Little Mix’s K-Pop Discography: How A Survival Show Lead The Band To Release A Full Korean Song

Little Mix, the UK-based girl group that found fame as the winner of the 2011 UK X-Factor, has a K-Pop connection that goes way back, a decade, to be precise.

The original 4-member lineup of Little Mix, including (from left to right) Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirwall, Leigh-Ann Pinnock, and Perrie Edwards | @littlemix/Instagram The current 3-member lineup of Little Mix, after Jesy Nelson left in 2021 | @littlemix/Instagram

The girl group has repeatedly shown their appreciation and love for K-Pop over the years, naming BLACKPINK as one of the artists they would love to collaborate with. Jade Thirlwall, one of the members of the group, also co-wrote “First Time,” one of the tracks from TWICE‘s mini album Taste Of Love. The love goes both ways, as countless K-Pop idols have shown their love for Little Mix’s music.

Both Itzy and Twice members have confirmed that they use little mix songs during their training, please I just want a collab. pic.twitter.com/5W2ETzUsLJ

— PURPLE B∀RBIE ᵇʸ ʲᵏ FEST∀ ~ ǝɹǝɥ sᴉ ʇǝlɹɐɔs (@PurpleMixPrint) June 12, 2021

But many K-Pop fans might not be aware that Little Mix had also dabbled in the Korean music market way before K-Pop reached its current global popularity. In 2013 the group released a Korean version of their Billboard Hot 100 hit single “Wings.” The members sang the entire song in Korean, except the English chorus was kept the same. Along with the song, the group released an official Korean lyric video on their YouTube channel.

The song drew an influx of praise from Korean fans who appreciated the group’s efforts to sing in their language. According to Sony Music Entertainment Korea, the distributor of the song in South Korea, the inspiration to record a Korean version of “Wings” actually came from an SBS survival show, K-Pop Star. On the show, a competing girl group quartet covered “Wings” live, wow-ing the audience with their powerful harmonies.  Little Mix members were highly impressed with this rendition and got on board with the Korean distributor’s idea to turn the song into a Korean version and release it worldwide!

Little Mix members, who have much interest in Korean culture, were greatly impressed by a cover video of their song from SBS TV’s ‘K-pop Star,’ so we suggested them to sing the song in Korean and release it worldwide, and that’s how the Korean version of the ‘Wings’ was born.

—Sony Music Entertainment Korea

Even almost a decade after the song’s release, Korean fans and K-Pop listeners keep coming back to the lyric video to show their appreciation.

| @LittleMix/YouTube

• As a Korean, I’m very thankful for Little Mix’s dedication to making and singin”g a song in Korean. I’ll never forget this. Little Mix forever!”

| @LittleMix/YouTube

• “Their Korean pronunciation is really good! I love Little Mix”