Little Mix member Leigh-Anne is forging a solo career after a highly successful 10 years in the group, during which time she and her fellow members became one of the bestselling girl bands of all time. She signed to Warner Records U.K. as a solo artist after meeting with label President Joe Kentish and A&R Director Jerome Porritt. “We were struck by her ambition and how much she wanted to say and achieve with her solo music,” says Porritt. “We’d both been very aware of the insane consistency of hit singles Little Mix had had over the past decade, but it was so compelling hearing her talk about what she wanted for the next chapter.”

During lockdown, Leigh-Anne released a documentary on BBC, Race, Pop & Power, which confronted her experience as the only Black member of Little Mix and explored racism across the music industry. This further solidified the belief of Kentish and Porritt. “We’d both been bowled over by the documentary, so we had an insight into her commitment to social change, as well as her star power and personality,” adds Porritt. “She had everything you’d look for in a pop star and was very clear that it was time for her to make a record that was a true reflection of her musical identity. That’s exactly the kind of artist Warner Records thrives on working with, so it was a really straightforward partnership.”

Leigh-Anne’s star power comes from her multiple talents and clear identity, says Porritt, adding, “She can sing, dance and write songs. She has a clear idea of who she is and what she wants to do with her music.” Ambitions for her are global, and Porritt hopes Leigh-Anne will follow in the footsteps of labelmate Dua Lipa. “We want to establish Leigh-Anne as our next global pop star—she has everything it takes,” he ventures. “We want to be brave and uncompromising with the records we put out and showcase how much of a unique artistic proposition she is.”

STATS

15b+ streams and 72m in sales with Little Mix

11m followers on social media, 60m with Little Mix

2.2m global tickets sold with Little Mix

TEAM

Management: Ed Millett, Maria Lane and Sairah Pinnock, TaP Management

Label: Warner Records U.K.

Live: N/A

Publishing: N/A