Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy. Formed in 1998, Sugababes released their debut album, One Touch, through London Records in 2000. It achieved moderate success and produced the top-ten single "Overload". In 2001, Donaghy was replaced by Heidi Range. Sugababes released three multi-platinum albums: Angels with Dirty Faces, Three, and Taller in More Ways. In December 2005, Buena was replaced by Amelle Berrabah. Following the release of their first greatest hits album, the Sugababes released the albums Change and Catfights and Spotlights.
In 2009, after 11 years in Sugababes, Buchanan, the final original member, was replaced by Jade Ewen. Sugababes released Sweet 7, after which they signed to RCA Records, before taking an indefinite hiatus in 2011 following the release of their single "Freedom". That year, the original lineup re-formed as Mutya Keisha Siobhán and released the single "Flatline" in 2013. The trio regained the name Sugababes in 2019, and in 2021, they rereleased One Touch for its 20th anniversary. In 2022, they released The Lost Tapes, an album of previously unreleased leaked material. In 2025, the group independently released the singles "Jungle", "Weeds" and "Shook", and embarked on the Sugababes '25 Tour, their first arena tour.
Sugababes have achieved six number-one singles in the UK: "Freak like Me", "Round Round", "Hole in the Head", "Push the Button", "Walk This Way", and "About You Now". The Spice Girls are the only British girl group to have had more. They have also released five UK top-ten albums, four of which were certified platinum in the UK, and have been nominated for six Brit Awards, winning for Best British Dance Act in 2003. They have been a long-term fixture in the British tabloids due to their lineup changes and reports of infighting.
History
1998–2001: ''One Touch'' and Donaghy's departure
Sugababes were formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom and Sarah Stennett, and First Access Entertainment. Siobhán Donaghy and Mutya Buena, both aged just 13, had been signed as solo artists, but decided to work together after performing at the same showcase. While working in the studio, Buena invited her best friend Keisha Buchanan to watch them. Manager Ron Tom decided the three girls were to be a trio, likening their different appearances to the United Colors of Benetton campaign. Originally dubbed the Sugababies, the group's name was tweaked to Sugababes when they were signed by London Records to give the group a more mature image.The group's debut single, "Overload", peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart in 2000 and was nominated for a BRIT Award for Best Single. The group co-wrote most of the tracks on debut album One Touch with the help of All Saints producer Cameron McVey. One Touch peaked at number 26 on the UK Albums Chart. The album produced three more top 40 hits—"New Year", "Run for Cover" and "Soul Sound". The sales of One Touch did not meet London Records' expectations, and they dropped the group in 2001. It was later certified Gold by the BPI and had sold 220,000 copies in the UK by 2008 according to Music Week.
During a Japanese promotional tour in August 2001, Donaghy left the group. She stated initially that she wanted to pursue a fashion career, but was eventually diagnosed with clinical depression amid reports of in-fighting amongst the group's members. Donaghy later stated that she was forced out of the group by Buchanan and called Buchanan the "first bully" in her life. Former Atomic Kitten member Heidi Range replaced Donaghy.
2002–2004: ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' and ''Three''
Having already started work on a second album with new member Range, the trio looked for a new record label, eventually signing to Island Records. Their first single on the new label, "Freak like Me" scored the group their first UK number 1 single. Follow-up single "Round Round" also debuted on top of the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 2 in Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Both singles were certified silver by the BPI. On the back of the success of the singles, the group's second album, Angels with Dirty Faces, debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified triple Platinum, selling almost a million copies in the UK alone. It is to date their highest-selling album. In the UK, the third single from the album, a ballad titled "Stronger", gained the girls their third consecutive top ten hit in their native country. The track was released as a double-A side with "Angels with Dirty Faces" in the UK, the latter song chosen as the theme tune to The Powerpuff Girls Movie. A fourth single, the Sting-sampling "Shape", made the top ten in the Netherlands and Ireland in early 2003.The group's third album, Three, was released in late 2003 and reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, earning the group a BRIT Award nomination for Best Album. Certified double Platinum, it has sold 855,000 copies to date. The album was preceded by lead single "Hole in the Head", which became the group's third UK number 1 single. It also reached number 2 in Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway, and became the Sugababes' first single to chart in the United States, reaching number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "Too Lost in You" appeared on the soundtrack to the film Love Actually and went top ten in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK. The album's third single, "In the Middle", was released in 2004 and garnered the group another BRIT Award nomination for Best Single; like its successor, the ballad "Caught in a Moment", it went to number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, the trio sang on the Band Aid 20 remake of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which went to number 1 in the UK in December.
