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British Artist, Leigh-Anne Pinnock On Colourism Finding Freedom And Reuniting Girl Group, Little Mix

"There was a time when pop stars weren't really allowed to say anything."
A person with curly hair lounges on a bed in pink attire and heels, set against a warm, softly lit bedroom.

British quartet Little Mix were assembled on the UKโ€™s X Factor in 2011, transcending their TV origins to sell over 60 million records worldwide, three million concert tickets and over 15 billion streams on Spotify.

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In classic girl band fashion, one member jettisoned themselves โ€“ Jesy Nelson โ€“ in 2020. They continued on as a three piece before announcing a hiatus โ€“ not a split โ€“ in 2022, leading to solo careers.

Now Leigh-Anne Pinnock is tapping into her R&B roots with her latest release, an EP No Hard Feelings.

โ€œI wanted to follow my heart and bring something you wouldnโ€™t have seen in Little Mix. Something new. Iโ€™ve found my freedom, I feel thereโ€™s no rules.โ€

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Pinnock is leaning into her Barbadian and Jamaican heritage, as well as discussing her long-distance relationship with husband Andre Gray. The footballer plays in the Saudi Pro league, while she remains in London raising their twin girls, who were born in August 2021.

โ€œI canโ€™t be a workaholic anymore. They need a lot of my energy. Thereโ€™s never the perfect amount of balance, but Iโ€™m happiest Iโ€™ve ever been, they have literally made my world.โ€

In 2021, Pinnock mixed pop and politics on the award-winning BBC documentary Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power.

She revealed the colourism she experienced from the music industry as a mixed-race woman. Last year her memoir Believe aimed to empower women, revealing in her youth sheโ€™d almost got a nose job.

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โ€œThank God I didnโ€™t, I love my nose. But when youโ€™re younger and in a girl group, youโ€™re comparing yourself to others and thinking you have to look a certain way. You donโ€™t have to live by European beauty standards, everyone is different and unique.

โ€œHaving such a huge white audience puts me in a position to educate. If I wasnโ€™t using my platform for that I donโ€™t think Iโ€™d be fulfilling a purpose. There was a time when pop stars werenโ€™t really allowed to say anything. Itโ€™d be a case of โ€˜Yeah youโ€™re in a girl band, what do you know?โ€™ Actually, no, weโ€™re intelligent and we do have an opinion and what we say can travel and influence people and inspire young girls coming up, so itโ€™s important.โ€

(From left) Jessica Louise Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Louise Edwards and Jade Amelia Thirlwall performing in British band Little Mix. (Image: Getty).

While Leigh-Anne has an album planned โ€“ along with solo releases by bandmates Perrie and Jade Thirwell, the Little Mix hiatus wonโ€™t be permanent.

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โ€œI love the friendships in our group but it was the right time, we couldnโ€™t go on any longer without exploring our own things. Weโ€™ve left on a high, weโ€™re sisters and we always will be, so I can definitely see a (reunion) on the horizon, how can we not? But not just yet.โ€

No Hard Feelings EP is out now.

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