Little Mix gave a special shout-out to former bandmate Jesy Nelson after finding out their latest single had reached number one in the UK.
All four of the band’s original members contributed vocals to Sweet Melody, the third single from their latest album Confetti, which was released prior to Jesy’s announcement that she was leaving the group.
It was revealed on Friday evening that the track had topped the UK singles chart, giving Little Mix their first number one since 2016’s Shout Out To My Ex, and as they celebrated the news, singer Jade Thirlwall made sure Jesy wasn’t left out.
“It’s so special for us because it is the last single we did as a four with Jesy,” Jade told Radio 1 presenter Scott Mills.
“And [it’s] even more special that now going into 2021, as a three, we have got the first number one.”
“Sometimes the best hits take time,” Perrie Edwards added, referencing Sweet Melody’s 11-week journey to the top of the charts.
Jesy announced that she was leaving Little Mix after nine years with the band in December, just weeks after the release of their sixth album Confetti.
Having previously said she was taking a hiatus from the band, Jesy told fans she had decided to leave as being in the band had “taken a toll” on her mental health in recent times.
“The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health,” she explained, in a statement posted on Instagram. “I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.
“There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focussing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process.”
The remaining three members of the group showed support for Jesy, confirming that they would be continuing as a three-piece moving forward.
Sweet Melody is Little Mix’s fifth number one, having previously topped the charts with Shout Out To My Ex, Black Magic, Wings and their X Factor winner’s single Cannonball.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated Confetti was Little Mix’s fifth album, rather than their sixth. This has now been amended.
