In a surprising revelation, a producer who worked on Little Mix‘s final single featuring Jesy Nelson has claimed that some of her vocals were actually performed by an impersonator.
Jesy Nelson, 33, departed from the popular girl group in 2020, citing strained relationships with her bandmates and significant mental health challenges. Since then, she has embarked on a solo music career.
Her last track with Little Mix, the 2020 single “No Time for Tears,” was produced by Tré Jean-Marie and Nathan Dawe.
On Saturday (20 July), Jean-Marie took to Instagram to celebrate the news that “No Time for Tears” had achieved Gold certification in the UK, selling 400,000 copies. In his story, he dropped a bombshell: “Fun Fact: All of Jesy’s BVs [backing vocals] (and even one of the leads) on ‘No Time for Tears’ are somebody else impersonating her because she was quite literally over it.”
The Independent has reached out to Nelson’s representatives for a response.
Nelson was an original member of Little Mix, formed on the reality show The X Factor in 2011. However, last year she disclosed that she had not been in contact with her former bandmates Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock for years.
Perrie Edwards recently addressed their estranged relationship in an interview with Cosmopolitan. “We don’t talk and haven’t done for a long time,” she said. “It’s really sad, it’s heartbreaking. But sometimes these things happen and people decide they want to part ways, and that’s absolutely fine. I would rather it went differently, but you can’t control how things go.”
Despite the estrangement, Edwards reflected positively on their time together: “It was the happiest time of my life. All we did was laugh together, banter together, cry together. It was so much fun. Yes, we went through a lot in those 10 years, but we had each other.”
Nelson has previously spoken about her struggles during her time in Little Mix, particularly with body image issues and online trolling. “For me, my mental health issues were an ongoing thing while I was in Little Mix,” she shared. “I was struggling with my body issues, I was constantly being trolled – and I really, really struggled with it.”
Despite the challenges, Nelson has no regrets about her time with the group. “I don’t have any regrets because I had to do what was right for me, and I will always cherish the memories I had in Little Mix,” she said. “So no, we haven’t talked since then. Never say never, but I honestly wish them the best on their solo journeys now, which is so exciting.”
As fans grapple with the news of Nelson’s final vocals being performed by an impersonator, the legacy of Little Mix and their individual paths continue to evolve.