The Lost Tapes | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 24 December 2022 | |||
Recorded | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 50:41 | |||
Label | Self-released | |||
Sugababes chronology | ||||
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The Lost Tapes is the eighth studio album by British girl group Sugababes and their first independent release. While work for the album dates back to 2011 when the original lineup reunited, the album remained unreleased until its 24 December 2022 digital release. The Lost Tapes is the second Sugababes album to feature the original lineup after 2000's One Touch. The deluxe version, which included an additional three tracks, was released digitally on 31 December 2022.
The Lost Tapes debuted at number two on the UK Digital Albums chart and number 13 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. Following their one-off show at the O2 in September 2023, the album reached a new peak of number 7 on the UK Independent Albums Chart, as well as charting at number 23 on the Scottish Albums Chart. The album debuted and peaked at number 150 on the UK Albums Chart.
In 2009, the line-up of the Sugababes featured Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah and they were gearing up for the release of their seventh album Sweet 7 in early 2010. [3] However, prior to the album's release, it was confirmed that Buchanan was leaving the group in September 2009, and she was subsequently replaced by Jade Ewen. [4] Shortly after original member Mutya Buena won the legal rights to use the name Sugababes under Class 16 of the EU Trademark Act, both Buena and Buchanan individually tweeted about recording in the studio. Buchanan said she was in the studio with "two other females" and British rapper Professor Green, while Buena separately tweeted "Tunnnnnnnnne! What a banger. I could pee myself with excitment lol but I won't. [ sic ]". [5] Both Buena and Buchanan denied that they were in the studio together and said that they were not working on music for the Sugababes, [6] with Buena saying: "No track [with] keisha or professor G he was around tha studio. im jus workin on my stuff @ tha moment. [sic]" [6] Despite this, Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé confirmed to MTV UK that she had written new songs for Buena, Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy, saying: "Yes, that is true. I've written for the original line-up of the Sugababes, which I'm very happy about because I just loved them when they first came out. I loved their sound, it was so cool. It was very different, so I'm happy to kind of be involved in what started the whole Sugababes journey. It sounds amazing." [7] The Lost Tapes is the second Sugababes album to feature the original lineup, after 2000's One Touch. [8]
In April 2012, it was reported that the line-up had signed a £1 million record deal with Polydor Records. [9] In July 2012, it was officially confirmed that the group had reformed under the name Mutya Keisha Siobhan and were writing songs for a new album under Polydor. [10] The group enlisted Naughty Boy, MNEK, Sia and Shaznay Lewis as collaborators for the album. [11] Speaking of working with the group, MNEK said, "I'd just turned 17 when Felix Howard messaged me to say that the original Sugababes are singing together again and I want you to write with them'. I wasn't gonna say no was I [ sic ]". According to the singer-producer, the song "Today" was supposed to be the first single. MNEK also worked on "Drum" and the song "Boys" with Richard "Biff" Stannard. [12]
The album's original title was reportedly The Sacred Three, after the band's comeback concert tour. [13] A song originally recorded for the album "Love in Stereo" went on to be recorded by Bananarama on their album In Stereo (2019). [14] Buchanan said in an interview that the group were working on new material after their previous work was leaked online. [15] Amongst the first songs to leak was a version of the song "Back in the Day" which sampled the song of the same name by Ahmad in February 2015. [16] A year later, several other songs leaked to varying degrees of finished production, including: "Boys", "Love in Stereo", "Today", "No Regrets", "Summer of '99", "Too in Love", "I'm Alright" and "Drum". Another song "Burn Out" also leaked, which was later reclaimed by its writer Tom Aspaul. [17] The group had also uploaded a song called "Lay Down in Swimming Pools" which sampled the Kendrick Lamar song "Swimming Pools (Drank)" to their SoundCloud account at the end of a studio session with Dev Hynes. [18] This song would later be re-recorded with new vocals and new instrumental to become The Lost Tapes' song "I Lay Down".
