Leigh-Anne Pinnock has two well-documented tattoos: “Believe” in cursive at the back of her neck, and a music-and-butterfly design across her upper back and right shoulder blade.

The “Believe” tattoo on Leigh-Anne’s neck

The small cursive word sits just below Pinnock’s hairline. It is readable in close-up, and her hair can cover it when worn down. There isn’t a reliable account tying “Believe” to one specific life event, so the clearest description is the word and its placement.

The musical notes and butterflies across her back

The larger piece starts near the middle of Pinnock’s upper back and reaches toward her right shoulder blade. A treble clef and sheet music run beneath four butterflies that grow larger across the design. Open skin between the lines keeps the composition from reading as one dark block.

Pinnock credited her friend Hannah Lisa with drawing it. Lisa was studying fine art at Arts University Bournemouth at the time. Pinnock later joked that there had been a lot of squealing during the tattoo session.

Are the butterflies part of the Little Mix story?

Four butterflies invite a Little Mix reading: the group had four members, and “Wings” is one of their songs. No confirmed explanation says each butterfly represents a particular member, so the link is plausible rather than settled.

The clef and notes make the music link visible even without the “Wings” interpretation. The butterfly connection can remain open to more than one meaning.

Leigh-Anne and the Little Mix years

Little Mix formed on The X Factor in 2011, and the back tattoo appeared during the group’s years together. Its music notation gives the design a clear tie to Pinnock’s career without using a band name or logo.

This photo is included for context, not as evidence of another tattoo. For comparison, Jade Thirlwall’s tattoos range across more placements, including an Arabic spine tattoo, an ankle heart and a Little Mix tribute. The two collections draw on different parts of the same group history.

The style Leigh-Anne carries into her solo era

Pinnock’s tattoos remain relatively small and easy to cover as her work moves beyond Little Mix. The neck word is direct; the back piece uses several images and a longer path across the body. They differ in scale but share a personal connection to her life and music.

This portrait also provides context; it doesn’t show a tattoo. The back design is easiest to read when the shoulder and the full line of butterflies are visible, though the body’s curve can make it look different from one angle to another.

Design lessons from Leigh-Anne’s layout

The butterfly sizes give the back piece a clear direction. If you’re planning a shoulder or upper-back design, decide what should catch the eye first, then let the rest follow the body’s shape. Have the artist check the stencil as you move your shoulders; a layout that looks level while standing still can shift when you lift an arm.

For the neck script, keep enough space between letters for the word to remain legible. Delicate lettering needs to be drawn for the actual area, not just reduced from a larger design.

A small collection, plenty of personality

The neck piece stays simple; the back design follows a line of music into four butterflies, leaving room for more than one reading.