Little Mix shocked the Pop landscape when they split from their label just one week before the release of their fifth album ‘LM5.’
At the time, the reason reported centered around songwriting credits and a broader breakdown between the group’s management (Modest) and Simon Cowell‘s Syco imprint.
Now, the industry honcho is speaking up and out about the matter. In trademark form, he didn’t hold back either.
His words below…
In an interview with a notable UK newspaper, the mogul said:
“It was just embarrassing but, funnily enough, I was more annoyed, again, not about me, but about the fact people who had worked so hard in my company were being misrepresented. Why do artists think they’re more important than staff members? They’re not. They’re the same.
The irony was the record they were arguing about, which is Woman Like Me, they didn’t want to record. This was one of those ironic times that we were having a hit and nobody was happy.
It wasn’t down to money. Basically, they said we’d done a terrible job. I had agreed not to talk about this publicly because I thought it was a private matter. I said, ‘We can’t work with the management, it’s as simple as that’.”
The X Factor creator went on to add that he’d be meeting the group later this week “just so they can hear it from me and I can hear it from them.”
He went on to say:
“Everyone’s like, ‘There must have been something massive and that’s why it collapsed’. Well, I can show you all the correspondence between me and the girls over the years, there’s never been an instance when we’ve fallen out. As I said in my email to them, I stand by the fact they are the hardest working bunch of girls I’ve ever worked with. They deserve everything they’ve got.”
With the group being far and away the biggest active act on the Syco roster, Cowell is reported to be meeting with staff from at his label all-week to map out the future. A future that now doesn’t include the Pop quad. As confirmed, Perrie, Jesy, Jade, and Leigh-Anne are now signed to fellow Sony label RCA UK.
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By music industry standards, this still remains such a shocking story. Indeed, it reads more like an ‘Empire’ storyline – in that moves like this rarely happen at such pivotal times.
In any case, it’ll be all sorts of interesting to see how things fare for Little Mix moving forward. And Syco too. Once home to One Direction, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, and more, it’s most certainly the dawn of a new day.
This their karma for shading Cardi B!! Dumb a$$ H**$
Exactly *claps
I’m sorry but girl groups ended when DC3 went on their hiatus! Anything since then except for PCD is just cheap and tacky!
That is small-minded and stupid. Female groups will always be around before and after DC. You are also delusional in thinking a group that ended in 2005 is still on”hiatus” instead of dissolved. DC was always ‘Beyonce and dem’ like Mad TV said so now that the world has superstar Beyonce they are not going back to DC ever. Bey has helped Kelly and Michelle by booking them as guest performers at a few of her gigs over the years but DC itself is over. Bey ain’t dividing up her checks on the regular. .
Obviously you’re a delusional person because DC3 is forever a group & isn’t going to change for some more dollars each member is doing quite well!!??
B|tch I never said DC3 was not a group. I said they are NOT on “hiatus.” SHUT THE F.UCK UP and mind your business queen.
TROLLmine watch your mouth.
Artists are more important than staff. Artists are the money makers for a music label. Essentially, they are the product and without them the label would fall. This is about money and Simon is lying.
Heyyyyyyy TROLLmine, Bih ??♀️??♀️??♀️
Not Today. I need 3 days off from you boo. Ignore my comments like I’ve been doing yours okay?
I mean, without the staff they would fall too. It goes both ways. That was his point. Being successful in the music industry is a mixture of artistry and business. The business side (money, marketing, branding, etc.) is just as important as the musical content. They need each other. And if you don’t need them, do it yourself. Now, Some artists have managed to succeed as independent, but they are few and they still don’t get as much success. Little Mix can barely succeed with the backing of a label, let alone by themselves.
Barely succeed with a label, sit your broke ass down MF!! I’d say the 30Million records they sold shows your taking utter s***
That is NOT true. Staff are replaceable. Artists are NOT. Thus, artists are more important than staff. We are not talking about Little Mix being signed to a label or independent. That is NOT applicable here. We are talking about Simon stating his staff are equally important as the artists. He through that out there to divert people’s attention from the bigger issue: MONEY. Little Mix left Simon’s label because Simon did not want to share any of the publishing royalties / credits and wanted Little Mix to fire their management company.
https://themusicnetwork.com/behind-little-mixs-split-from-simon-cowells-label/
@HeCame Can someone translate this to English for me please.
@Rasputia I didn’t take your comment to mean Simon’s staff particularly. And his comment didn’t say that either so… it is applicable. Simon said, “Why do artists think they’re more important than staff members. They’re not”. That’s a general statement. And yeah you can replace staff members, but to think you can’t replace artists is comical. You’re not a permanent cash cow just because you’re an artist. After they’ve milked you dry, you do get disposed of and replaced. The lucky ones survive on reality shows and hopefully, endorsements.
And maybe Simon was diverting from the real issue being money, I wasn’t disputing that, but it doesn’t make the relationship between artist/label mutually beneficial. That’s what I was responding to.
*NOT mutually beneficial
That is small-minded and stupid. Female groups will always be around before and after DC. You are also delusional in thinking a group that ended in 2005 is still on”hiatus” instead of dissolved. DC was always ‘Beyonce and dem’ like Mad TV said so now that the world has superstar Beyonce they are not going back to DC ever. Bey has helped Kelly and Michelle by booking them as guest performers at a few of her gigs over the years but DC itself is over. Bey ain’t diving up her checks on the regular.
TROLLmine I AGREE
TROLLman I need a few days off from you okay. Ignore my comments like I been doing yours.
Lol ? TROLLmine stop it
Yall do. Know that these artist dont give a f u c k about us, we just feeding their lifestyle, lavish homes. Lavish vacations, taking care of their families, sending their kids to the best school. Eating the best food, having a chef. While we sit here and make a honest living. Working check to check, but when that bank is closed. We all are the same
It’s record labels that are the problem
As I said previously, this is all a publicity stunt for the new album. Both Simon Cowell and Little Mix have proved many times they are economical with the truth (e.g. the Cardi B vs Nicki Minaj drama). If they really didn’t want to record Woman Like Me, they have better taste than I thought. There is a reason it has flopped outside the UK
It flopped because they aren’t as famous outside of the US. It’s not Nicki and it’s not the song.
I meant to say outside UK, but whatever.
Shut up fool
Wait so they didn’t even want to record woman like me and yet that’s the record that they wanted Nicki Minaj on so bad and that’s the record Nicki Minaj said she finally like after seven years, and that’s record they shaded Cardi for!!!!! but they didn’t even like the record!!!!!!! Hmmmmm……
Nicki might wanna throw away her flowers from them now
I don’t trust Simon at all
Little mix are not the first artist he’s had issue with.
These irrelevant b******…