Little Mix At The Teen Choice Awards Is A Big Deal

While you wait to see if the Spice Girls are actually planning a 20th anniversary tour for next year (oh, please say you'll be there!), might I suggest a British girl group that's a bit more, shall I say, contemporary? Little Mix is basically the Spice Girls of today. Well, these ladies are on their way at least, as Little Mix performing at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday night is certainly a start.

If having that honor bestowed upon them hasn't tipped you off yet that Little Mix is a hit with the kids these days, the fact that the group is nominated for four Teen Choice Awards this year certainly will. They're up for "Choice International Artist," "Choice Love Song," "Choice Music Breakout Artist," and "Choice Summer Music Star: Group," in case you were wondering. That's a good chunk of the music categories right there.

But if you still don't know exactly who Little Mix is, it doesn't mean you're too old. This group is fairly new to the music scene, especially in the States. You've probably just been a little busy keeping up with show biz vets like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna. It's fine, it's fine. You're here now, and you're ready to learn all about this newfangled group young whippersnappers are into.

But be careful. Once you see these seven facts about Little Mix, they might just become your new favorite group — at least until the Spice Girls reunite.

1. They're British

Though you probably can't tell, Little Mix's songs do come with a British accent. All four members (Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall) are born-and-raised Brits. Leigh-Anne is from an English town called High Wycombe, both Perrie and Jade are from South Shields, England, and Jesy is from Essex. Thankfully, Jesy made a name for herself through her successful music career and not from a British Jersey Shore-like reality show called The Only Way is Essex. That would have so not been reem.

2. They Formed On The X Factor

Like any British musical group worth its weight in adoring fans (*cough cough* One Direction *cough cough*), Little Mix got its start on The X Factor in 2011. However, the ladies originally auditioned as soloists before being put together into a group with the name Rhythmix, which they later found out was the name of a charity. So they changed it to Little Mix during the season, and they eventually won the whole shebang. What's in a name, anyway?

3. Little Mix Has A Big Pop Sound

Little Mix has a fun, pop sound. Their music is catchy while also being extremely bubbly and sexy. You've probably heard their singles "Wings," "Move," and "DNA" before, even if you didn't realize it. They've had a ton of success with their latest single "Black Magic," which has spent the most time at No.1 on the U.K. charts out of any of their songs released so far. Little Mix also recently did a mash-up of Jason Derulo's "Want to Want Me" and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," which demands to be heard.

4. Perrie Edwards Was Engaged To Zayn Malik

Yes, Perrie was one-half of the hottest couple in British pop music. Perrie and Zayn first met — where else — on the set of The X Factor in 2011. After dating for more than a year, the couple got engaged in 2013. As high-profile relationships go, things weren't always easy for Perrie and Zayn. They faced cheating rumors throughout their relationship, and many even wrongfully blamed Perrie for Zayn's choice to leave One Direction earlier this year. Perrie and Zayn just called off their engagement earlier this month. Let the shade throwing begin!

5. Ed Sheeran Helped Jesy Nelson Get Engaged

Well, when one relationship ends, another begins. Life's funny like that sometimes. However, even more amazing is the fact that Ed Sheeran was responsible for Jesy getting engaged in July. OK, so it was more like good old Ed played his song "Tenerife Sea" as Rixton lead singer Jake Roche proposed to Jesy at a soundcheck at Manchester Arena, but if he wasn't there, who knows if she would've said yes?

6. They Can Handle Anything... Except A Big Bug

During a recent show in Phoenix, a giant flying insect kept getting caught in Jade's hair, and the ladies of Little Mix promptly bugged out, pun definitely intended. They squirmed and ran around the stage in terror during the performance, which is basically how I would've reacted if I was in the same situation. I love Little Mix even more knowing that they kept it real.

7. They Mean Business

Little Mix knows the importance of promotion, especially in this day and age when it's tough to make money off of music alone in the music biz. That's probably why they've lent their name to a ton of different products over the years, from Union Jack M&M's to kids' clothes to zip-up headphones. These ladies even have their own fragrance. That's when you know you've made it. Well that, and when you bring down the house at the Teen Choice Awards.