WORTH A LOOK?: ****

Little Mix were a trio when they played their last gig at London’s The 02 on 14 May 2022 and Leigh-Anne is the 1st of the remaining 3 to release a single.

• Read on for reasons including how Don’t Say Love compares to former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson’s solo singles

Leigh-Anne Pinnock co-wrote Don’t Say Love and it is a plea to a lover not to lead someone on by saying they love them when they don’t mean it.

The vibe is garage but the tempo is up and there’s a carefree summer feel to the tune which gives like it’s strong enough to stick around in the charts for months rather than weeks such is the seasonal strength in its legs.

Who can’t empathise with the chorus of: ‘Don’t Say Love if that’s not what you’re chasin’, Empty lies, empty words, entertainment, Don’t Say Love because you can say it, I need, I need, I need, I just need somethin’ that’s real.’

We reviewed Little Mix live twice at The 02 in London in 2016 and 2019. In 2016 we said: ‘Where next for Little Mix? Perhaps that’s a question best asked at a later date. At the moment they look like being Britain’s most popular arena act of 2016. Quite a feat for anyone, let alone former winners of TV’s X Factor. That they do it seemingly so effortlessly and with such great material means they could be filling arenas like this for years to come.’

In 2019 we said: ‘Little Mix’s brand of female empowerment and embracing of activism for change sees them continuing to attract a very young audience and they’re saying the sorts of things (particularly on gay and mental health issues) which make them exactly the sort of girl band we wish we had while growing up.’

Leigh-Anne may be the 1st remaining member of Little Mix to release new material but we foresee both Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards doing so and soon.

We liked former member’s Jesy Nelson’s last single, the co-write and very Billie Eilish Bad Thing, which was better than her debut Boyz featuring Nicki Minaj which made number 4.

It’s always fascinating when successful bands break up especially to see who favours what type of music and who fares best.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy Leigh-Anne Tickets
• Have you seen a show or heard a song by Little Mix or Leigh-Anne? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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