"Missing You" is a song by British-Irish girl group The Saturdays, from their debut extended play, Headlines!. Written by Alexander Kronlund and Lukas Hilbert with production from Hilbert and James Reynolds, the song was released as the EP's lead single on 8 August 2010 as a digital download and on 9 August as a CD single. The lyrics centre on being in a relationship where the passion has died, but still being addicted to the love that used to exist. It features an electropop production, incorporating elements of synthpop. The group described the song as "an updated version of their sound" and was fun to record and experiment with. "Missing You" is more out-there than that rest of "Headlines!".
The single received negative reviews from music critics, who criticised the auto-tuned vocals and the song's production, which lacked energy. An accompanying music video features scenes of the group dancing on a beach in Málaga, Spain. It peaked at number six on the Irish Singles Chart and number three on the UK Singles Chart, beaten by Flo Rida's "Club Can't Handle Me" feat. David Guetta and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" feat. Rihanna. It was the second time that the group had lost out to Flo Rida in chart battle although it is their fourth top-ten hit in Ireland and seventh in the UK. The official remix features British grime artist, rapper and songwriter Professor Green.
Composition
"Missing You" is an electropop song incorporating elements of trance and synthpop. It was written by Lukas Hilbert and Alexander Kronlund. According to the group "it's about being in a relationship where the passion has gone – so you're missing that spark. It's quite deep, actually, for a pop song." The critics also agreed, calling the lyrics "surprisingly dark". It has also been described as "experimental" and an "updated version" of their previous sound. The production was described as "pretty" but "limp" as the "melody is traded for a random 'miss, missing you' refrain". Some of the group also make use of Auto-Tune on their vocals, mainly Frankie Sandford, whilst Mollie King uses the natural croak in her voice and Vanessa White's vocals had a nasal tone. White sings lead vocals on the first chorus, Healy sings lead vocals on the second chorus and Wiseman sings lead vocals on the third and final chorus.
Critical reception
"Missing You" received generally negative reviews from music critics. Tony Falls of Virgin Media was highly critical of the song, awarding it zero out of ten. "Never have a group got by with so little a contribution to music, but so big a contribution to rolling back feminist progress. 'Missing You' sounds like an album track. Not something you’d hear as a comeback track that would uplift your lost consciousness about the girls’ disappearance. The idea of shooting the video in Spain for this type of song is a nice choice, but Frankie is overly tanned. Please kill me. A vacuous set of reviews for a vacuous group of girls."
Fraser McAlpine gave the song a mixed review, awarding it three out of five stars. He pointed out that fans of the group would be divided on the song. "Something hidden deep in the song's DNA is engagingly bad, or worryingly good, and it's got everyone's quality alarms jangling like a wind-chime in a hurricane ... [There is a moment of] appreciation for the bit where they sing "begging to get back together" ... It's slow, moody, ponderous, a little bit boring at times, but when it gets to that bit, it's ... the good bit." He also called the song a "grower" Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review saying, "'Missing You' is a post-break-up song with a modishly rave-tinged production... and after a few spins the chorus wiggles into your brain like a tapeworm that missed the turning marked 'digestive tract' ... The charts? Sorted. Your hearts? Well, that's a matter of personal preference of course, but, the odd rocky patch excepted, they've had ours since 'Up'."