I've recently got more interested in Pixie Lott after being won over by her on Strictly Come Dancing - but the more I read about her career, the more frustrated I get as it seems to me that she is seriously underperforming, partly due to some really bad decisions probably made by her record label. I think part of the problem is they don't know how to market her, and seem to be trying to tick too many boxes and hoping she appeals to everybody. Needless to say its not working! I suspect her second album stuffed up her career as it seemed to throw away what made her debut appealing in favour of more throwaway pop to try and fit in with the latest trends in the chart.

There seem to be 3 sides to Pixie and her music:

1. Sweet girl next door type with a child friendly image who makes catchy pop songs
2. Slightly raunchy pop starlet
3. More mature, soulful singer with classic influences on a modern sound

I think someone needs to work out who Pixie is as an artist before her sales sink any lower - I'd like to think she could have a big hit again ('Nasty' went top 10 only last year!) but the main thing IMO is to hold on to those loyal fans she has left and keep them happy. I suspect that an indie label may be better for her now actually.

I don't think the raunchy stuff suits Pixie that well, she seems too 'nice' and I wouldn't want her going all Miley Cyrus on us, so I think she'd be best off releasing more of the ballads she says she likes performing best, with some classy pop songs too, and maybe accepting that the big hits have probably dried up. A few pop stars have done well by taking work in musicals and I could see her doing that well, as she's proved that she can sing, dance and act, and works hard. Maybe doing that and releasing new music on a smaller label is the way forward?

Even though I haven't paid Pixie much attention until last year I get the impression she's a really lovely girl who gets a lot of unfair criticism but she just seems to want to sing and entertain people. If someone like that who can sing, dance and act can't find a place in the music scene then I think that's pretty sad personally.

Anyone agree or am I just rambling to myself here?

I've been a Pixie fan since she first came out in 2009 and I agree with everything you said OP. Her first album was good (and so was the re-release) and showed a lot of potential but she went downhill after that. Her second album was alright but not great overall. The first mistake was releasing Kiss The Stars as a single and that cheap-looking video was terrible. I hardly listened to her last album at all apart from the singles. She seems like a lovely girl and very down to earth and I would hate to see her turn trashy to get hits.

Maybe she will be able to find the right producers that could help her put together some refreshing material that will get her back to the forefront of music.

Her début album was a promising start. Everything else that followed was a trainwreck.

Honestly. She needs to record good, fun music. Her early songs like Get Weak would be hits now.

I liked Pixie Lott from 2009-2010. I liked her debut album and actually went to her first tour in Glasgow in November 2010. Then, to be honest, she released her 2nd album and I lost all interest in her. I loved 'All about tonight' then listened to the album and at a push, other then AAT, liked 2 songs out of like 18 Then just went completely off her. Even though I did like 'Nasty', I couldn't be bothered even asking for the album for Christmas. She lost something about her after her 1st album and I don't really know what it was. I didn't even buy her last album

Thanks for the comments; interesting to see some very similar views shared between new and old fans.

I actually love Pixie's ballads, so I'm thinking of getting her last album (I've got the Hits album and controversially 'Break Up Song' is my favourite track), but it does look like that second album did a lot of damage.

I'd quite like to see a Pixie Lott/Mark Ronson collaboration, I think that could be pretty special!

She has an identity crisis as mentioned by the OP.
She needs to figure out who Pixie Lott actually is.

I loved her first album, including the songs on the re-release, and I think her second album had some great songs on it. I liked the singles, and also Everybody Hurts Sometimes, Love You To Death, Bright Lights Good Life, We Just Go On. I've not listened to her latest album though.

Was Get Weak ever released anywhere?

I've spoken at length about Pixie here before, and have noted that the ideal venues for Pixie's pop - TOTP, Smash Hits, CD:UK - don't really exist on a regular basis anymore, so she needs to find a new route. There are several ways she could go...

