

# When I was a youngster...

It's at this place that Jordan and Harley met, AudioActive.

If you're an upcoming pop star, this place is amazing.

It's sort of like a youth club.

You can sing, dance, beatbox, rap,

which is exactly what I'm going to do.

We bring it from the darkness

And we tackle the board like we're using magic markers...

One of the guys who teaches rap here is Tom.

He taught Jordan and Harley how to rap back in the day

and I've caught up with him to get the lowdown on the boys.

What was your first impression when he saw the boys in the classroom?

I can always remember Jordan as being quite hyperactive

and very noticeable in the room.

He was always either arguing or making jokes

and he wasn't quiet. That's for sure.

Did he just have a big mouth on him?

Very much so, yes. Yes. He was very hyperactive.

# When I was a youngster, youngster When I was a youngster... #

Harley was a bit quieter in those days.

He was always the cooler one, to be honest.

Harley used to rap a lot more than, which might surprise some people.

He used to be kind of a grime MC and be bang into it.

# Stuck in your pocket in your feathers while you sleep... #

How do you reckon AudioActive helped shape what they've become today?

We always really push them to be themselves

and they kind of made their subject matter very personal and fun,

and just stuck to their true personalities.

I think that's what AudioActive always tries to push.

People have always got their unique angle,

it's just trying to pull it out of them, really,

not try to be something but just being themselves and projecting that.

# Stood in the woodlands gonna set fire to the trees, who wouldn't? #

Tom, I'm going to cut to the chase. I want in.

I heard there's a class on today. Is there room for one more?

-Drop in, everyone's welcome. Yeah, get involved.

-Let's get involved.

Get out there, let's go.

'I've gate-crashed a rap class with wannabe rappers Harry and Blake.

'This is what Jordan and Harley would've done back in the day.'

Yo, so sunshine don't compare on darkness

Rain can go away on the British days

That we say are a different day from yesterday...

I don't like darkness, it's not my vibe

I'm all about rain, that's why I go outside...

'Yeah, I might not be destined to become a rap star

'but it was a different story when Jordan and Harley were here.

'They clearly had real musical talent.'

# I said I'm living in a lost generation... #

Have two Ambo points for rapping from a young age.

# I've got my heart I found my soul... #

When the boys turned 16 they got a spot in the fametastic Brit School,

where the likes of Adele, Jessie J and Leona Lewis attended.

They were bound for success, right?

Well, not quite.

Jordan got a job flipping burgers

and Harley went back to school right here to work teaching drama.

'And I'm going to get the low-down

'from some actual kids that Harley used to teach.'

# Check the rhyme and rhythm It's nice and different

# Plus it's bright and brilliant Kind of how I like my women... #

Guys, I am so jealous.

-Harley was your teacher. What was he like?

-He was really funny.

-Was he funny?

-Yeah, he was. Quite a funny sense of humour.

In what way? Was he busting out jokes?

Was he just getting involved with everyone?

He was a lot like he is as you see him on TV.

No disappointments there. He's just really helpful.

He'd help you if you needed help and he'd always make it fun.

What is the kind of things he'd do with you guys in class?

Well, like a lot of the games we're doing now, that kind of stuff.

Directing pieces that we would be working on.

Anything that you do in drama, he would just help you with it.

Wow, I wish Harry had been a teacher at my school.

That's way cool!

# Let's skip to the good bit... #

Alongside their jobs,

Jordan and Harley were both concentrating on their music

and decided to join forces to form Rizzle Kicks.

# Yes, Rizzle Kicks, dagnabbit. #

They used to rap over existing tracks by people like Lily Allen

and the Arctic Monkeys and then post them online.

Jordan and Harley attracted the attention of record labels

and, in November 2010, they signed with Universal Records

and this song hit the big time.

# Yeah, yeah, get down with the trumpets... #

# Let's get down with the trumpets

# Yeah, yeah, let's get down with trumpets

# Yeah, yeah, let's get down with trumpets... #

With this track, Down With The Trumpets,

Rizzle Kicks had exploded onto the UK music scene.

And they were like nothing else around at the time.

They were here to stay.

