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Formed in 2007, JLS rose to fame as runners-up on The X Factor in 2008. Despite not winning, they achieved remarkable success with five UK number-one singles and six top-ten albums. Their debut single ‘Beat Again’, released in 2009, topped the UK Singles Chart and remains their best-selling track. Following a hiatus in 2013, JLS reunited for the ‘Beat Again’ tour in 2021 and continued with the ‘Everybody Say JLS: The Hits’ tour in 2023. Their upcoming 2025 tour marks their third in five years, underscoring their enduring popularity. Fans eagerly anticipate the chance to relive the band’s chart-topping hits live on stage. With a history of energetic performances and a string of beloved songs, ‘The Club Is Alive: 2025 Hits’ tour promises to be a highlight for concertgoers this autumn.

Seeing JLS again in November for the first time since 2010 omg
— RACH (@rachelisabel_1) March 26, 2025

The special guest Example is a British singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer known for his fusion of electronic, hip-hop, and dance music. He gained prominence in the late 2000s and early 2010s with a string of UK chart hits. His most popular track in the UK is ‘Changed the Way You Kiss Me’, which reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart in 2011.
The tour kicks off on November 6 at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro and concludes with two nights at London’s O2 Arena on November 28 and 29. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, March 28, at 10 am. For further updates and pre-sale tickets, visit the band’s official website.

After making her debut last July with ‘Angel of My Dreams’, which focuses on Jade’s love-hate relationship with the industry, the singer likens her new single ‘IT Girl’ as “’Angel of My Dreams’’ c**ty little sister”. The upcoming electro-pop tune is another nod to Jade’s experience in the industry, especially surrounding all the judgement and critiques that have shaped her artistry.

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She revealed: “There’s still so much that people don’t know as me, so I was eager to surprise people, poke the bear a bit… I did feel anxious about pissing people off or any sort of backlash, but I have to write about what my experiences are – I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It is, you know, my reality”.

As the ‘Angel of My Dreams’ singer continues to cement her artistry as a soloist, it is evident she plans to establish herself as the next ‘IT girl’ of experimental pop. Thus far, listeners have encountered Jade’s creation of club anthems with ‘Angel of My Dreams’ and ‘Midnight Cowboy’ alongside ‘Fantasy’ a track with the funk and composition which feels reminiscent of Diana Ross and Donna Summer during their high.

Jade’s ongoing openness surrounding her rise to fame and relationship with the industry is considerably admirable. From having to develop such thick skin from a young age, Jade recalls after 14 years in the industry: “I don’t mind piping up or clapping back at people.”

This openness expands to her honesty on her bittersweet experience on the music-reality show The X Factor in 2011, which aired its final episode back in 2018. When delving into her emotions on the experience, she emphasised: “I don’t know anyone that’s come from that show and not had some sort of mental health issue on the back of it.”

She continued: “but also, even now, personally I’m conflicted criticising [it], because it changed my life. I was from a very normal working-class family up north, I had tried sending demos in to labels, I’d gigged all over, I was doing everything I could to make it, and I needed a show like that to give me a chance”.

When discussing her career regrets and what she would be doing differently as a soloist, Jade mentioned not speaking up about her heritage sooner. Prior to moving to London, her quarter Yemeni and quarter Egyptian heritage was never brought up, due to the big Arabic community in South Shields.

She recalls: “When I got put in the band and moved to London, all of a sudden everyone was asking where I was from… No one had really asked me that before, because people in my hometown just knew, so the idea of being racially ambiguous or white-passing was new to me. I thought, maybe it’s better this way, with me entering the industry… All I had seen was negative press about Muslim people, Arab people. I was scared to promote that”.

Now as a soloist, Jade is owning her heritage. In a recent cover of Chase & Status and Stormzy’s ‘BACKBONE’ with the BBC Live Lounge, Jade freestyled the rendition both speaking in Arabic and English about her heritage, as the oud drives the electronic elements from ‘BACKBONE’s’ original.

