Leigh-Anne Pinnock

“I wanted to use my voice to address colourism because I am so aware of how awful it is and it is just something that needs to be spoken about.”

“I don't really know who I am. I used to get scared at that thought, but now I've stopped punishing myself for not knowing.”

“Sometimes I felt I was being treated differently to my bandmates because of the colour of my skin.”

“I learned that the dream of being in the biggest girl band in the world came with its flaws and consequences. Consequences such as knowing about the existent underlying racism in the creative industries.”

“When we did Party in the Park it was in front of 70,000 people and that was amazing. But with smaller crowds, you can see everyone looking at you. We're like 'eeeee!'”

“A compliment goes a long way.”

“We're very lucky because our fan base is so dedicated that they want to have a hard copy of our album. They want to own it, have it in their hands.”

“There is such a problem with racism, so to actually just say it and have so many people of colour message me and thank me for saying something... I remember when I used to cry about it to my manager I used to be like: 'Why do I feel like this?' and she'd never say it, and I'd never say it. It was really strange.”

“To have an edit with ASOS - I just love ASOS - every piece is wicked, and I love how versatile it is.”

“We all know that racism is a massive horrible issue in this country and I really wanted to delve deeper into it.”

“Although I feel like R&B is becoming bigger in the U.K., I still feel like the representation isn't where it should be in comparison to America.”

“My reality is feeling anxious before fan events or signings because I always feel like I'm the least favoured.”

“I love my little bum and my waist.”

“We've made music to boost people up, make people happy and to inspire them.”

“I didn't feel like I had as many fans as the other girls. It was a strange feeling. I never thought that it was because I was the darkest member of the band. I felt overlooked. So I did everything to make myself more noticed, convinced I wasn't good enough.”

“I like 'Yabai!' That just rolls off the tongue. It means sick, wicked in Japanese.”

“When I am on my own, I get nervous and have butterflies.”

“For me, diversity is just so important and I want my children to be able to watch TV and see themselves.”

“My reality was feeling lonely while touring to predominately white countries where I sing to fans who don't see me, don't hear me, don't cheer me on.”