Have three Ambo points for finally making it to the big time.

So, let's have a look at the scores after Round One.

Both Little Minx and Rizzle Kicks have some great musical talent

but Little Mix having the fastest selling single

of 2011 have put them one point ahead.

If you don't agree with the result, that's OK.

Hop online to the CBBC website and have your say.

Now that we know how our stars made it,

let's check out how hard they've been working since then.

It's time for Round Two.

Round two, Pop Success.

This is all about what our stars have been up to

to make sure they stay at the top of the charts.

First up, Little Mix.

# Ain't got no time for what you think can be described as love... #

We all know just because you win a music talent show doesn't

necessarily mean you're going to make it big in the music industry,

but that's definitely not the case for Little Mix.

Not only have they dominated the UK

but they've also made it big right here in the USA.

They're the first British girl group to break the American top five

with their debut album, DNA.

And for it British girl group to crack America is no mean feat.

It takes a lot of hard work.

What you have to do with America is you have to go over there

and you have to spend time there.

They've travelled around, gone to all the radio stations over America.

They spent months there promoting themselves.

But to see the album go to number one,

I mean, the girls were just overwhelmed by that. It was amazing.

Making it big in the USA just shows how talented

and hard-working our Little Mix are.

Take three all-American Ambo points for that one.

But despite all the success, it's not always glam for the girls.

Sometimes Perrie and Jade drive back up to the north-east together

on the weekend to visit their families. Sounds fun, right?

Well, it's not always plain sailing.

The story goes that, on one such weekend,

something really funny went down

and, of course, there's no video footage

but I can help us out with that.

"Oh, Per, I'm having so much fun

"just driving around with you on the weekend, pet.

"She's asleep. We need more petrol. Perfect, petrol station.

"While she's asleep I might go and grab some choccies

"then I won't even have to share them with her. OK."

"Oh, fuel station. I'm busting.

"I might quickly go to the toilet."

"Hey, Per, I got some... Oh, she's asleep in the back.

"I don't want to wake her up.

"I'll just eat them and drive really quietly."

"That feels so much better after going to the toilet.

"Jade? Jade?

"Aaah!"

And it gets worse.

Apparently Jade took three hours

to realise Perrie wasn't in the back seat,

so she was stranded at the fuel station for six hours.

I can't believe they're still talking to each other.

I'm not quite sure that's how it happened but it's a good story.

However, ditching your friend at a service station is not cool, Jade.

I'm going to take off one Ambo point, just because I can.

# Better watch it, Rizzle Kicks, ha

What! I'm last on the heaven list

# Cos I couldn't give a rass what angelic is... #

Jordan and Harley have been working pretty hard

since they hit the big time.

They write all their songs and it wasn't long

before they were in high demand from the pop glitterati.

In fact, their first UK number one was when they featured

on Olly Murs' hit summer single, # Heart skips, skips a beat. #

# So come on spin me around now

# I don't want to go home... #

That's right. It was August 2011

and the Rizzle Kicks' collaboration with Olly Murs

shot straight in to the number one spot in the charts.

# And when you hold me like this,

# That's when my heart skips, skips a beat... #

The collaboration with Olly Murs was a real risk for both parties

but I think it really paid off.

I think a lot of Olly Murs's audience got exposed to Rizzle Kicks

and saw how good those guys are,

so they gained more of a fan base from that.

Similarly, I think there were a few Rizzle Kicks fans who said,

"You know what, he's actually quite a good singer.

"Let me go and see what else he might have."

# So spin me around now I don't want to go home... #

I love that summer tune.

Have a couple of Ambo points for some excellent collaborating

and chart-topping action.

It's not just Rizzle Kicks who are throwing out some awesome tracks.

Early in 2014 Little Mix released the official song

for their charity Sport Relief, called Word Up.

# Word up Everybody say

# When you hear the call you've got to get it under way... #

When Sport Relief approached the girls about doing

a song for the charity, the girls were totally made up.

That is what they... They really wanted to do it.

They flew over and saw a Sport Relief project,

which they said was an amazing experience for them,

and you can see how emotional it was for them.