Jade’s concluded: “I’m so proud of my heritage now… I don’t think it’s ever too late to embrace who you are”.

As Jade continues to embrace her identity and experiences in the industry, ‘IT Girl’s’ arrival on January 10 will further cement the singer’s unique and compelling artistry.

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/jade-teases-new-single-it-girl-and-reflects-on-her-bittersweet-rise-to-fame/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/leigh-anne-pinnock-hints-at-debut-solo-album-being-released-next-year/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/leigh-anne-pinnock-hints-at-debut-solo-album-being-released-next-year/#comments Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:06:28 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=65180 Leigh-Anne Pinnock, formerly of girl band Little Mix, has hinted that her debut solo album may be ready for release in 2024.

Appearing on Amazon Music’s +44 Podcast, Pinnock shared that, “Well, I mean, it’s definitely in the works. Yeah, to be honest, coming together quicker than I think anyone thought, which is good.” Listen to Leigh-Anne’s podcast episode here.

Pinnock released her debut solo single, “Don’t Say Love” back in June. Speaking on the influence behind the track, she said, “‘Don’t Say Love’ is about no longer seeking external validation and regaining my confidence and sense of self in a world where I often felt misunderstood and unheard. This video is a visual representation of me finding my voice. I’m excited to continue to do so with my first love, music.”

On the +44 Podcast, Pinnock discussed making the transition from being part of a successful girl group for over a decade to taking her first steps as a solo artist. She shared, “It’s incredible what Little Mix have done and what we’ve achieved, we’ve absolutely killed it. But now I am on my own and not all of the Little Mix fans are going to come along with me, I have to build a new fan base. Yeah, so I do feel like a new artist to some extent…”

Pinnock also shared, “It’s been a hard sort of transition. I remember, when we did ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ and when streaming started taking over and it really started coming in. I’m so old school, I’m trying to kind of get used to it I guess, but with social media and TikTok, that is such an important part of any campaign. We have to set time aside for that. Whereas before it’d be like oh, forget time, we’ll figure it out.”

Pinnock has also just released her second single, “My Love” featuring Ayra Starr which debuted at #32 on Billboard’s US Afrobeats Songs Chart.

Taking to Twitter, Leigh-Anne wrote, “I’m full of emotions but mainly EXCITED for you to finally listen and embrace me in my best self.”

My Love is finally YOURS! I’m full of emotions but mainly EXCITED for you to finally listen and embrace me in my best self. https://t.co/TXPHXwmFXf

I’m so thankful to everyone who made this song possible and a special thank you to @ayrastarr for jumping on this song. I cannot… pic.twitter.com/v5k11guloh

— Leigh-Anne (@LeighAnneMusic) September 7, 2023

Pinnock’s former band mates, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards have both shared their support for her solo career, but have made no mention of solo music of their own being forthcoming any time soon.  

Jade Thirlwall (@jadethirlwall) shows support to Leigh-Anne and her music video for her single ‘My Love’. “@LeighAnneMusic so unbelievably proud of you This is epic!! Shoutout to the director, editor and everyone involved in this video […] it’s a fucking masterpiece lol” pic.twitter.com/HYuwFdxTHc — Jade Thirlwall Updates. (@JTdailyupdates) September 10, 2023

Leigh-Anne duetted with Perrie’s TikTok dancing to Don’t Say Love pic.twitter.com/6Dn4kn33BO

— Little Mix Tea ☕️ (@TheLittleMixTea) June 21, 2023

The band first rose to fame in 2008 as runners up on the reality TV show The X Factor and consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes and JB Gill. The group enjoyed great success on the charts and won numerous awards, and after seven years together the group announced that they would be disbanding. The announcement of the group’s reunion tour was made in 2020, the Beat Again tour was sadly postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to HELLO! Magazine Gill discussed their future touring plans and any possible new releases, “We probably won’t tour again this year, but with the success of ‘Beat Again’ and our latest album, I’m sure we’ll be working on new material soon.” The singer then continued to describe his children’s reaction to the group’s music, “The kids love seeing their daddy up on stage so we don’t really have a choice whether we do another JLS tour or not.”