Around this time, the group's perceived "moodiness", alleged backstage catfights, and press junket tantrums were tabloid fodder in Britain. They were surrounded by continuous rumours of in-fighting within the group and constant split reports. Rumours suggested that Buchanan and Buena had bullied Range, although Range herself repeatedly denied such allegations; Buena later admitted that she did not speak to Range when she first joined. According to Buchanan, there was only one serious fallout between herself and Range during a 2004 gig in Dublin, a disagreement around Britney Spears's song "Toxic".
2005–2006: ''Taller in More Ways'', Buena's departure, and compilation
After a hiatus, during which Buena gave birth to her daughter Thalia, the Sugababes released their thirteenth single, "Push the Button" in October 2005. The song debuted at number 1 in the UK and remained in the position for three consecutive weeks. It also peaked at number one in Ireland, Austria and New Zealand, and reached the top three across Europe and in Australia. Certified silver in the UK, it was later nominated at the BRIT Awards for Best Single. Parent album Taller in More Ways became the group's first UK number 1 album. The group was number 1 on the singles, album, airplay and download charts simultaneously, making them the first girl group to achieve such a feat. Taller in More Ways was certified triple platinum in the UK.Following an illness that prevented her from promoting follow-up single "Ugly", Buena left the Sugababes on 21 December 2005. Buena later stated that she was suffering from postnatal depression after the birth of her daughter combined with the group's increasingly hectic schedules, and chose to leave to spend more time with her daughter. Amelle Berrabah joined the Sugababes in late December 2005, having been chosen by the group's management as a replacement. Prior to Buena's departure, the group recorded the track "Spiral" from the William Orbit album, Hello Waveforms, which was released in February 2006.
The third single from Taller in More Ways was a re-recorded version of "Red Dress", which was released in early 2006, and gave the Sugababes their third consecutive top five hit from the album, entering the UK Singles Chart at number 4. Berrabah re-recorded three of the album's twelve tracks and co-wrote a new song with Buchanan and Range named "Now You're Gone". The tracks appeared on a re-release of Taller in More Ways that reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. The fourth and final single from Taller in More Ways was "Follow Me Home", released only in the UK in June, where it charted at number 32.
In mid-2006, the group returned to the studio to record two new tracks for their first greatest hits collection, titled Overloaded: The Singles Collection. The lead single from the compilation, "Easy" peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, whilst the compilation album, released in November 2006, peaked at number 3. The album, certified double Platinum by the BPI, has sold over 600,000 copies. During this time, the group had also begun work on their fifth studio album.
2007–2008: ''Change'' and ''Catfights and Spotlights''
In March 2007, the Sugababes collaborated with fellow British girl group Girls Aloud for their eighteenth single, a cover of the song "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith. The track was released as the official single for Comic Relief. "Walk This Way" became the group's fifth UK number one single.Following their Greatest Hits Tour, the Sugababes returned to the recording studio in mid-2007 to continue working on Change, their fifth studio album, and the first to feature Berrabah on all tracks. "About You Now" was released as the album's lead single in September 2007. Upon release, the song became the group's sixth UK number one hit and first Hungarian chart-topper. It remained atop the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. "About You Now" was nominated for a 2008 BRIT Award for Best British Single and is to date their highest-selling single, with sales standing at almost 500,000 copies. In the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "About You Now" was listed as the "first track by a British pop act to top the singles chart solely on downloads". The song was also named as the "biggest chart mover to the number one position in the UK".
In October 2007, Change became the group's second UK number 1 album. For the second time, the group topped the singles, album and download charts simultaneously. The album's title track "Change", was released as the second single in December 2007 and peaked at number 13 in the UK. The album sold 494,000 copies in the UK, and was certified Platinum. The third and final single from Change was "Denial", which reached number 15. From March to May 2008, the Sugababes travelled the UK on the thirty-date Change Tour, their biggest tour to date.
Following the Change Tour, Sugababes returned to the studio to write and record tracks for their sixth studio album, Catfights and Spotlights. It was reported that producer Timbaland had approached the Sugababes to work on their sixth album, but due to time restrictions, a collaboration did not occur. "Girls", the lead single from Catfights and Spotlights was released in October 2008. The single peaked at number 3 in the UK, making it their first lead single since One Touch not to reach number 1. The album peaked at number 8 in the UK Albums Chart. Its second and final single, "No Can Do", was released in December and peaked at number 23 in the UK. The Performing Right Society named Sugababes the fourth-hardest-working band of 2008 due to the number of concerts they had performed during that year.