That's why they became so passionate about wanting

to do the Sport Relief single and make it as successful

and make as much money for the charity as they possibly could.

You can have three Ambo points for singing for such a good cause

and another Ambo point for releasing another top tune.

But when it comes to top tunes...

..Rizzle Kicks have got some killer tracks.

The best thing about Rizzle Kicks songs is that it's them.

You know, it's their thoughts, their feelings.

They're not afraid to say anything slightly controversial.

# Jeremy Kyle got the nation laughing at other people's expense

# Somebody tell that guy that we hate him, too

# We are not his friends... #

They're just willing to be themselves.

They're an amalgamation of all their influences,

which is perfect because they really represent modern Britain.

# Hashtag trend

# Oi, big brother's in the house now, yeah... #

They've got so much energy. When you hear one of their songs,

you just want to get up and dance along to it.

# I wanna dance, I wanna have fun

# Let me feel the music, yeah

# I hope you realise how dumb you sound

# When you call us stupid... #

It's infectious, it's happy, it's cool.

They're really, really talented guys

and their music just makes everybody smile.

# I want you to feel useless, baby

# That's right, every bad boy should... #

But it's not just their music that's making people smile.

They also invented their own dance for their song Mama Do the Hump,

and it went viral.

# Mama, do the hump # Mama, do the hump hump

# Mama, won't you please let me do the hump hump?

# Mama, do the hump, Mama, do the hump hump

# Mama, won't you please let me do the hump hump? #

Not only was it a massive track,

getting nearly 13 million hits on YouTube,

but the dance move was such a hit

that people up and down the country were busting their humps.

# Yo, it's been a long week

# How I've got this much energy is beyond me

# I just want all of these girls to be on me

# And maybe even one of them could be Beyonce... #

Some people can do the hump better than others,

but you can't beat a bit of a boogie.

Have three Ambo points for creating a killer dance.

# Mama, do the hump Mama, do the hump hump

# Mama, won't you please let me do the hump hump? #

But the points don't stop there.

They filmed this video at Jordan's auntie's house.

# Yo, coming in with the sound fresher than cut grass

# Fun starts

# Second that we enter if you must ask... #

And that's his mum lip-syncing the words to the song.

That is one awesome idea for a music video, boys.

Have two Ambo points

for keeping it in the family.

# Ain't over till a fat boy slims, Mama... #

So, how has all this awesomeness affected their sales?

# Do the hump. #

# It's in his DNA

# D-D-D-DNA... #

Well, Little Mix have racked up

around 2.7 million record sales.

That's pretty good!

Take an Ambo point for that.

But, Rizzle Kicks have sold

around 3 million records.

It's close, but Rizzle Kicks have just got the edge.

That's two Ambo points to them.

# That I can do nothing

# But to despise you, girl... #

Let's have a look at the scores.

Both acts have had some stomping success,

but Rizzle Kicks are just in the lead

at the end of Round Two.

If you've got something to say about this,

then get on that CBBC website.

Well, it's all to play for

going into the final round.

We've seen our stars' pop potential and how hard they've worked at it.

But, now that they've reached the dizzy heights of superstardom,

let's see how glamorously outrageous they've become.

Round Three, what you got?

Round Three, Pop Style.

This is all about our celebrities' lives - clothes, cars,

pets or whatever else they splash their cash on.

It must be amazing to be a pop star.

You get people who are paid to make you look good.

And, in my mind, no-one looks better than Little Mix.

# Mama told me not to waste my life

# She said spread your wings, my little butterfly... #

Little Mix have a phenomenal style,

but it doesn't happen by accident.

No! To find out how they rock their look,

I'm going to chat to X Factor stylist Frank Strachan.

Now, Frank, Little Mix were four individual girls

and then they got put together on X Factor.

How does that work in terms of style?

I think, with any band that comes into X Factor,

they've got a bit of a style already.

But, with Little Mix, they got put together for the show.

So I think, as a viewer, it was really interesting to seeing how

they developed across the series, because you could really see

a band beginning to form and making sense.

And their style really helped to do that.

# She said spread your wings my little butterfly... #

How much of being in a band is being allowed to be yourself

and wearing what you want to wear, or going with the band image?

