It takes a girl group icon to discover an iconic girl group in the making. On Nov. 12, The X Factor UK released unseen footage showing judge Kelly Rowland almost single-handedly forming the band, which quickly became known as "Little Mix." Members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson auditioned for the show as soloists in 2011, eventually becoming the first group to win the series and becoming one of the UK's most successful girl groups ever one.
The video begins with the Destiny's Child alum saying she likes Thirlwall and Pinnock, before moving Nelson and Edwards' cards to the group. “The sound was strong,” she said. When Judge Tulisa asked, "Really?" Roland quipped, "Absolutely - very - very much." "It's about finding the next generation and discovering new things," she explained, pointing out that each girl all have their own "personality" and point out how perfectly Edwards and Pinnock's voices work together. "[Leigh-Anne] has a nice, soft texture that fills everything in," she says.
When judge Louise Walsh asked Rowland if they would "come together" so late in the competition, she joked, "I'll make sure of that," noting that some of them are already friendly with each other. “Not only that, but we get to hear these two singing together, which is great,” she said, pointing to Thirlwall and Pinnock, before turning to Edwards and Nelson. "I hear these two singing together and what they bring to the table, and you listen to their voices and you know what's going to happen. I just hear it. They're so powerful."
The situation is eerily similar to other X Factor group success stories. In July, similarly unseen footage revealed how guest judge Nicole Scherzinger played a huge role in forming One Direction in 2010, an achievement often credited to judge Simon Cowell. In fact, she even suggested forming a potential boy band to save some of the male solo singers who auditioned, immediately choosing Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson as contenders. "They were the cutest boy band ever," she said. "Little girls are going to love them." And they did.
Twitter immediately reacted to Rowland's involvement, noting her touching connection with the band and joking that Little Mix had been "destiny's grandchildren." Plus, given that Cowell wasn't a judge during Little Mix's season, and Scherzinger had a bigger say in One Direction than previously known, some fans are asking an important question: What exactly is Cowell doing? What was done to these groups?