Within the statement which announced the disbanding, JLS confirmed that they would release a new compilation album and finish their final headlining arena tour before officially splitting up. The group’s ‘farewell’ record, Goodbye- The Greatest Hits, was released on 18th November 2013 via RCA Records and included the group’s best-loved songs as well as a new single. The track “Billion Lights” was released on 17th November 2013 and reached number 19 on the UK singles charts.

Rumours concerning the band’s reunion began to circulate in 2019, and an announcement was made the following year which confirmed the group’s plan to reunite. On 12th February 2020, a statement was made confirming their reconciliation and included dates for their Beat Again Tour. In 2021, JLS released their fifth studio album 2.0, the album marked the band’s return and coincided with their reunion tour. The album sired three singles, “Eternal Love” was the album’s lead single and was released on 3rd September 2021. Two further singles, “Day One” and “Postcard” were released in the same year.

Throughout their break, all band members acquired recognition in different avenues within the entertainment industry, with some members returning to their roots of competition-based TV shows as hosts and judges. Currently, Humes can be seen on the game show The Hit List, which he co-hosts with his wife Rochelle Humes.

A source has spoken to The Sun newspaper concerning the recent reports, “Olly was with RCA for 12 years which is a really long time. It felt like it was time to move on and try something new. He had a discussion with them and ultimately decided he wanted to shake things up a bit. He has been in the studio working on music for months now and wants to get it out soon. As things stand, loads of labels have expressed their interest and now it’s just a case of finding the best deal which will work for him. Olly is really excited about the next chapter. He has had some time out and is raring to get going again now with a new team behind him.”

The former X-Factor contestant has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity due to his new hosting job on ITV. Murs was recruited to be a part of the network’s new Saturday night show Starstruck. The programme follows the traditional talent show format except the performers are superfans who must embody their idol to win a cash prize. The winner is determined by a panel full of impressive talent, Queen Frontman Adam Lambert, comedian and actor Jason Manford, celebrated actress Sheridan Smith and music legend Beverley Knight. Murs took to Instagram last month to celebrate the premiere of the new show.

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Murs first gained popularity through his appearance on The X Factor; the singer was part of the sixth series aired in 2009. Murs made it to the finals and performed “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus as the winner’s song, despite being a viewer favourite he lost the competition to Joe McElderry. The Essex born singer was swiftly signed to a record deal and his self-titled debut album was released in 2010, the release sired great commercial success and placed at number two within the UK album charts. The debut album’s lead single, “Please Don’t Let Me Go”, was also successful and reached number one with the singles charts and received a BRIT nomination for Best British Single in 2011.

Rumours recently began to circulate that Murs was working on new material for his new album. The release would be the singer’s seventh studio album and would follow his most recent album You Know I Know. The album dropped on 9th November 2018 and was released as a double album, acting as a greatest hits compilation as well as the incorporation of new songs.

The You Know I Know Tour kicked off in 2019 and marked his fifth concert tour, the Summer Tour was due to start in 2020 but was postponed due to COVID restrictions. Murs is set to continue the tour with many dates scheduled for this Summer, and will kick off with a performance on 10th June 2022 at Belfast’s Botanic Gardens.