I always think it is important to look like

-you're going to the same party.

-That's a good way to look at it.

So someone shouldn't be overly dressed up.

Someone shouldn't look too casual.

But it doesn't have to be, you know,

everyone in pink or everyone in black and white.

It's quite nice, usually, if there's a bit more personality.

# These wings are made to fly... #

With Little Mix, you can associate with different members of the band.

I think that helps to create more of their magic

if one of them is slightly more sporty

or one of them dresses a little bit more elegantly.

It means that the audience can associate

and dress like the different girls, rather than thinking,

"Oh, they're not a band for me,

"because I wouldn't dress like that."

Because there is probably somebody in the band that would.

# No matter what you say, it won't hurt me... #

Sound's amazing, I am ready to go get my Little Mix on.

Come here, bring it in.

# These wings are made to fly... #

Hands down, Little Mix have totally nailed some awesome fashion sense.

Have four Ambo points

for a trendsetting style.

# Don't matter if I fall from the sky

# These wings are made to fly. #

# Stop with the chit chit Stop with the chatter

# RK come through to deal with the matter... #

And, I think it's fair to say, that when it comes to Rizzle Kicks,

they have a slightly more laid-back approach to fashion.

# Then punch the air

# We got a bag of ideas never unprepared

-# To just stop with the chit chit

-# Stop with the chit chit

# Stop with the chit chit chatter... #

Rizzle Kicks never look like they've been styled.

They look like they've crawled out of bed most of the time.

Really helps their image.

They do seem that they're quite headstrong

and you have no doubt that they know what they want to wear,

as well, and nobody is telling them what to do.

And I think that is incredibly appealing.

I imagine them, like, that's how they went to school,

or hung out after school or college, when making their music.

-They're skater boy kind of like fashion.

-Yeah.

-A little bit like Pharrell.

-Yeah.

-But not as much money.

-Not as rich.

-Yeah, and without the hat.

Playing it cool, guys!

You can take two Ambo points for that totally laid-back look.

And it's not just fashion they're chilled out about.

It's also their choice in beverages.

Rizzle Kicks are one of the hottest groups in the UK.

So what do they like to drink? Orange juice, coconut water,

green superfood smoothies, maybe a chai latte? Apparently not.

They love nothing more than a good old-fashioned cup of tea!

It's not very showbiz.

But word on the street is that Jordan and Harley

go wild for a cup of the good stuff.

You and me both, boys. I love tea.

Have another Ambo point for keeping it real.

Little Mix on the other hand are going for a slightly more

serious style with some off-the-hook animal impersonations.

You might've seen this clip online

but Perrie does a hilarious impression of a goat.

Let's check it out.

SHE MIMICS A GOAT

Thank you!

Have two "goatally" amazing

Ambo points for a pretty strange hidden talent.

And this little bit of weirdness takes us to the end of Round Three.

We're at the end of Pop Slam and it's been heaps of fun.

But we've still got this bad boy to give away.

So who has won the Ambo?

Will it be the Rizzle Kicks or Little Mix?

Ohhhh! Let's look back at what we've learned.

What a Pop Slam it's been.

Little Mix and Rizzle Kicks have proved themselves to be

totally awesome but very different popstars,

both having huge success and super cool style.

It really is anyone's game.

Well, ladies and gentlemen,

it's the moment we've all been waiting for.

The points have been counted and independently verified. By me.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

It's Little Mix! Sorry, guys.

Girls, get in here. I am so proud of you!

Let's take a look at some more of you in action.

# Let me hear you say it

# Ladies all across the world

# Listen up, we're looking for recruits

# If you're with me, let me see your hands... #

Hey, Jade, it's Amber. I'm just going to try a five-way call

between you me and the girls. Two secs.

OK, you still there?

Oooh...

Hey, is that...?

RAPID SQUEAKING

Yeah, hold on. I'll call you back, one second.

Is that Perrie?

No, that's still Jade.

One sec. I have amazing news, I promise.

-Hold on the line, it's worth it!

-RAPID SQUEAKING

Hello?

Ahhhhh! There you go.

# Representing all the women, salute, salute! #