Strictly helped Pixie broaden her appeal to a broader range of the audience, but she needs to be careful not to do too many reality shows or she'll end up going the way of Jamelia, who's now arguably known most for telly rather than music. Look at the 'how far her star has fallen' response poor Zoe Birkett got when she turned up on non-celebrity Big Brother, I'm sure Pixie doesn't want that...

A return to the more funky/soulful sound of her earlier releases would actually help keep an older audience interested in Pixie's music releases - with her pre-SCD fanbase skewing mostly younger, she was perhaps under pressure to make her albums blander, less challenging pop. Those who get stuck in that young rut (see the Disney/Nick brigade) can find it difficult to shake off that mantle successfully, without going too far the other way...

We're in an era when some pop lasses make an art of flinging their clothes off - and invariably grab celeb-press column-inches in the process - with the more midmarket likes of Pixie and her ilk getting drowned out by the noise around Miley and Rihanna and such. However, if Pixie goes too rude, she'll put off the more mature audience that has found her through Strictly, as well as upsetting the parents of her younger fans. So she needs to evolve her look carefully...

Pixie did make an appearance in FHM donkey's ages ago, presumably aimed at getting young men to buy in; that didn't really work as a marketing ploy, though, as her tunes skewed female. Then a few years down the line she's dancing in her undies - even less than she wore in FHM - for the Nasty video, which stuck out a mile given it was a lot sexier than what had gone before - the smell of execs trying a final throw of the dice? Whilst Lott undoubtedly has an amazing figure, forcing it upon the audience may not be the smartest way to go, when there are ways to be adult without being X-rated.

Taking a more indie route - which is entirely possible these days with the blooming of small venues, YouTube/Soundcloud and DIY labels - could be seen by our sneering press (and perhaps some of the sarky sods here on DS) as a backward step after a time being thrust forth by a major concern, but would give Lott the creative freedom to make the kind of music she wants without label bosses wedging an oar in; it'd also give her more control over her styling, with Pixie able to dictate exactly how much skin she's willing to show, and would also offer her the freedom to tie her music career in with film and/or stage work should she wish. However, she'd have to do a lot more of the legwork - promotion and such - largely alone without the big powerhouse push a big label could provide. Social media's made that kind of thing easier, though - with options from crowdfunding to street-teaming giving the audience a chance to have a stake in Pixie's future...

Superb post. I agree that Pixie shouldn't overdo the reality TV route, or go too raunchy (although part of me would like that - I think it will make matters worse!).

I see absolutely no shame in artists going for a low budget, indie option - in fact I respect them more as it shows they really are doing it for the love of music and their fans, rather than to be rich and famous. Pixie seems to work bloody hard with various promo stuff anyway so I think she could cope with the pressure, and as you say social media helps. I get the impression there is an audience out there for her and there are still fans who adore her, I just hope she can keep them interested!

Her record label do still seem interested though as she's working with Cathy Dennis on new material, could be interesting to see how that pans out.

I think a big problem with Pixie at the moment is, she is obviously on a 360 record contract (the label take a cut of everything) so all the money she makes from sponsorships etc they get a bit of...so they are still making money. Her music is struggling to sell so I think they are just going to push her for more television appearances rather than focusing purely on the music - which in the long run won't do her any favours.

I think she was probably made to believe she's better than she actually is. She slotted in the scene well in 2009 but music has moved on as it always does. If she'd have had a few more hits she could've been still up there. She comes across as very middle of the road though and it won't be long until she declines into almost z-list status. Unless she comes along with a wonder hit like Kylie did with Spinning Around.

She just doesn't fit current musical trends. She's a very small fish in a very large pond, and there are many like her and also many better. I love her debut album, but she really took a wrong turn with her follow-up. The attempt at a more soulful/R&B sound just didn't really work for her. Could she return? Absolutely. She's young, she's hot, she's got the potential. But she just needs better material.

