If that triangle sounds familiar, it’s because it involves the same players responsible for the One Direction machine. Over six years from 2010 to 2016 — and even in the nearly three years since their hiatus —the One Direction fandom vocally expressed their disapproval of SYCO (Simon Cowell’s record label under the Sony umbrella) and Modest!’s handling of the group. Similarly, Little Mix fans complained that SYCO and Modest! never did enough to promote the ladies, letting their US tour fall apart and their singles fizzle out.
Little Mix’s fifth album, ‘LM5’, is due out less than a week away on November 16th. According to The Sun, “The girls confronted Cowell direct in a strongly worded email, raising issues they had with his label.
“Then a bigger row erupted between the group’s management company Modest! and Cowell — who decided to cut all ties with the company’s artists, including Little Mix and last year’s X Factor winners Rak-Su.”
A spokesperson for Cowell also told The Sun, “SYCO Music will no longer work with Modest! Management and therefore any artists signed to that management company.”
This is a big breakup, as SYCO and Modest! have long since signed and managed winners of Simon Cowell’s UK-based X Factor competition.
Little Mix have now signed with RCA Records, another label under Sony and the same label where One Direction alum Zayn Malik finds himself. Zayn released his debut solo album ‘Mind of Mine’ in March of 2016 with RCA, a year to date after leaving One Direction, but failed to tour the album or facilitate much publicity and citing anxiety as the problem. Recently, Zayn revealed on Twitter that RCA is “holding [him] back” while he tries to get out a second album.
I hear you guys.. I know you want a date for the album and I do too. The label is holding me back but I promise I am doing everything I can to get my music to you. Thankyou.. You will hear from me soon.
— zayn (@zaynmalik) November 4, 2018
Whether or not Little Mix signs with a new management company remains to be seen. To our knowledge, the band will continue working with Simon Jones PR, the same publicist who oversaw One Direction and recently got Little Mix on the cover of Attitude magazine.
Fans are hopeful that RCA Records will better promote Little Mix in the United States, where their potential fanbase could expand tenfold in a country that’s sorely lacking in powerful girl groups since Fifth Harmony disbanded. But they’re also rightfully nervous after seeing what’s happened to Zayn’s music.
How are you feeling about Little Mix, RCA, and ‘LM5’? Let us know!
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