Sugababes

What the hell are you talking about?

Shivawn, of course. She got hot n heavy with Luke Evans back in the day... on stage, of course.

They were huge here in Europe for a couple of years. I was just a small Mitteleuropan gayling and discovering the world of bubblegum pop for the first time when their first single "Overload" was released and I LOVED it - I made my mom take me to the record store the day their debut album was supposed to go on sale and I almost suffered a hissy fit when the clerk told us they didn't have the album because something went wrong with the shipping.

I quickly lost interest in them once Siobhan left the group. She did make two solo albums later which had some great songs (like "Don't Give Up") but they both flopped hard. I was surprised to see the original trio reunited a few years ago because they all talked shit about each other in the press before that (I believe Siobhan called Keisha a bully).

This is still my favorite song of theirs:

Mutya was always my favourite, I thought she was so edgy and cool as a kid.

Possibly my favorite girl group of the last 30 years. That they are almost completely unknown in the US makes me love them more. The original line-up (MKS) was the best IMHO. George Michael was a huge fan too.

'Overload' and 'Freak Like Me' are both stellar, but this one actually got me through a breakup. Not ashamed to admit it either.

Round Round is my jam

My favourite Sugababes incarnation was Mark II: Mutya, Keisha and Heidi.

Push the Button is one of my favorite songs ever. I’m not even British, I heard it when I traveled there at the time it was playing

I love this acoustic version of Overload.

"Caught In a Moment" made little impression on me. I guess they were going for "sultry" but the production is so bland. I love this live session version they did in 2013, though.

A Siobhan b-side.

A pity MKS didn't take off.

They shat all over Atomic Kitten and Girls Aloud.

They shat all over Atomic Kitten and Girls Aloud.

Siobhan had the best album post-Babes but "Song 4 Mutya" is all sorts of amazing.

I loved Overload, Red Dress, Round Round, Freak Like Me, About You Now, and Push The Button (which I think was probably their peak in terms of sound and image). I think my fav was Keisha for no real reason, but Mutya's weird look and soulful voice was somewhat captivating too. It's a shame girl groups aren't much of a thing any more, I loved the harmonies, and the UK had a lot of good ones from the 90s to the mid 00s (Sugababes, All Saints, Eternal, The Pipettes).

MKS did a song produced by Dev Hynes/Blood Orange after they lost the band name that was pretty cool. Was nice to see them with a more indie pop sound.

I quite like this remix of Song 4 Mutya. It has some lyrics deleted from the main version.

This is some lovely 90s nostalgia.

I expect this was a planned single before their relationship with Polydor went kaput.

Yaaaas - Round Round and Freak Like Me! Pure 2002/2003! Was studying abroad in London and these were the JAMS at the clurb.

I love girl groups and it's sad they aren't really big anymore. The UK still champions them (to a degree) as judged by the success of Little Mix.

I love Girls Aloud and Sugababes. (and they even teamed up for a cover of Walk This Way, a UK #1).

Apparently the original trio were in the studio today, demoing the old garage hit "Flowers".

I wish I didn't think this, but Mutya's aesthetic may work against marketing them if they truly reform.

I LOVED the Sugababes. About you now, Freak Like Me and Push The Button all pop gold. Mutya was always my favourite... she had that edginess, like she'd contribute to some young offenders statistic.

I love this one. I hope it doesn't languish unreleased/unpromoted.

Surprised this one hasn't been posted, it's the one I loved.

I never really liked "Ugly". But I quite like this "Situation" sampling remix. I don't think it ever got a commercial release.

They look like drag queens

This was just covered by Bananarama.

They sing like dreams.

I suspect this was a planned single. They even have a dance routine that Siobhan seems to forget or abandon halfway through.

Anthem.

Loved Sophie E.B.'s Murder on the Dancefloor

r32 written by "family" - Gregg Alexander.

I did not know that R33. Thank you !

Love Sophie E.B in general. All her albums have been good (some of the recent ones quite sonically adventurous and artsy) and her visual work with Sophie Muller in her early career was killer. They still work together on her music videos.

To bring it back to the Sugababes, Sophie Muller (whose vision is responsible for how MANY UK pop artists were marketed in their career), directed the video for 'Freak Like Me'. Not one of her best, IMO.

She also did Siobhan's "Don't Give It Up", IIRC.

Gregg Alexander is gay?

Mutya looks horrible. She is in Pete Burns territory.

