User:Megan's Wiki/sandbox

Critical reception
Stephen Ackroyd of DIY regarded it as a truimphant comeback, "a magpie's stash of everything that's amazing about modern pop" and a "Now… album playing every track at once, but in perfect harmony." In The Guardian, Michael Cragg wrote that the song "sounds like a compilation of all their best bits", but "also manages to sound fresh, radio-friendly" and "utterly thrilling." Similarly, Douglas Wolk of Pitchfork said "Something New" is "a game approximation of the Girls Aloud of seven years ago," while Hot Press magazine's Celina Murphy called it "a typically sassy addition to the floor-filling fivesome's sensational back catalogue."

Music video
The music video for "Something New" was directed by Ray Kay and filmed in London on 2 October 2012. This was the last day all five members had to appear together in time for the single's release due to Cheryl's A Million Lights Tour rehearsals and Walsh's Strictly Come Dancing training schedule at the time. The shoot went into overtime and Kay could not complete all the planned filming on the day, resulting in Polydor having to fly him from Los Angeles to London for a second time to do a pick-up. Kay signed a confidentiality contract with Polydor regarding the single's release.