Biography
Born in 1991 in Romford, East London, Jessica Louise Nelson developed an early passion for performance while studying dance at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. She landed minor, uncredited parts in films such as About a Boy and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before working as a barmaid and auditioning for the eighth season of the U.K. edition of The X Factor in 2011. At bootcamp she was placed alongside Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock—each originally a solo hopeful—forming the group Little Mix that ultimately defeated Marcus Collins in the final.
Nelson’s distinctive soulful soprano helped Little Mix send each of its first six albums into the U.K. Top Five. Their 2012 debut, DNA, featured the group’s U.K. number-one covers “Cannonball” (Damien Rice) and “Wings,” reached number three at home and number four on the Billboard 200, and stood among the highest-charting first releases by a British female group. Five further albums—Salute (2013), Get Weird (2015), Glory Days (2016), LM5 (2018), and the 2020 chart-topping runner-up Confetti—likewise performed strongly on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 2019 Nelson appeared in the BBC documentary Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out, openly discussing the online bullying and body-image struggles she had endured. Citing the need to prioritize her mental and emotional well-being, she departed Little Mix after Confetti’s release. Nelson returned in October 2021 with her debut solo single “Boyz,” a Loose Change-produced, pop- and R&B-infused track featuring Nicki Minaj that entered the U.K. Top 40.
Nelson’s distinctive soulful soprano helped Little Mix send each of its first six albums into the U.K. Top Five. Their 2012 debut, DNA, featured the group’s U.K. number-one covers “Cannonball” (Damien Rice) and “Wings,” reached number three at home and number four on the Billboard 200, and stood among the highest-charting first releases by a British female group. Five further albums—Salute (2013), Get Weird (2015), Glory Days (2016), LM5 (2018), and the 2020 chart-topping runner-up Confetti—likewise performed strongly on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 2019 Nelson appeared in the BBC documentary Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out, openly discussing the online bullying and body-image struggles she had endured. Citing the need to prioritize her mental and emotional well-being, she departed Little Mix after Confetti’s release. Nelson returned in October 2021 with her debut solo single “Boyz,” a Loose Change-produced, pop- and R&B-infused track featuring Nicki Minaj that entered the U.K. Top 40.
Singles
