The 50-million-selling girl group talk to Fiona Sturges about their brand new single, cracking America, the sexism of being told to flirt with men, and the dangers of ‘Love Island’

The past six months have been quite the ride for Little Mix, the British band who have reached 50 million in global sales and, in maintaining their original line-up since 2011, have now outlasted their girl group forebears All Saints, Spice Girls, Atomic Kitten and Sugababes. Since November last year, when they released their fifth LP, the succinctly titled LM5, the one-time X Factorwinners have taken on the big beasts of music and the media, and won.

Today, the band – which, along with Nelson, comprises Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall – are staying shtum on the subject of Cowell and Syco. All they will say is: “It didn’t work out.” And, loath to poke the hornets’ nest, they are similarly wary of mentioning Morgan. Yet, alluding to the furore that followed the release of “Strip”, they’re clearly indignant about the way men and women pop stars are treated differently. “There we were trying to send out this amazing, inspiring message and these people are saying, ‘Look at them trying to be sexual,’” exclaims Pinnock. “How dare they! We’re there trying to help people and you’re projecting that on to us. I’ve seen countless images of boybands with practically no clothes on and they are celebrated. It’s unfair.”

READ MORE: independent.co.uk