Jesy Nelson splits from record label to take her new music in a ‘different direction’ just one year after her solo debut

Jesy Nelson has announced that she will no longer be working with Polydor Records, just a year after releasing her first single as a solo artist.

The singer, 31, from Romford, left Little Mix in December 2020, as she felt she could no longer cope with the pressures of being in such a high-profile girl group. She told fans that she needed to look after her mental health.

Jesy soon signed a solo contract with Polydor Records, who are known for working with the likes of Billie Eillish, Selena Gomez and Sam Fender.

Her first single ‘Boyz’ caused controversy for various reasons, but peaked at number four in the UK charts. Jesy’s follow-up single and debut album were both delayed.

It has now been reported that Jesy and Polydor are no longer working together because they have failed to agree on the direction of her new music.

A spokesperson for Polydor said: “Polydor have amicably parted ways with Jesy. We have enjoyed working with her and everyone at the label wishes her nothing but the best for the future.”

Since parting with Polydor, Jesy is said to already be in talks with other labels that are keen to sign her and take her solo career in a different direction, while giving her the freedom she wants for her music.

Jesy Nelson

Singer

Jesy Nelson is an English singer, who was a member of the British girl group Little Mix from 2011 to 2020.

Jesy successfully auditioned as a soloist on the eighth series of The X Factor, however she failed the bootcamp challenge  to progress through to the Girls category (solo females - aged 16 to 24).

Jesy, Perrie, Jade and Leigh-anne, all auditioned solo and were placed in groups that also failed to progress. The judges later decided to bring two members of each group back in order to form a new four-piece group, called Rhythmix.

The group then went on to perform on the live shows and were mentored by N-Dubz singer/songwriter, Tulisa Contostavlos.

The name Rhythmix, caused a dispute with Brighton-based children’s charity with the same name, and The X Factor announced that the band’s new name will be Little Mix.

Little Mix were announced as the winner of series eight of The X Factor, the first group to ever win the show. They went on to become one of the most successful acts from the original UK version of the show.

As a group, over the past 11 years, Little Mix have become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

Upon releasing her first solo single “Boyz,” Jesy received backlash from the music video. Many commented on her darkened skin tone and accent, this led to accusations of cultural appropriation and blackfishing.

• Jessica Louise Nelson was born on 14 June 1991, in Romford, London - making her 31 years old.
• She released a BBC Three documentary in 2019, titled Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out - about body image, the impact of online bullying and mental health.
• The singer has an estimated net worth of £5.8 million. 
• Nelson lives in a lavish mansion in Essex - which appears heavily in her documentary as well as a multitude of her Instagram photos.

Connections 

Perrie Edwards

Perrie Edwards is a Little Mix bandmate, born on 11 July 1993, in South Shields. She has been associated with Nelson since the band performed and won series eight of The X Factor.

Perrie recently got engaged to Alex Oxalade-Chamberlain, who is an English professional footballer, and is a midfielder for Liverpool.

In May 2021, the couple announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child together, and in August, they welcomed their first child, son Axel.

Earlier this year, Perrie teased solo music, as she shared photos of herself standing in the recording booth on Instagram.

Leigh-anne Pinnock

Leigh-anne, was born on 4 October 1991, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. She was a fellow Little Mix bandmate, and performed alongside Nelson for nine years.

Leigh-anne is in a relationship with professional footballer Andre Gray, who currently plays for the Super League Greece club Aris, and the Jamaican national team.

The couple got engaged on 29 May 2020, and welcomed their twins in August 2021. The names of their twins have not been released as the singer has chosen to keep the details private.

She has also ventured into acting, and appeared as a main character in a British romantic-comedy Christmas film - Boxing Day (2021).

In February of this year, Leigh-anne signed a record deal with Warner Records, and has spent time in the studio, recording her debut album.

Jade Thirwell

Jade Thirwell, was born on 26 December 1992, in South Shields - making her 29 years old. Thirwell is best known for also being a member of the award-winning girl group, Little Mix.

She is in a relationship with Jordan Stephens, one half of British hip-hop duo, Rizzle Kicks.

The couple began chatting during lockdown after Jade slid into his DMs, and then they had some Zoom dates. They were then spotted arm-in-arm at a Black Lives Matter protest in London.

The relationship wasn’t officially announced until October 2020, when Thirwell referred to Stephens as her boyfriend in a Cosmopolitan interview.

In March of this year, it was reported that Jade had signed a solo contract with RCA Records.

Personal Life

Jesy has been in a number of highly publicised relationships since getting her big break on The X Factor.

In 2014, she was in a relationship with the lead singer of the band Rixton, Jake Roche, who she became engaged to the following year, but they broke-up in November 2016.

She was then in a 16-month relationship with British rapper, Harry James Byart, in early 2017. Jesy soon declared him ‘my one’ on Instagram, and they even bought a puppy together. However, this ended in November 2018, due to Jesy’s hectic schedule as a member of Little Mix.

In January 2019, Nelson began dating Love Island contestant Chris Hughes, and they became Instagram official after a month.

The relationship seemed like it had potential to go the distance, with Jesy admitting that she’s never been more in love or happy in her whole life. She would even refer to Hughes on Instagram as her “future husband.”

After 16 months together, Jesy and Chris broke up due to personal reasons.