Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals why she struggled to enjoy working as a solo artist as she opens up about industry pressure

Leigh-Anne Pinnock has said that the ‘pressure and expectation’ that came from being in a successful girl band stopped her from ‘enjoying’ her work as a solo artist. 

The former Little Mix star, 33, embarked upon her solo career in 2022 and admitted that she initially felt the weight of ‘impossible’ expectations. 

After joining the group on the X-Factor, the former Pizza Hut waitress went on to have an impressive 19 top-ten singles and five number ones with the band. 

She told Capital XTRA Breakfast on Monday: ‘The pressure is what stopped me enjoying it as much. 

‘Obviously, coming from such a massive group and having the pressure to do just as well as that massive group did is kind of impossible to do overnight. 

‘That took 10 years. It takes work. And also, I’m not doing music like the group did. 

‘Like, I’ve gone down a different route, and I just think those expectations kind of like weighed on me and it was like, “This is just not fun!”‘ 

Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 33, admitted on Monday that the ‘pressure and expectation’ that came from being in a successful girlband stopped her from ‘enjoying’ her work as a solo artist

The former Little Mix star embarked upon her solo career in 2022 and said that she initially felt the weight of ‘impossible’ expectations after the band’s success (pictured with Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson in 2015)

The singer said that as a solo artist, she wanted to make music without feeling like she was under the same kind of pressure she felt in a girl band. 

She said: ‘I’m doing this solo because one, I want to have fun. You know, I deserve to have that without feeling like this horrible pressure on me.’

Little Mix announced in December 2021 that they were going to part ways after finding success on X Factor in 2011. 

The Little Mix star was then quizzed about how she is managing to alleviate the natural pressure she feels coming from an established act by radio hosts Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie.

She admitted that she has had to ‘change’ her way of thinking since Little Mix went on a hiatus in 2021. 

Leigh-Anne stressed that, to her, being successful is being happy and having the ability ‘to make music that I love and I’m proud of.’ 

Compromise, she added, is no longer a priority for her as a soloist and she said she doesn’t want to make music that is ‘a little bit like how I want it to sound’. 

She said: ‘That’s not how I want to do this anymore. So, yeah. It’s just to be fully proud and back and to love what I’m doing. 

‘I really feel I can really say that now with chest.’

Leigh-Anne stressed that, to her, being successful is being happy and having the ability ‘to make music that I love and I’m proud of’

Leigh-Anne was appearing on the breakfast show to promote her new single ‘Been a Minute’. 

Describing her new track as ‘the song of the summer’ to Rolling Stone, she promised that it is so catchy that it is impossible to listen to without wanting to dance. 

She told the outlet: ‘It represents freedom, being fully in control and a sound that I feel needs to be heard and celebrated this summer.’ 

The Little Mix star said she is welcoming in a new era in her music career and is doing everything on her terms and taking more risks. 

She said: ‘[I’m] worrying less about what people think and other people’s expectations of me. We’re coming to disrupt. No more miss nice girl…’