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Little Mix claim their record label told them to ‘FLIRT’ with industry figures

The band have alleged that they were told to "flirt" to get their songs played on the radio

Little Mix have claimed that their record label encouraged them to “flirt” with influential industry figures, to get their music played on the radio in the US.

Ahead of their fifth studio album release on Friday, bandmates Jade Thirlwall, 25, Perrie Edwards, 25, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 27, and Jesy Nelson, 27, have opened up about their experiences in the industry since they shot to fame on The X Factor in 2011.

In one shocking revelation, Jade said, “We went to a radio event in America, full of VIPs. Someone from the label said, ‘Go and flirt with all those important men.’”

“I was like, ‘F*** off. Why have I got to go in and flirt to get my song on the radio?”

 

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Little Mix are signed by Columbia Records in US, but they didn’t specify who asked them to flirt.

Speaking to ASOS magazine, Jade continued: “In the beginning, we were told we shouldn’t be involved in our music videos. One producer told us we shouldn’t be writing, we should just be given songs.”

“We realised we — as women — have to work ten times as hard, which is really bloody annoying cos we do write songs.”

Leigh-Anne added: “We weren’t even going to go through to live shows on X Factor, they didn’t believe a girlband could do it. So, you’re already putting women and girls down. We threw that idea out the window.”

 

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Jesy continued: “When I first started out, I struggled. I never thought I would get over thinking people thought certain things about me. I still get upset when I talk about it.”

“I’ll never get those years back. I was so miserable, I should have been enjoying my f***ing life. This is why we feel so passionate about what we’re saying on this album.

“The more we talk about it, the better it will be for kids growing up. We want people to know they’re not alone.”

 

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Over the weekend, The Sun revealed that the girl band have split from their long-time mentor Simon Cowell and his Syco record label in the UK.

According to an insider, the girls were unhappy at the label, and expressed their concerns in a strongly worded email to Simon – which led to an epic row between him and their management firm Modest.

The music mogul has since cut all ties with the company, and Little Mix have now moved to fellow Sony label RCA.

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