Sugababes : Releases >>

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Overloaded Singles Collection >>

It's been a slightly tumultuous but hugely successful ride to the top for UK superstars the Sugababes. They've lost not one, but two band members since forming in 1998, but have nonetheless achieved three Brit Awards, an ESKA, a slew of chart hits (including four number ones), four well-received LPs and--more recently--an inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records for "Best Female Act Of The Century." Overloaded, their fifth official album, is a greatest-hits package, bringing together most of their main singles so far. Beginning with their Richard X-produced hit "Freak Like Me" (their first number one), the album profiles most of their hits, including all their most addictive moments--such as "Hole In The Head," "Round, Round," and "Push The Button"--but excluding more lukewarm releases like "New Year," "Soul Sound," "Angels With Dirty Faces," and "Follow Me Home." There's some new material too, notably "Easy," the band's lascivious collaboration with Californian rock band Orson, and the catchy "Good To Be Gone," which is slated to be the second single from the album. --Danny McKenna

In the Middle Pt.2 >>

Too Lost in You Pt.2 >>

Run for Cover >>

Soul Sound, Pt. 2 >>

Round Round 2 >>

Angels with Dirty Faces >>

The story of the Sugababes is a tale which might sound more appropriate to a band of leather-faced rock dinosaurs yet Angels With Dirty Faces is only the second album in their short career. Since dazzling the world with their anthem "Overload"; their first album flopped, they were dropped by their label, a founder member left and just when you thought they would give up, along comes Heidi Range and suddenly they get two consecutive number one singles. "Freak Like Me" was born of a Girls on Top bootleg of Gary Numan & Adina Howard which needed the "babes" attitude to crack the top 40. Second single "Round Round" is more like it; cowritten by the band, it has a far less distinctive sample and grooves like a Motown pop hit with a latter day R&B edge. If their debut One Touch was driven by 1960s R&B, Angels… is more in tune with today's R&B scene as on "Blue", a really bright, upbeat chorus blended with a dark and dirty verse. "Virgin Sexy" and "Supernatural" show a very mature Sugababes in a funk-rock superstyle which creeps menacingly like US divas En Vogue but sign-of-the-times lyrics like "I'm virgin sexy, if you want me just text me" remind us that they're a lot younger than they actually sound. On the whole, Angels… is far more accomplished than their debut. They have now successfully bridged all age gaps making their music so-called intelligent enough to reach the older people yet still fresh, dynamic and instant enough for a younger market. If you were to group them in the bracket of chart pop acts like S Club, Britney, Blue et al, The Sugababes are in a league of their own with a consistent album rather than a short string of sugar-soaked singles… it's hard to believe they are all the same age as or younger than Gareth Gates. --David Trueman