Little Mix make a thinly-veiled dig at Simon Cowell in song from upcoming album Confetti

‘Be a puppet on a string!’ Little Mix make a thinly-veiled dig at Simon Cowell in song from upcoming album Confetti

A track from forthcoming Little Mix album Confetti makes a not-so-subtle dig at their old boss Simon Cowell.

The song – Not A Pop Song – will feature on the record, released on Friday, and suggests Simon and his team treated the iconic girl group like ‘puppets on a string’.

Members Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall parted ways with Simon’s label, Syco, in 2018, having been signed to the company on winning X Factor in 2011.

Thinly-veiled: A track from forthcoming Little Mix album Confetti makes a not-so-subtle dig at their old boss Simon Cowell

They are now signed with RCA.

The lyrics read: I don’t do what Simon says / Get the message cuz it’s read / That’s just life it never plays fair / Said to follow any dream, be a puppet on a string / Works for you but that isn’t me / This ain’t another pop song.’

A source close to the band told Metro: ‘It’s not bitchy – and isn’t meant in a bitchy way at all.

‘They think Simon will see the funny side of it – as they know he loves attention and will think it’s all playful.

Meow! The lyrics suggest Simon and his team treated the iconic girl group like 'puppets on a string'

Meow! The lyrics suggest Simon and his team treated the iconic girl group like ‘puppets on a string’

Coming soon: The song - Not A Pop Song - will feature on the record, released on Friday

Coming soon: The song – Not A Pop Song – will feature on the record, released on Friday

‘It’s about them growing up and becoming women in a way.’ 

Confetti is the band’s sixth studio album, following on from 2018’s LM5. It is their first release with RCA.

Despite the label still being linked to Syco under Sony Music, Leigh-Anne previoysly said of the switch: ‘It’s nice to have fresh people to work with and fresh ideas. Everyone needs change in their life I guess.’

‘I feel like we’ve had control from the start. We’ve always been the type of girls to walk in and be like, right, this is what we want.

‘We were like that from The X Factor. We’ve always taken the lead but I think it’s gotten better now that we’ve got older.’

Confetti is available to buy/stream/download on Friday.