Five years ago, a girl band was formed.
Formed when girl groups had waned from the public eye for some couple years. You had your fabulous female solo artists, your boy bands, but no female entourage.
We’re not sure if it was the world saying, “Well, we don’t really care for girl groups or girl bands, so it’s okay”, or “Girl groups, nah, we’ve had plenty anyway”. Whatever the case, the creation of Little Mix came at such a prized time – not only for the music industry, but for many young girls and boys who craved a new pop sensation and a relatable idol.
While many may not know that the girl group came about from a reality TV competition called the X-Factor, many may also not know that these four girls had never met beforehand. Despite each girl having a unique tone to their voice, they weren’t destined to make it as solo pop acts.
Former Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland, however had a different plan set for singers Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall. She led the way to have the four girls do a group effort, and blossom into a well formed girl group.
Photo by Mark Allan/BBC
With a split last minute decision, the girls agreed to take on the girl group route and thus a new band was formed. Luckily for Rowland and Little Mix, the outcome became the best decision of their lives.
16 million records sold later, and this girl group have literally taken over the world with pop classics such as ‘Wings’, ‘Move’ and ‘Black Magic’, all of which have received universal acclaim from music critics around the world. Rolling Stone, Digital Spy, you name it.
But what made this girl group catapult onto greater success? Was it their personalities, the mainstream factor to their music, their attitude? Interestingly enough, it’s a combined wheel of passion, humbleness and hard work (don’t forget to include TALENT into the mix).
Media outlets proclaimed them the new Spice Girls, put also pointed out the fact that no other girl group has had so much success worldwide since The Pussycat Dolls, back in 2008. And if you want to talk from the U.K., that’s a whopping decade later as the Spice Girls’ last studio album was released in 2000.
Another pinpointed fact is their vocal abilities, which has sought many people worldwide to become instant fans. After the release of their sophomore studio album, Salute, many lot were introduced to a more mature girl group. A modern day En Vogue had been created.
Another more incredible factor for their success, is the obvious entanglement of female comradery – friendship. Something that past groups, such as Destiny’s Child and the Spice Girls, have said is an important factor for success in any group, band, etc.
If there’s anything else to add, it would be definitely be all the amount of success they’ve had. This includes countries like the United States, where popularity can take months, even years, for an artist to acclaim. It’s also a place where popularity can vanish in an instant. But, it’s the girl groups strongest desire to fully crack the U.S market and receive a Grammy nomination in the future. It also includes performing at Madison Square Garden, a musical stadium haven where many dream of performing.
Below is just some of the great successes this girl group have accomplished so far.
1) They’re the only girl group this decade to have three top 15 studio albums on the Billboard 200 chart.
2) As of November 2015, Little Mix are the only girl group from the UK to have their first three albums debut in the top fifteen of the Billboard 200.
3) Their debut album, DNA, became the highest charting debut album for a U.K girl group on the Billboard 200 chart (#4).
4) The most single certified girl group in Australia.
5) The only girl group this decade to have three consecutive platinum certified albums worldwide.
6) First female group act of the 2010 decade to be nominated for a BRIT award.
7) The quartet’s Get Weird Tour is the biggest selling girl group tour of the decade and is expected to be one of the biggest girl group tours in history following Destiny’s Child and the Spice Girls’ respective tours.
8) Little Mix are the only U.K. girl group to receive TWO GOLD RIAA certifications from the U.S. since the Spice Girls did back in the late 90’s – that’s more than a DECADE later!
9) Their single ‘Black Magic’ is the longest charting single by a U.K. girl group in the history of the U.K. charts as well as the SECOND longest charting single overall by a girl group – just behind the PCD’s ‘Don’t Cha’.
Need we say more?
Happy five years, Little Mix!
For more exclusive interview, chart news, etc, sign up for our newsletter! You can also follow us on our social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @CelebMix.
Photo Credit: Instagram | @hotlinejesy