The album includes '80s-inspired pop, which is most present on the single "Flatline", initially released in June 2013, [19] [20] pop rock influences as seen on "Summer of '99", and elements of breakbeat, which is notable on songs such as "Today." [21]
The song "Boys" features on the album, which a short a cappella clip was uploaded of on Buchanan's YouTube account in January 2013. The clip quickly attracted attention, surpassing over 100,000 views. The same day, Popjustice released a three-second clip of the studio version of the single, calling it "simply amazing". [1] A handful of the songs included on the album, namely "I'm Alright", "Love Me Hard", "Today" and "No Regrets" were previously performed by the trio at their first official headline gig at the Scala nightclub on 1 August 2013. [22] "Flatline" and "Today" were amongst the songs performed throughout their various festival performances and headline tour in 2022. [23]
"Flatline" was originally released on 6 September 2013 under the Mutya Keisha Siobhan name through Polydor Records. The single was re-released on 9 June 2022 independently under the Sugababes name. [24] The Sugababes announced the surprise release of The Lost Tapes on social media, stating "We wrote this album almost 8 years ago and for various reasons it didn't get an official release, so it's with great pride that The Lost Tapes is available now on all streaming platforms". [2] The group confirmed that they had released the album independently, and were in control of its rollout. [25]
Tour by Sugababes | |
Location |
|
---|---|
Associated album | The Lost Tapes |
Start date | 16 October 2022 |
End date | 20 September 2023 |
Legs | 2 |
No. of shows | 21 |
Supporting act(s) | Kara Marni |
Sugababes concert chronology |
Though not formally announced to promote The Lost Tapes, the Sugababes went on tour across the UK and some countries in Europe in October and November 2022 and September 2023. The group performed songs spanning nearly all of the line-ups and were supported by London singer Kara Marni. [26] The setlist also included songs "Today" and "Love Me Hard" from The Lost Tapes, which at the time of the tour were officially unreleased. According to Buchanan, former Sugababes members Range and Berrabah were supporting the group from afar. [26]
The set list is taken from Norwich show at the Nick Rayns LCR, it is not intended to represent every date of the tour. [26]
After five days of tracking, The Lost Tapes debuted at number two on the UK Album Downloads Chart and at number 13 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. [27] [28] After the deluxe version of the album was released, the tracks "Back to Life", "Only You" and "Breathe Me" charted at numbers 49, 58 and 62, on the UK Singles Downloads Chart on 6 January 2023. [29]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Drum" | 3:34 | |
2. | "Flatline" |
| 3:53 |
3. | "Love Me Hard" |
| 3:42 |
4. | "Summer of '99" |
| 3:58 |
5. | "Boys" |
| 3:05 |
6. | "Metal Heart" |
| 4:25 |
7. | "Beat Is Gone" |
| 4:29 |
8. | "No Regrets" |
| 4:01 |
9. | "Today" |
| 3:42 |
10. | "Victory" |
| 3:12 |
11. | "I'm Alright" |
| 4:04 |
12. | "I Lay Down" |
| 4:08 |
13. | "Back in the Day" |
| 4:23 |
Total length: | 50:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
14. | "Back to Life" |
| 3:34 |
15. | "Breathe Me" | 4:17 | |
16. | "Only You" |
| 4:11 |
Total length: | 62:43 |
Notes
Chart (2022–2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums (OCC) [30] | 23 |
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [27] | 2 |
UK Albums Sales (OCC) [31] | 14 |
UK Physical Albums (OCC) [32] | 13 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [33] | 7 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 24 December 2022 | Standard | Self-released | [34] | |
31 December 2022 | Deluxe | [35] | |||
15 September 2023 | LP, CD | Standard | [36] |
The Sugababes are an English girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011.
Three is the third studio album by British girl group Sugababes, released by Island Records on 27 October 2003. It generated four singles that charted in various parts of the world; the first, "Hole in the Head", became the group's third UK number one single. The three members of the Sugababes each recorded a "solo" song on the album—"Whatever Makes You Happy", "Sometimes" and "Maya". Three debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.
Siobhán Emma Donaghy is an English singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the girl group Sugababes. Donaghy left Sugababes in 2001 and released her debut solo album, Revolution in Me, in 2003. Her second studio album, Ghosts, was released in 2007 and met critical acclaim.
Heidi India Partakis is an English singer, best known as a former member of the girl group Sugababes. She was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, however she left the group before they released any material. In 2001, Range replaced original member Siobhán Donaghy in the Sugababes, after which the group enjoyed higher commercial success and accumulated six UK number-one singles as well as two number-one studio albums over the course of a decade, before the line-up at the time disbanded in 2011.
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Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan is an English singer and songwriter and a founding member of the girl group Sugababes alongside Mutya Buena and Siobhán Donaghy. With Sugababes, she has had six number-one singles and two number-one studio albums, making them one of the most successful-charting British pop acts of the 21st century so far. Buchanan was sacked from the group in September 2009 and replaced by Jade Ewen. Buchanan returned to the group in 2012 with the original line-up.
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Amelle Sousa Berrabah, also known as Amelle, is a British singer and rapper. She is best known for being a former member of the girl group the Sugababes, replacing founding member Mutya Buena, who left the group in December 2005. She achieved a solo number one single in 2009 when she collaborated with Tinchy Stryder on their single "Never Leave You", which made her the only member of the Sugababes to achieve a number-one single outside of the group.
The discography of the British girl group Sugababes consists of eight studio albums, four compilation album, four extended plays, thirty-four singles, two video albums, six promotional singles, and thirty music videos. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 and, at various times, featured three vocalists from Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah, and Jade Ewen.
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