The British girl group consisting of Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and formerly Jesy Nelson was first formed on The UK X Factor in 2011. They have since gone on to have an illustrious, over a decade long career and have risen to pop royalty with a versatile discography and consistent message centered around feminism, equality and positivity. The group is easily one of the biggest and most influential girl groups of all time with millions of records sold and numerous records broken. With their upcoming hiatus, it seems a good time to reflect on Little Mix’s career and the legacy they leave behind.
With six studio albums and one compilation album, Little Mix have sold over 65 million records worldwide, have had five number-one singles, broken a sales record previously set by the Spice Girls, and are among the most streamed girl groups on Spotify, second only to Blackpink. They have also won quite the number of awards with multiple European Music Awards, multiple Global Awards, two Japanese Golden Disc Awards and multiple Brit Awards. In fact, the group made history becoming the first female group to win the Brit Award for best group in 2021. During their speech they made sure to call out the culture of the pop industry, stating, “It’s not easy being a female in the UK pop industry. We’ve seen the white male dominance, misogyny, sexism, and lack of diversity.”
The group’s profile as performers is also notable. Little Mix are known for their strong vocals, harmonies and intense choreography. With over 400 shows as of 2020, they have earned over a whopping £11.2 million from touring and performances. A number that is sure to have gone up since the group is currently on their final tour before their hiatus. Their skill on stage is no joke. They serve every time, and every one of their Brit Award performances have been recognized as one of the best of each night.
Little Mix’s impact on pop culture is even more significant than their commercial success. Their hit single “Shoutout To My Ex” almost immediately became THE breakup anthem upon its release in 2016. Their consistent message of body positivity and inclusivity has been featured in multiple songs and music videos, like their song “Strip” off of their 2018 album LM5. Little Mix is also recognized for their advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality. They have featured drag queens in music videos like “Power” and “Confetti,” made their song “Secret Love Song” an anthem for their LGBTQ+ fans and openly called for equal rights, even performing with a pride flag displayed on stage in Dubai where homosexuality is illegal, despite fearing arrest. Jade Thirlwall commented on that performance stating, “I saw so many positive tweets and messages from the community. It made laying in our hotel rooms s**tting ourselves that we’d get arrested that night more than worth it.” With two members of color, the group has also made it a point to speak on race and discrimination within the industry. In 2020, Leigh-Anne Pinnock released a documentary titled Leigh-Anne: Pop, Race & Power documenting her own journey with her identity and activism, and addressed issues of colorism, representation and white-centric beauty standards prevalent in the industry. Throughout their career, Little Mix have emphasized sisterhood and equality in their music and their messaging, which we can all get behind.
After more than a decade together, the group will be taking a hiatus to rest and pursue solo projects. Despite years of mismanagement, misogyny and general lack of opportunity to realize their true global potential, Little Mix have prevailed as pop superstars, girl group royalty and overall examples of women in music. Their vast and versatile discography speaks to their talent as songwriters and musicians, and their shows are a testament to their talent as performers. It is bittersweet to see the era of Little Mix end. I, for one, having been a fan since their first single “Wings,” am not ready to see them branch off. Their music has been a source of comfort and empowerment for me for the past ten years, and it is strange to think there will not be more of it in the near future. But it is this familiarity that allows me to also recognize that they leave quite the legacy. As the Yorkshire Times put it, “If this tour was to be their last performance for the time being then pop music has lost one of its best girl groups leading the gates wide open to fill what will be a huge and duller empty space.”
Little Mix’s last show of the Confetti Tour will be livestreamed globally. Tickets are on sale now!