I thought the video for "Freak Like Me" was quite clever, neatly sidestepping potential controversy over the sexual nature of the lyrics (the group members were only about 17/18) by introducing the vampire/supernatural element. And it features one of DL's favourite unmmarieds, Julian Morris.

*unmarrieds

The fanbase seem to hate this. I don't like the synthesised farting horns but I think it's otherwise pretty solid.

I used to think this was a "steal your man" anthem, but I'd just misheard the lyrics...

"Push the Button" topped the charts 14 years ago this week.

They were huge in the early 2000’s, and then in around 2006 Mutya left because she thought she would become some big solo artist and after one mediocre-selling solo album they all just disappeared. I don’t believe the shit about them trying to release another album because it doesn’t take 6 years to record and album.

They recorded enough material for multiple albums but the record company didn't hear "a single." The relationship with the label soured... Same Old Story.

R44 So why don’t they self-release something?

I wonder how they earn a living now without working.

Mutya does Prides and bar/pub gigs. Siobhan married well and dabbles in Interior Design. Keisha is a slumlord*

Bananarama cover - they basically copied the girls' vocals note for note (but watered down).

‘My sexy ass has got him in a new dimension’ lol. My favourite tune is ‘Too Lost In You’, it’s brilliant.

Someone made a mashup. Bananarama have some fun tunes but I don't know how their fans can say that their vocals suit the song more...

I liked Sugababes, but let’s not get carried away. They were certainly no Bananarama.

My comment was about vocals... you're not arguing that Bananarama sing well, are you?

R51 I was talking about having songs that are still remembered today.

Sugababes will appear on Graham Norton's TV show on the 18th of this month... is there enouhg time to give Mutya a makeunder?

R53 Holy fuck.... I guess I hadn't seen her in a while lol. But good on them for booking Graham! Wonder if they'll do a new track.

They'll perform "Flowers," which they've recorded for a compilation album called "Garage Classical." I don't know if they'll also appear at the tie-in concert at the Royal Albert Hall. I suspect they will.

I saw them live at GAY and at the end of the gig mutya was with her Mum and they were dancing in the crowd amongst as mere mortals which i always thought was really cool. She chatted away with people. Loved Siobhan first solo album and saw her live too. She was excellent. And song for Mutya is a classic.

Was it this gig?

Has there ever been a girl group with this much drama and line up changes? I think they beat the Supremes for the most line up changes.

Speaking of UK girl groups, The Saturdays thought they could usurp both the Sugababes and Girls Aloud, but they couldn't because they sucked - the group featured the least talented girls from SClub Juniors, and some slag that allegedly fucked Prince Harry.

I hate Girls Aloud and Atomic Kitten.

The Sugababes ruled.

"Soul Sound" is on the September 2001 GapKids In-Store Playlist!

"You Are" by Atomic Kitten is on the June 2002 GapKids In-Store Playlist!

I still listen to "New Year" every Christmas.

The three original girls' voices worked so well together. They all had an interesting tone. Heidi was a good singer, but her voice was much that of a generic pop star.

No, you are all tragically misinformed. And all have horrible taste in music. This is the best girl group EVER!!!!!

OMG. I'm the OP and psyched to see this. These girls deserve a break after the last five years of label/name exile.

and Flowers was a great tune to begin with!

With the right management they could still make a lot of money touring as the three of them. Lots of those nostalgia gigs and festivals too, '00s Party' type events.

I saw All Saints live last year and they were really good. I wouldn't have even known they had a new album out but I work in a store that plays current music and their singles (which didn't even chart well) happened to make it.

Nah R63. This snatches ever girl groups wigs in one epic track....

R53 She looks like she needs to go on Snog Marry Avoid!

Ugly faces, freak names, cannot dance, dead eyes etc.

Mutya has lovely bone structure. This pic is from c. 2014.

r68

If they're ugly then so are you.

R69 I don’t know. That bone structure is way too heavy imo resulting in looking old and obese.

I can't stop staring at R53's horrifying photo. OMG, those fingernails, saggy gazongas, all that ugly ink, pierced cheeks...Girl needs a major intervention, NOW!

Ooh! Nice Easter egg r70.

I think she's tremendous, r53.

My new favourite song, r66.

One of the best UK girl bands for sure - though when the last of the original 3 left (or was kicked out) they lost it IMO - I didn't like their stuff after that.

Too Lost in You was their best slow jam, and Push the Button for banger.

Both American songs (Diane Warren, Dallas Austin).

