Leigh-Anne Exudes a ‘Newfound Confidence’ on First Solo Single Since Little Mix’s Hiatus

Just call her Leigh-Anne! The musician — and former member of girl group Little Mix — released her first-ever solo single on Friday, “Don’t Say Love,” an upbeat dance-pop track written about “wanting to be loved wholeheartedly.”

“It’s about not needing to seek external validation and wanting something real,” she tells Rolling Stone. “I really wanted to express the pain and frustration that came with feeling invisible and unheard for so much of my career.”

She adds, “It’s been a healing process. I can [now] close the door to this time of my life, move on, and really own this newfound confidence.”

The track is the first taste of music from Leigh-Anne’s solo music career after Little Mix — which she last comprised with Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall — announced in December 2021 and concluded their farewell Confetti tour in May.

“Although I am nervous to do this journey alone and sometimes wish I had the girls’ hands to hold through it, I know they are on the other side of the phone,” she says of her group. “They have my back, they want me to win. As I do them. We are genuinely sisters for life.”

Her new music will take on the musical influences of her upbringing, including R&B afrobeats, garage, and reggae. “I’m also excited to continue to inspire people through my music and uplift them!” she says. “That’s the most important thing for me.”

With the solo music, she also decided to shave off her last name from her stage name since that “sounds a little formal,” she says. “LOL I think Leigh-Anne packs a punch!”

Little Mix last released their compilation album Between Us in 2021 featuring a handful of new songs, following their last album with member Jesy Nelson in 2020, Confetti. (Nelson left the group early and has dropped two singles since her departure.)

From Rolling Stone US.