In a heartfelt interview on Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie, Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals the emotional weight she carried stepping into her solo career after over a decade with Little Mix. Now promoting her latest comeback single, the singer shared how changing her mindset helped her rediscover the joy of making music.
Finding Joy in the Process Again
Speaking openly with hosts Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie, Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals that the early stages of her solo journey weren’t as fulfilling as she had hoped. The transition from being part of one of the UK’s most successful girl groups to standing alone as a solo artist came with immense pressure.
RB: “Are you enjoying the process at the moment?”
LAP: “Yes.”
RB: “And when was the last time you enjoyed the process?”
LAP: “Good question. I think 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. You know, that took 10 years. It takes work.”
She went on to explain how the expectations placed on her solo work weighed her down:
LAP: “Also, I’m not doing music like the group did. 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!’ Like, ‘This is not how it should feel.’”
A Shift in Perspective
After spending 12 years with Little Mix, Leigh-Anne reflected on the mental and emotional toll the constant pressure had taken on her. While she cherishes the memories and accomplishments with the group, she’s now determined to define success on her own terms.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals, “Obviously, the best experience of my life – we worked so hard and did so much – but I don’t need to have that pressure on me anymore. 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.”
She credits her current happiness and confidence to a simple but powerful shift: changing how she thinks.
SM: “How did you alleviate the pressure?”
LAP: “I had to change my way of thinking. Even like that question, ‘What does success mean to you?’ Like, success to me is genuinely to be happy. I want to be happy. Of course everyone wants to be happy, that’s the number one thing.”
No More Compromising
Leigh-Anne also touched on a new commitment she’s made to herself: no more compromising on her sound or vision just to meet other people’s expectations.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals, “Just to make music that I love and I’m proud of. That idea of compromise, ‘Oh, it’s a little bit like how I want it to sound,’ but then, ‘I’ve compromised a little bit because this person has this opinion on it and thinks it should sound like this.’ That’s not how I want to do this anymore.”
With newfound clarity and confidence, she proudly declared:
LAP: “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.”
Moving Forward on Her Own Terms
This new chapter for Leigh-Anne is one of freedom, happiness, and authenticity. She’s no longer trying to live up to the towering legacy of Little Mix but is instead carving out a space that’s all her own. And if this interview is any indication, she’s finally enjoying the ride.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals that this time, it’s about joy, not pressure—and she’s not looking back.
