"The Factor" U.K. 2011 winner Little Mix was an instant hit in the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, but U.S. sales for Little Mix have gotten off to an unimpressive start. Little Mix's first U.S. single, "Wings" (which was released on Feb. 5, 2013), has failed to make it on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the first week since the song went on sale. Billboard released the chart figures for the week on Feb. 13, 2013.
Winners of "The X Factor" are signed to Sony Music, which is the parent company for several record labels, including Syco Music, Columbia Records, RCA Records and Epic Records.
U.S. sales for Little Mix (which is signed to Syco Music/Columbia Records in the U.S.) might increase since Little Mix will be making promotional appearances in the U.S., beginning in March 2013. (Details are to be announced.) However, Little Mix has an uphill battle at having a huge U.S. breakthrough since there hasn't been an all-female group that's made it big in the U.S. since Destiny's Child amicably disbanded in 2006.
The four members of Little Mix are Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jesy Nelson and Jade Thirlwall, ages 19 to 21. They all originally auditioned for "The X Factor" U.K. as solo singers, but they were rejected as solo singers and then put in a group together by "X Factor" U.K. judge Tulisa Contostavlos and other decision makers. Little Mix was the first group to win on "The X Factor" U.K.
Little Mix has already had big hits in the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, but girl groups are doing better on the charts in those countries than they have in the United States. The Saturdays (a British/Irish girl group) star in the reality show "Chasing the Saturdays" that debuted in January 2013 on E! Entertainment Television in the U.S., but that TV exposure has not helped the Saturdays get a big hit in the U.S.
The U.S. release date for Little Mix's first album, "DNA," is to be announced, but Syco Music/Columbia is aiming for a release date sometime in the summer of 2013. It has not yet been announced if or when Little Mix will tour in the United States.
Little Mix began its month-long 2013 U.K. concert tour on Jan. 24. The tour has been getting mostly positive reviews from the media.
The Nottingham Post reviewed Little Mix's Jan. 28 show at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, England. The review noted: "Despite an overly shrill sound mix – a faithful reproduction of their album, but only if you were used to hearing it through laptop speakers or on a smartphone – the girls delivered a convincing, polished performance. Chart-topping single 'Wings' was an early highlight – so much so, that they reprised it for the encore – and an unaccompanied rendition of En Vogue's 'Hold On,' with gorgeous four-part harmonies, proved that they could deliver vocally."
The Express & Star also gave the Nottingham concert a positive review: "Dressed in denim and cropped tops, they oozed youthful exuberance coupled with some nifty dance moves and, most importantly, absolutely cracking voices. As they rattled through their set the quality of their performance didn’t falter with Perrie, Jesy, Leigh-Anne and Jade each bringing something individual to the mix ... Little Mix may have been born out of a TV talent show but they are growing into a class act."
The Liverpool Echo gave Little Mix's Feb. 3 concert at the Liverpool Echo Arena a rating of 9 out of 10 stars. The Liverpool Echo's Lorna Hughes commented in the concert review: "Their first UK tour is a neat mix of the covers that won them the 'X Factor' ('Superbass,' 'E.T.'), combined with tracks from debut album 'DNA' ... On stage, they’re like a less streetwise TLC with girl next door appeal, crossed with the vocal harmonies of En Vogue – all carefully packaged for the Twitter generation ... It’s a solid launchpad for what looks set to be a long reign as our latest queens of pop.
Meanwhile, Little Mix's fourth U.K. single, "Change Your Life," has been rising up the U.K. singles chart, where it is No. 12 this week. Little Mix's first three U.K. singles have all hit the Top 5 in the U.K.: "Cannonball" and "Wings" were No. 1, while "DNA" was No. 3.
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