None of them can hit the low notes here. I wonder why they didn't raise the key and adjust the top note accordingly.

What? It took 77 posts to get to the most funnest breakup song evah?!?

We all had hole in the heads, r77.

R74, "Push the Button" was a 'banger' for you? Wow....

R63, how dare you unearth those sluts. Vanilla was slated to do a cover of Bananrama's "Love in the First Degree" but it never happened, thank God. I guess the CDC must have finally caught up with them.

Sneak peak. The vocals are to tuned for my liking. Hopefully, the live performance will have none of that.

Prepping for telecording.

R81 I like the 'bones' of the song. Good structure, interesting beat, strong vocals. The harmonies are great.

BUT it's just so overproduced. Might just be the low sound quality in the tweet but the execution seems very cheap and digitised.

Hopefully it'll sound better live.

Part of the problem is that the hit version of "Flowers" was a remix. The vocals were chopped and screwed. It was very much "a production," rather than a showcase for (untouched) vocals.

I believe this is the mix that was originally intended to be the single/hit version. Very Scandi-R&B.

This version sort of splits the difference in terms of tempo.

There's apparently a rehearsal clip on this person's IG. Can anyone put it on Youtube?

Aw. Mutya has her arm around Shiv.

Vocal conference.

Sensible heads prevailed.

The track is B-list at Capital (I mean, Radio 2). Surely radio won't want to play 40 seconds of instrumental in the latter part of the track? Maybe there'll be a radio version.

First social media post.

If I were the other two girls I wouldn’t want to be seen with Mutya anymore. What a train wreck.

It's about the music, 'babes.

Live.

Legends.

I don’t remember where, but I recently read some music critic’s assessment that Push the Buttton (2005) was the last real pop song in mainstream music. He felt there was some sort of downward shift after that.

R97 sorry, but that’s delusional beyond belief. Push the button was a dancey, run-of-the-mill, mainstream, commercial pop song with a tarty music video. It was catchy but not a milestone of pop music at all, lol. If anything overload or even freak like me or too lost in you had some significance, but certainly not the generic push the button.

Song sounds a lot better live. I liked the harmony at the end.

I think they'll need more soulful material now that they're mature (their voices too). If they follow this up with some trashy dance records or mainstream pop/trap sounds I just don't think it'll work well. Just nice grooves that let their voices sit together on top well.

They should do a radio version with the harmony cold ending.

Mutya guesting on a new track.

Today is twenty years since Sugababes released their debut album, "One Touch."

I read the title and thought "Sugarcubes".

Bjork fans tend to nee bifocals.

*need

‘Overload’ is the interesting song of theirs. It’s curious because it has an eerie sound and somewhat creepy lyrics, despite the fairly banal subject (a teen girl unsure where she stands with a guy). There’s no other pop-song I can compare it to.

Why does it sound menacing? Is it the key?

[quote] Train comes I don't know its destination/It's a one-way ticket to a madman's situation....

I think "Overload" is in the grand tradition of girl group numbers like "Sally Go Round the Roses" by the Jaynetts. Both hint at madness, if only temporary, due to love/infatuation. Both speak of a solitary figure who cannot rely on anyone else for comfort so they seek escape. The lyrics are unmistakably feminine, which ties them into the tradition of female "hysteria."

Group member Siobhan Donaghy's "Goldfish" is in the same tradition.

Agree completely R106 - and Mutya doesn't sound 15 by a mile.

They're back!!!!

So they're like the Spice Girls but not really successful.

I loved this shady single from Mutya after they added the new girl and got rid of her. "That's who has replaced me? What a diss..."

One of the anthems of the summer that year.

I don't think that song really was a diss track though, R112. They originally wrote it for Estelle, and then gave it to Mutya when they couldn't get Estelle for it. But it definitely came across like that, as it came out just as Amelle joined Sugababes.

It’s a one way ticket to a mad man situation

Stunnas.

Too bad Mutya turned out to be a QAnon covidiot.

I don't think she's a well woman.

What are you favorites from the unreleased tracks?

A year ago... At Christmas!

I never expected them to do this live again.

A short interview promoting their upcoming UK tour.

Their names were a mess….even the least ethnic one, Heidi….

New Dazed interview.

Stronger Live 2022!

The new arrangement of Red Dress is bangin'

Liked their first singles, but it wasn't until Freak Like Me I really got into them. Don't doubt they were/are all raging cunts though.

"Too Lost In You" with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Gorgeous cover of "People" by Libianca.