Olly Murs UK Tour Dates

10/06/2022 – Botanic Gardens – Belfast
11/06 – The Marquee – Cork
17/06 – Royal Chelsea Hospital – London
25/06 – Cinch Stadium Franklin’s Gardens – Northampton
01/07 – The Wyldes – Cornwall
08/07 – Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh
09/07 – Harewood House – Leeds
12/07 – Blickling Estate – Norwich
13/07 – Chewton Glen – Old Milton
14/07 – Royal Crescent – Bath
16/07 – Warwick Castle – Warwick
21/07 – Cardiff Castle – Cardiff
22/07 – Bitts Park – Carlisle
23/07 – Racecourse – Newcastle
27/07 – Powderham Castle – Exeter
05/08 – Racecourse – Haydock Park
12/08 – Stadiwm Zipworld – Colwyn Bay
13/08 – Northern Meeting Park – Inverness
26/08 – Vivara Park (Live at Somerset) – Taunton
04/09 – Trentham Gardens – Stoke On Trent

Well this is We’re playing the @OfficialNTAs! Watch on @ITV from 7.30pm on 9th September pic.twitter.com/2us62Metwe

— JLS (@JLSOfficial) September 1, 2021

JLS aka Jack The Lad Swing’s vocal lineup includes Ashton Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Oritse Williams and JB (Jonathan Benjamin) Gill. The band entered the fifth series of X-Factor in 2008 and were runners up following Alexandra Burke’s win.

Following the competition, the band were signed to Epic Records and released singles “Beat Again” and “Everybody In Love” with both singles hitting the number one spot in the UK Official Singles Charts. Success continued with a further four number one singles and the release of the band’s debut album JLS released on November 9th 2009 which sold 1 million copies.

The band then went on to release albums, Outta This World (2010), Jukebox (2011), and Evolution (2012), as well as win a Mobo Award for Best Single for “Beat Again” and a Mobo Award for Best Newcomer in 2009.

The band further went on to win 2 Brit Award’s for British Breakthrough and Best Single for their single “Beat Again”. and Best Newcomer in 2010. The band are known for popular singles “The Club Is Alive” and “She Makes Me Wanna”.

On April 23rd 2013 the band announced their split, released the album Goodbye- The Greatest Hits and embarked on a farewell tour. The band bowed out for the last date of their tour at the 02 Arena in London on December 22nd 2013. Band members Merrygold, Humes, Williams and Gill went on to pursue solo projects following the band’s split with Merrygold, Humes and Gill also having children.

It was then reported in November 2019 that the band were to reunite. Confirmation of a reunion arrived on February 12th 2020 and the band then announced that they were to embark on a reunion tour known as The Beat Again Tour. Another announcement followed in March 2020 that the band had signed to BMG and were set to release new music.

The band’s plans were placed on hold due to the Covid 19 Pandemic and they have now expressed their happiness to finally be able to release new music and have also rescheduled their postponed reunion tour. The band have not been able to release new music for 8 years with a further delay caused by the Covid 19 Pandemic following their reunion announcement in 2020. 

This is all set to change tomorrow with the release of their new single “Eternal Love” penned by Humes and Ed Sheeran and it seems a new album is also on the way. Williams stated “We’re putting together an album and a couple of singles. It feels like the time is right” Humes added “We have got three, possibly four, tracks already down”

The band have not yet announced news for an album release. The band are working with Wayne Hector for their new material and look set to ignite the charts once more with their new single “Eternal Love”.

Who’s ready for tomorrow? #EternalLove #JLSReturns pic.twitter.com/R87R2X1H9u — JLS (@JLSOfficial) September 2, 2021

Access JLS’s pre-save link for their new single here

Nahhh you nearly had us #EternalLove out Friday #JLSReturns pic.twitter.com/Dc5SaC9wCB — JLS (@JLSOfficial) September 1, 2021

