Live Report : Leigh-Anne brings her revival to the Academy

What happens when girl groups break up? Whether it's Fifth Harmony or Destiny’s Child, once a band dissolves, it’s hard to predict if the members will remain relevant or quietly back away from the spotlight. A debate recently reignited by Manon Bannerman's exit from Katseye is whether artists are better equipped to flourish individually or as a collective. Leigh-Anne Pinnock, formerly of Little Mix, provided a persuasive answer with her recent solo show at The Academy in Dublin.

Little Mix, the British girl group that formed on the eighth series of The X Factor, was the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The line-up consisted of Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and previously Jesy Nelson until her departure in 2020.

Leigh-Anne's My Ego Told Me solo tour kicked off with an exiting debut, a significant shift from her previous Dublin performance with Little Mix at the 3Arena. The move to the smaller Academy venue required Leigh-Anne to adjust to a more intimate setting and audience, a trajectory often opposite to the standard rise of a pop star.

The stage setup was stripped-back, featuring only a drum kit, a mic stand, and two shattered mirrors marked with the words 'my ego told me'. Leigh-Anne made a dramatic entrance from the venue's top floor, descending to join her backing dancer on stage.

From the first note, her vocals were flawless, and her dance skills sharp, showcasing Leigh-Anne not just as a singer, but a seasoned performer, a testament, perhaps, to her extensive training with Little Mix. The dingy, cramped nature of The Academy felt at odds with her full-glam presentation, blaring lights, and commanding stage presence.

A stark nervousness, emerged between songs. Despite this, the opening night marked the reigniting of a new pop star era, and Leigh-Anne openly shared her excitement about her new music and return to touring. She explained how she has spend this past year getting to know herself and finding her own identity. This tour acts as a culmination of this self-reflection, showcasing her new identity to her old audience.

Leigh-Anne expressed how her journey back to the spotlight, following being dropped by her record label in 2025, has clearly been fraught with challenges. The night’s theme was reinvention, an expression of her struggle to find an identity as an independent artist after years in a group, a journey deeply reflected in both her music and her performance.

Songs like 'Revival' immediately set a tone of palpable confidence and defiance. Leigh-Anne seemed to have remembered "who's running this town" and was eager to prove it. She revealed that tracks like 'Best Version of Me' and 'Dead and Gone' were written after she wanted to make her comeback. With lyrics like, "Throw the dirt on the grave/ No she can’t be saved/ She’s dead and gone," it is clear that the old Leigh-Anne is deceased, and an entirely new artist has been resurrected.

The show also featured a touching 'You are a Star' interlude, voiced by Leigh-Anne's grandmother, reminiscing about Leigh-Anne's ambition dating back to The X Factor. The cheering crowd of fans clearly impacted Leigh-Anne, who seemed near tears from the amount of support she was given.

Having previously discussed the casual racism experienced within Little Mix, it is significant to see Leigh-Anne fully embrace her identity and lean into a mix of genres rather than adhering strictly to mainstream pop.

“I’m quarter-Jamaican and quarter-Bajan, and I’ve been going to Jamaica every year since I was born,” she said in a Hot Press interview. “It was definitely a massive genre in our household, for sure. I actually delivered my children to lovers rock!

Her new pop career is surging with a unique blend of Afrobeat and reggae influences. Energetic and intricate performances of songs like 'Tight Up Skirt,' which echo the style of Tyla or early Rihanna, showcase this shift.

Though Leigh-Anne still has a way to go before headlining the 3Arena on her own, the message is clear: she is ready for a new chapter, one where she is fully in control of the direction.