I think she should try to go for a Paloma Faith-like sound. She's younger than Paloma too - I think she could straddle the line between more middle of the road pop and Paloma's old-style music quite nicely.

We know she can dance now, so she should try and have a comeback the way Alysha Dixon did it - slightly old-style funky happy music that she can dance to, and some slower ballad songs. 'Sexy' Pixie was always a strange choice I think because she looks so innocent and young - she'd be appealing to a particular kind of man. They tried to make her sexy in a Nicole Scherzinger way but it didn't suit her at all. It's hard I think to 'make' someone sexy in that way if it doesn't come naturally to them.

I actually thought Pixie's last single 'Lay Me Down' was really good - it was hurt by two things though; not being the lead single and thus not getting all the promo oppurtunities, and Pixie being basically alone in the video where it was the kind of song that was crying out for 'Pixie-and-friends' party scenes and lots of people dancing etc. I really got the feeling they spent all the money on location and constumes and didn't have enough left over to hire extras. (here's the video, for anyone who's interested)

Loved her first singles in 2009 and liked All About Tonight but her material has gone downhill. Pixie does have a good voice though

Loved her first album, And i loved all about tonight. But her 2nd album and 3rd was no where near the quality of her first.

I think Pixie is hot but in a sort of cute way, and as amazing as I think she looks, I can't really help but wonder what whoever came up with the idea of the 'Nasty' video (and arguably releasing the song at all) was thinking! Maybe she should have said no to it, but then it was a minor hit? I think her latest calendar is a better showcase of her: she's wearing some skimpy costumes, but also posing with kittens and wearing pretty dresses. It's a good balance to appeal to men, women and kids, and I think that image suits her the best personally - sexy but still 'nice' and definitely not trashy.

PS. She's actually released a couple of singles since 'Lay Me Down', though they haven't troubled the top 40.

Yeah I agree, she's cute rather than hot. She had some awful styling during her second album too though mind, Nasty wasn't the only misstep - e.g. from the Kiss the Stars video http://i40.tinypic.com/264jn2c.jpg http://edgecast.metatube-files.busca...e_116890_4.jpg

I absolutely agree with everything you have said. I really feel she could work in musicals and she has the experience from doing them at the stage school (I can't remember off the top of my head) she went to.

I do know that she gave an interview and also did a photo shoot for Marie Claire magazine last month, where she did say that she wanted to focus on the music. Perhaps, she maybe doesn't want to overwhelm herself with too much stuff and also wants to try to have a normal life as well.

Very recently, I was watching videos of the short gig and Q&A she did for the launch party for the last album on YouTube. She is apparently got involved with/plugging this web-based chat service called Viber and she was doing a Q&A and fans had been sending her questions to her about are doing a new tour, album etc. I reckon she sees this year to make a fresh start/comeback, especially when she did not have an easy time last year I also reading her profile on amazon and she did say that she was given more creative control on the last album and she knows deep down that she is getting older and would like to mature as an artist. I do know that the new album she is working on with Cathy Dennis has been described by her as having "a big sound" and will be a departure from her earlier albums, but I do not necessarily think her last one though.

Long rant I know for me, but I just wanted to get it all out in the open.

She released a greatest hits album to capitalise on her Strictly Come Dancing popularity last November - it charted at 107.

I agree with the OP. I prefer her older songs when it was more poppy but I quite like her more recent songs too.

LMFAO

Greatest hits out of a 5 year career? Hardly hits were they?

Mama Do is probably the only one that is remembered.

It was blatantly a record label attempt to cash-in on her being on Strictly Come Dancing which didn't quite work out.

Pixie certainly isn't the first person to have a rather premature Hits album; Scouting For Girls have a Greatest Hits album and it went top 10!

I think she had some decent songs at the beginning of her career but have always found her presence and voice a bit too 'stage school' personally. She was never the 'hot' girl or the 'kooky' girl she was just kind of... there.

I can understand why she didn't inspire a huge fanbase, then the lack of good material later on made it even worse.