See JLS’s Tour dates below. Tickets are available here

20/10/21 The SSE Hydro- Glasgow
21/10 The SSE Hydro- Glasgow
22/10 Utilita Arena- Newcastle
23/10 Resorts World Arena- Birmingham
25/10 Motorpoint Arena- Cardiff
26/10 Motorpoint Arena- Cardiff
28/10 FlyDSA Arena- Sheffield
29/10 FlyDSA Arena- Sheffield
30/10 First Direct Arena- Leeds
31/10 Motorpoint Arena- Cardiff
02/11 M&S Bank Arena- Liverpool
03/11 M&S Bank Arena- Liverpool
04/11 The O2- London
05/11 The O2- London
06/11 Utilita Arena- Newcastle
08/11 Brighton Centre- Brighton
09/11 Bournemouth International Centre- Bournemouth
10/11 Hull Bonus Arena- Hull
14/11 SSE Arena- Belfast
15/11 3Arena- Dublin
17/11 Motorpoint Arena- Nottingham
18 /11 Motorpoint Arena- Nottingham
19/11 The O2- London
20/11 The O2- London
23/11 AO Arena- Manchester
24/11 AO Arena- Manchester
26/11 Resorts World Arena- Birmingham
27/11 Resorts World Arena- Birmingham (free NHS matinee charity show)

Olivia Colman, Rob Delaney, Jack Dylan Grazer, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, Kylie Cantrall, Ricardo Hurtado, Marcus Scribner and Zach Galifianakis also provide voiceovers for the film.

The singer expressed that releasing the single for the film is a dream come true. The film follows the character Barney “A socially awkward schoolboy and his malfunctioning digital device Ron”

The singer achieved musical fame in 2010, with his band One Direction aka 1D who are considered the best selling UK boyband”. The band lineup included bandmates, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson who met when they all entered the ITV series The X Factor.

The band released their debut album Up All Night on 18th November 2011 and achieved number-one success with their single “What Makes You Beautiful” released on September 11th 2011. Malik left the band in 2015 to embark on his solo career and the singer continued in the group with Horan, Styles and Tomlinson.

The singer released his first solo single “Strip That Down” on May 19th 2017 from his debut album LP1 released on December 6th 2019. The single reached number three in the UK Official Singles Charts. The singer counts Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams and Usher as his musical influences and has sold more than 23 million singles with 1D and 3 million solo albums to date.

The single has been described as a feel-good song and a teaser clip of the single was released today via TikTok. The singer stated “I can’t wait for you all to hear Sunshine and to see ‘Ron’s Gone Wrong.’ It has been a lot of fun!”

I am so excited to officially announce that my new single Sunshine is out 27th August and that it’s featured in the @ronsgonewrong movie I can’t wait for you all to hear it, pre-save it now https://t.co/fhhror4AXL@Disney @20thcentury @LSAnimation #RonsGoneWrong pic.twitter.com/vn1HYqWaoM

— Liam (@LiamPayne) August 19, 2021

The singer has not released any solo material since his collaboration single “Naughty List” with Dixie D’ Amelio last October. Making the single “Sunshine” the singers first single release of 2021. The single is set for release on August 27th and the film Ron’s Gone Wrong is set for release this October.

The ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ singers took to their Instagram account to share the impressive announcement with their fans.

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In celebration of the group’s decade long career, London’s Madame Tussauds has decided to welcome the band to their ranks of waxworks. The ‘Black Magic’ singers have been involved throughout the whole process and have invested their time into working with the team of artists to ensure that their likeness is captured. This process has involved requirements such as sittings, where the team took accurate measurements of the group. The band were also involved in picking the perfect aesthetics, this entails picking out styling details and homing the specific elements for the final looks. The group and the team at Madame Tussauds have been working hard on the final product since the beginning of last year, ready for the public later this Summer.

Although the attraction has not revealed further details concerning the announcement, they promise for the unveiling to be pleasing to fans. The figurines are to reflect one of the group’s most famous music videos, the waxworks will immortalise the band’s look and aesthetic at the video’s time. The group’s entry into the attraction will also include all four original members, including Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and ex-member Jessy Nelson. Original member Nelson left the group in December 2020, citing her mental health as the reason for her departure.

Thirwall has spoken on the exciting news of the group’s induction into the famed London attraction. “It’s finally happened, Little Mix is at Madame Tussauds London. We’re absolutely buzzing and it’s the best 10 year anniversary present that we could share with our fans.”

