Global music superstar Perrie finally unveils her long-awaited debut solo single “Forget About Us.”
“Forget About Us” is a bittersweet uptempo pop song co-written by Perrie with Ed Sheeran and legendary songwriter David Hodges (“Because of You”—Kelly Clarkson, “A Thousand Years”—Christina Perri) and Steve Solomon.
The euphoric track is the introduction to Perrie as a solo artist, highlighting her stunning vocal talent. “I don’t want you to ever forget about us in the front seat / listening to songs that made you think about me,” she sings, in this remembrance of previous relationships.
Perrie says: “I look back on past relationships and do think happily about those times. Do I want to be there now? No. It didn’t work out that way and if it was supposed to be it would have happened. Relationships have been a huge part of my life and they’ve made me who I am now. I think it’s a nice sentiment to be honest about and it’s super relatable.”
The beautiful video for the song, coming soon, was directed by Jake Nava (Beyonce, Britney Spears) and shot recently in Cape Town.
The world might know her as the self-assured Perrie from Little Mix, a group that boasts 3 Brit Awards over 17.49 million albums sales globally & 29.6 billion worldwide streams. However, her experience in one of the best-selling girl groups of all time was also transformative for a younger girl who was naturally shy and unsure of her immense talents. Previously, Perrie shied away from songwriting in Little Mix as she didn’t have the confidence in her abilities, but through working on her upcoming debut album, her extensive songwriting contributions surprised even her.
Across the eclectic and diverse record she had a heavy hand in creating, there are nods to her rock n roll-influenced childhood, motown, disco, country, 80s and, of course, bright, bold pop. The unifying thread is Perrie’s strong, soaring vocals that fearlessly grapple with each melody and top note. “Going into sessions as a solo artist now and being able to say what I want and I feel is just the most amazing experience. I never had the confidence to do that before, but this process has allowed me to believe in myself and explore all my different emotions and different parts of my life.”
Nearly all of the highly personal album was written and recorded at Perrie’s North London home, a place she feels the safest. Her fiancé Alex suggested they turn their unused dining room into a home studio, which he had built for her with everything she needed to lay down the tracks. “All of the content that I’ve done documenting the album has been made at home too—all the fans are commenting like, ‘Does she ever leave the house?’” Perrie laughs. As well as being embedded in her sanctuary she also explored working with producers and co-writers—the elite squad of which included artists Ed Sheeran and Raye as well as Johnny McDaid, Feli Ferraro (BTS, Normani) and Jon Bellion (Maroon 5, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber)— which allowed her to be as vulnerable and creative as possible for this debut product.
“I’m so proud of what I’ve done and created. I wanted it to be fun above anything else and showcase my singing through ballads and big vocal numbers,” she says, with her sights now set on taking her music out in front of the world and performing live with a band. “Having people singing your songs back to you is the best natural high in the world. I’m just so excited to see how fans react to my music now.” Whether sensitive or powerhouse – Perrie’s distinctive vocals stand proud as she emotes her way through songs that tell her story so far.