Perrie on debut album, advice for queer fans and why she’d ‘love’ to judge Drag Race UK

Since going solo after being a third of mega-succesful girlband Little Mix, Perrie Edwards has been dropping banger after banger.

Along with debut single “Forget About Us”, Perrie – who shot into the pop girl hall of fame alongside former bandmates JADE and Leigh-Anne – has also released “Tears” and “You Go Your Way”. More recently, the South Shields-born icon dropped “Me, Myself & You” – before keeping the children fed with festive tune “Christmas Magic”.

Perrie performed all four of those singles – and “Christmas Magic” – at the Capital Jingle Bell Ball (7 December), and surprised some lucky fans with an intimate acoustic set with Barclaycard Out of the Blue.

Speaking exclusively to PinkNews ahead of the performance, Perrie reveals that the hallowed debut album has been “done for a while”, spills on which TV show she’d “love” to guest judge on (that both JADE and Leigh-Anne have already done) – and offers some heartfelt advice for queer fans at Christmas.

PinkNews: Let’s get right into it! By the time this goes out, you will have performed at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard at The O2 – and performed a very special intimate acoustic set with Barclaycard Out of the Blue. Why did you want to do that set and what are you most looking forward to?

Perrie: I’ve not done, as a solo artist, a proper acoustic session yet. This is my first one, and I just love an acoustic set, because it’s so different to being on stage.

Obviously I love being on stage because I love how big it is, and there’s more space for the big vocals, and I can really belt it out, and I’m just in my element. But then I also love the simplistic, pulled back, chilled, beautiful arrangements of acoustics.

And I think it’s nice to sing it a bit more delicate. It’s fun as an artist to switch it up a bit!

I like the idea of you belting your songs a metre away from a fan’s face though.

Can you imagine? I’m really loud, and I’m very aware of that! I’m self aware that when I sing full voice, it’s a lot. So I don’t want to just be too intense.

Personally don’t think that anyone would be complaining. You’ve also just released your first Christmas single, Christmas Magic, which is obviously a banger. Why was now the time for Perrie Edwards to drop a festive tune?

I’m Christmas-obsessed. I always have been, like, it’s just something that I get a buzz off. The decorations, the atmosphere, everyone being together, the food, the twinkly lights. I’m literally in love with Christmas so much.

I always knew that I wanted to do a Christmas song, and that I wanted it to sound timeless and classic and a bit nostalgic as well, even though it’s new. So I wanted it to be perfect, but know when you just have a feeling that you’re like, ‘I need to do this.’

And I made it happen, which was a very quick turnaround, but I love a challenge. So why not? I messaged my favourite people; Trey, who I work with a lot, and Nina, who’s amazing, and then Jez, who should be an elf because he loves Christmas so much, and I was like, ‘I know it’s a bit short notice, but do you fancy doing a Christmas song for this year?’

What was the time frame for it?

When you deliver things to streaming platforms and radio and all these other things, and also do a video we basically had like, two to three weeks.

I was like, ‘We need to write the song in the next few days, and then I’m going to record it there and then, and then we’re going to send it to the label, and then we’re going to get it out.’ It was a lot of pressure, but I really felt, in my gut, that I knew exactly what I wanted?

If you could do a Christmas collab with any artist, who would it be?

Ideally, we’d do a whole Christmas album. Like I said, I’m obsessed!

I think the more the merrier, or even like an acoustic “Christmas Magic” or something. And I’m obviously hoping that “Christmas Magic” becomes a staple song that everyone listens to every year.

I had an idea: There are these two amazing popstars called Leigh-Anne and Jade, I think you’d sound really good in a collaboration with them.

Little Mix’s Christmas song does really well every year! And I love that song, and Leigh-Anne wrote it so I’m buzzing for her. Wish we could listen to it all year.

Now there were no covers in this set, but you performed at the Summertime Ball and did Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” – what was that moment like?

That cover of Whitney was one of the best moments of my life. I was in my element, and it’s so funny, because I wanted it to come out of “Tears”, but “Tears” is in a different key.

My team were like, ‘If you’re going to cover Whitney, first of all, it’s intense to cover Whitney. But second of all, you have to do it a key higher than you’ve just been singing.’

I rehearsed it, and was like, ‘Oh my god, can I do this?’ And I’d just done a dance break, and I was singing live. So all the haters who think I mine, you can all f**k off. Honestly, I really committed to that, and I really worked hard on it, and I’m so proud of it.

It was the best moment of my life too, honestly.

So good, I want to do it all over again.

Now, Christmas isn’t always the easiest time for queer fans going home to their families; what advice would you have for them? Apart from to stream “Christmas Magic”.

My advice would be that even if you feel uncomfortable from the way people on the outside make you feel, or your family or people don’t necessarily understand who you are, just knowing that you are your true, authentic self is enough. Because you are enough. You’re loved and you’re adored.

I’ve got to ask; how’s the debut album going?

It’s sounding very good if I do say so myself. I feel like it’s been done for a while, but then I did a few writing sessions the other week, and I absolutely loved what I did. So I think because I’m not rushing anything, I don’t want release anything it not be 100% what I want, because I’m a huge perfectionist.

I’m just gonna keep writing, and keep adding to it, and making sure that I’m 100% in love with what it sounds like before I release it. It’s pretty much finished. I’m just, like, adding that ‘je ne sais quoi’.

You’re also the only former Little Mix girl that hasn’t judged RuPaul’s Drag Race UK; is that on your Christmas wish list?

That is so funny you said that. Claudimar, who’s my best friend, he choreographs the show at the moment, and he’s doing amazing, I’m so proud of him – but he keeps messaging me saying, ‘Babe they keep asking if you’ll come on!’

I actually need to. But I have to say, I’ve never watched a full season front to back. I feel like I need to watch it and be more familiar with it and then go and judge. Because we used to watch it with the girls on tour, but I want to binge it all – but I do love it.

Jade loved it when she judged, and so did Leigh-Anne, she was buzzing. It’s a fun one so I would love to.

She’s a professional, ladies and gentleman.