Edwards added to the statement, celebrating the complex work completed by the attraction’s team. “The Madame Tussauds London artists are ridiculously talented. Their work is so intricate. They took pictures and notes of every little detail of us – even down to the shape of my nails!” Pinnock also commented on the band’s excitement. “We can’t wait for our fans to see the figures! We hope they love them as much as we do!”

Madame Tussaud’s general manager Tim Waters also released the following statement concerning the announcement, “Little Mix are without a doubt the biggest girl band on the planet. They’ve had a meteoric rise over the last 10 years and we couldn’t think of a better way to mark this milestone anniversary than by giving the fans what they want – the first-ever Little Mix figures! Our artists have loved working with the band on their likenesses and we can’t wait to welcome Mixers through our doors once the figures have been unveiled this summer.”

The ’DNA’ singers rose to fame in 2011 on the UK talent show, The X factor, where the quartet became the first band to win the show. They were then signed by music mogul Simon Cowell to his record label Syco Music after they were declared winners with their song ‘Cannonball’, a cover of the 2003 Damien Rice single. The group then skyrocketed to success and achieved a series of chart successes and accolades. Their most recent studio album, ‘Confetti’ saw the band perform and release material as a trio, the album sired the hit single ‘Sweet Melody’ which became their fifth number-one single.

The British girl group will join the ranks of many other celebrated artists who have been immortalised in wax including Amy Winehouse, Adele as well as fellow girl group singer Cheryl Cole. More details concerning the waxwork’s new figures can be found on the group’s social media accounts.

Little Mix UK Tour

09/04/2022 – SSE Arena – Belfast
10/04 – SSE Arena – Belfast
12/04 – 3Arena – Dublin
13/04 – 3Arena – Dublin
15/04 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
16/04 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
18/04 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
19/04 – Arena – Sheffield
21/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
22/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
23/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
26/04 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
27/04 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
28/04 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
30/04 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
02/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
03/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
04/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
06/05 – AO Arena – Manchester
07/05 – AO Arena – Manchester
09/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
10/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
12/05 – O2 Arena – London
13/05 – O2 Arena – London
14/05 – O2 Arena – London

Extra Dates Added

16/04/2022 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
23/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
07/05 – AO Arena – Manchester

Jedward posted on Twitter: “Every contestant on the Xfactor was a slave to the show and got paid Zero while they made millions!”, followed by “The fact that every contestant has to act like their judge mentors them! When in reality all they care about is their pay check!” 

Every contestant on the Xfactor was a slave to the show and got paid Zero while they made millions!

— JEDWARD (@planetjedward) April 5, 2021

They also wrote: “There’s a reason Syco is called Psycho! 1D and Little Mix are legally fucked in contracts and can never speak out so we are!” and “There’s nothing MODEST about their previous management dictating their every move from Relationships to how they live their own lives! Justice for 1D & Little Mix.” 

There’s nothing MODEST about their previous management dictating their every move from Relationships to how they live their own lives! Justice for 1D & Little Mix

— JEDWARD (@planetjedward) April 5, 2021

Jedward are not the first X Factor artists to speak out against poor treatment by music management. In March 2021, singer and X Factor finalist Rebecca Ferguson tweeted: “I am not even being silent anymore, You forced me to sign contracts, blackmailed me, bullied me, robbed me, I am not even being scared anymore I have looked back and I am disgusted in how you all treated an innocent young woman! who just wanted to sing! shame on you!” 

2012 finalist Lucy Spraggan said in a recent interview with OK Magazine: “There was absolutely no offer of support for anyone’s mental health, or really their physical health… They have a lot of questions to answer about duty of care across the board, not just ITV but the people behind it.” 

After placing sixth in the sixth series of The X Factor, Jedward went on to release four albums, the most recent being 2019’s Voice of a Rebel. The pair also represented Ireland in the 2011 and 2012 Eurovision Song Contests. They have also featured in a variety of documentaries and reality TV programmes, including Celebrity Big Brother. They have recently been known for being outspoken on current issues such as women’s rights, trans rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement.