Perrie Edwards: “The Pressure Comes From People Who Don’t Realise We’re Normal Humans”

Perrie Edwards, she’s the kind of gal that every other girl wants to be, and if you can’t be her, then you want to at least be friends with her. Being cast into the Little Mix girl gang is the stuff of dreams, and I got my own little taste of ‘Mixer’ sisterhood when I caught up with 1/4 of the girl band earlier this week.

Funny, sweet and relatable are just a few words that spring to mind when you think of Perrie Edwards, and she proved just that about 5 seconds into our social distanced phone interview. “Hi, can you hear me?? It took me about 10 years to get into this call, I’ve been texting everyone like ‘guys can you help me please’, I’m just a grandma who doesn’t know anything about technology!”

It was then and there that I knew this interview was going to be fun.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Just another break up song…

A post shared by Little Mix (@littlemix) on Mar 29, 2020 at 8:54am PDT

If you’re aware (and we’re sure you are) the Little Mix girls have just released their latest single ‘Break Up Song‘, which is fast becoming the anthem of many a girl’s broken hearts, but what was it like for the group writing it?

“The creative process was so fun for this song, it came so easily. Usually, when we do a writing session it can either be really productive or it can be like hitting a brick wall, and everyone gets into an uber and goes home. But the session for ‘Break Up Song’ was magic, we ended up writing 6 or 7 songs in one day.” Perrie says. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Little Mix (@littlemix) on Mar 30, 2020 at 6:40am PDT

With just over 10 million Instagram followers, it’s fair to assume that a lot of people look up to the 26-year-old, so I ask Perrie how she feels about being a role model to others, and the sometimes unfair pressure that’s put on pop-stars.

“The only reason I feel girls look up to us is that we’re relatable, we’re just normal people in an abnormal job,” she says.

“No pressure comes from people who are looking up to us, the pressure comes from people who don’t realise we are normal and human. It’s frustrating when people can’t differentiate pop stars from normal people on the street, we all work the same, we all think the same way.  

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Perrie Edwards ✌️🌻 (@perrieedwards) on Jun 20, 2019 at 7:10am PDT

“Sometimes I don’t get what’s not to understand about that you know, I was born, I came into the world, I wipe my bum the same way as you, so what makes me any different!”

Well, that’s one way of putting it.

Perrie goes on to tell me that she was just 16-years-old when she entered the X-Factor and began her journey to fame, and I wonder, what would she be up to if she never entered the show and went on to great things?

“I have no idea what I would be doing, at one point I wanted to be a vet, then for a while a teacher or a nursery nurse, i’m so indecisive!”

“But I do think if I never auditioned for the show and never made it then I would have been screwed. Because really all I ever wanted to do was sing, so I probably would have sung anyway somewhere and somehow.”

Thinking back to that young 16-year-old girl that she was, Perrie says that she wishes she spent less time worrying and more time focusing on the things that made her happy, which is something that with age she’s learned to embrace.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Perrie Edwards ✌️🌻 (@perrieedwards) on Nov 3, 2019 at 5:47am PST

“When you’re younger you think everything is the end of the world, between school and exams and figuring out what you want to do for your future everything can get on top of you, so I would tell 16-year-old Perrie to just chill out and do whatever makes you happy.”

“I worried a lot when I was younger for no reason. I would worry about every little thing, so I’ve learned that it’s important to be happy and enjoy life and not let small things get you down.”

Naturally, conversation soon turns to the topic of the moment, quarantine. Telling me that she’s missing her mam, Perrie says that she’s currently keeping her mind off worries with her new puppy, Travis, which is a very nice way to keep occupied if you ask us.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Everyone. Meet Travis!

A post shared by Perrie Edwards ✌️🌻 (@perrieedwards) on Mar 27, 2020 at 9:53am PDT

“I really really miss my mam, especially out of everyone. She’s really high risk so I’ve had to stay away from her and the house. It’s really sad, But at the same time, I know that it’s hard but for everyone but it’s got to be done.

“While in isolation I’ve been playing with my new puppy, and training him! I was planning on getting a dog for a while but it was never the right time, and then I finally caved when things were quiet and we were making the album and we didn’t have a tour for a while, and then we ended up getting the puppy and quarantine happened! It was perfect timing haha”

While the girl’s 6th album release has unfortunately been put on hold due to the current situation, Perrie assures me that it is still on the way, and fans are in for a real treat.

“The album is shaping up really nicely. We have the title, we have the majority of our tracks, we’re just not sure of the release date now with everything, but it was looking very good. I can’t stop listening to it, and I just can’t wait for everyone to hear it like, c’monnn”

Well, we might have to wait just a little bit longer for the album, but we can have a bop to their latest single ‘Break Up Song’ right now.

You can give it a listen to below!

• Perrie Edwards