On her debut album My Ego Told Me To, Leigh-Anne isn’t trying on a completely new persona, she’s reviving the red haired firebrand who first stormed onto The X Factor stage, and daring the industry to keep up. After more than a decade as one quarter of Little Mix, this debut album feels like both reckoning and release.
Leigh-Anne describes My Ego Told Me To as “versatile, rooted in reggae and my heritage, but stamped with pop,” and that duality defines its sonic journey. Opener “Look Into My Eyes” immediately sets the tone: a Caribbean choir-like intro melts into pounding drums and a fast electronic pulse, undercut by a steady reggae backdrop. The repetition of its central refrain feels confrontational, almost hypnotic, before the track dissolves back into reggae textures at its close. The shifting production mirrors the album’s wider narrative. It’s a clever structural choice, where heritage doesn’t decorate the album rather plants its foundation.
That reclamation is continued on “Revival”. Built on reggae rhythms and punctuated by echoing ad-libs that feel like internal monologue, Leigh-Anne plants her flag in the lyrics “I’ll never back down.” The vocal layering gives the impression of her arguing with, and, ultimately empowering – herself. The message declaring autonomy is clear, but at times you long for a more poetic turn of phrase to match the richness of the instrumentation.
That internal tug of war is most compelling on “Best Version of Me”. Fast-paced and restless, the track mirrors the chaos of self-confrontation. “I’ve been running away from myself for a while / I’m fighting for the best version of me,” she admits, her voice cutting clean through the beat. The urgency feels authentic, though the glossy production sometimes smooths over the rawness the lyrics hint at. One can’t help but wonder how devastating it might have been had the arrangement stripped back further, allowing the vulnerability to sit unguarded.
Elsewhere, the album broadens its emotional palette. “Me Minus U” leans into sleek pop romanticism, while “Goodbye Goodmorning” captures the liminal space between intimacy and independence with understated restraint. “Free” stands tall as a statement of self-belief, “Baby I could lose a mil and I’d make it right back / What’s the point in living if you don’t fight back,” embodies the album’s thesis of resilience through ego.
Rooted in Caribbean sonics My Ego Told Me To moves with a clear sense of identity from its very first beat. The blend of reggae, pop and R&B feels intentional and unified, even in moments where a glossy finish softens some of its rawer edges. Ultimately, this is a record about autonomy, about reclaiming voice, honouring heritage and stepping fully back into Leigh-Anne’s own fire.
My Ego Told Me To is not about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you were before the noise set in and most importantly, having the nerve to be her again.
