If you know anything of the Sugababes it’s probably the fact that the line-up has changed multiple times, and that the group now doesn’t contain a single original member. Siobhan Donaghy, Mutya Buena, and Keisha Buchanan have all moved on.

I’d like to say there’s no bad blood between the former and current members, but that would be a lie. Mutya certainly doesn’t seem to be the biggest fan of Heidi, at least judging by her ramblings on Twitter last night. Although she was drunk at the time.

At 12:05am, she said:

“Listening to that girl’s other songs and lovin one called ‘Backstabber’…reminds me of a certain someone in my life lol x”

Which doesn’t actually make it clear who she’s talking about. At 12:15am, she added:

“Sorry kinda drunk…should not av said that!!!! lol!!!! x”

But by 12:20am she was digging a deeper hole by mentioning Heidi’s name and removing all ambiguity about who she was referring to earlier, saying:

“I will always respect heidi just dont agree w. her actions x”

Oops. I wonder if Range will now fight back or leave it well alone? She should probably be the bigger person and just keep well out of it, especially as she’s still in the Sugababes and is tasked with fixing the public perception of the ever-changing girl group.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

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There must have literally thousands of tracks released over the last decade, but there’s only a relatively small amount that make it past the first few listens and enter or collective consciousness.

Music licensing company, PPL, has compiled the top 50 most played songs of the noughties. The full list is available to view on its Web site, but below is the top 10.

1. Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
2. Take That – Shine
3. Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’
4. The Feeling – Love It When You Call
5. Sugababes – About You Now
6. Take That – Rule The World
7. James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
8. Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot
9. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
10. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy

There are no surprises here, as I can attest to the fact these songs have been played on a continuous loop on radio and TV over the last decade. It’s interesting that all of the top three were released in 2006, however.

PPL’s Head of Music Reporting, Tim Silver, said:

“The noughties has been a decade for great new music and which has been listened to by ever growing numbers of people. Just as they love listening to new music, there will also always be a place for golden oldies, evident in our top 50.”

He’s referring to the likes of Thin Lizzy at number 12 (1976), The Police at number 29 (1983), and Aretha Franklin at number 50 (1968).

The noughties were a great decade for music, and we can only hope the tens is equally as good.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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Rumors of the original Sugababes line-up reforming first appeared in September before being brought up again at the beginning of November, with a gossip blog reporting that Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena, and Keisha Buchanan were joining forces once again.

And now the rumors have resurfaced, despite the girls having denied the earlier ones. The Sun newspaper is claiming that the reunion is gathering pace, with PR guru Claire Powell now on board to ensure the project is a success. This is the woman who turned Jordan into Katie Price so she clearly knows what she’s doing.

A record label source reportedly said:

“The comeback is gathering momentum. Mutya had a lot of convincing to do to get the girls around the table to sort things out. That happened last week and they are all game to give it a go.”

“The other girls are delighted to be back in touch. They are bang up for it with the new management team. They are now looking for a record deal and have started planning for a big launch next year.”

This could be true or it could be absolute hokum. It should be noted that The Sun claimed that the Led Zeppelin reunion was back on when it clearly wasn’t.

Part of me wants to see this happen; it would be nice to see the original line-up back together and set up an almighty bitch fight in the charts next year between the original Sugababes and the New Sugababes. But another part of me thinks it could only end in tears. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if anything official is announced.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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This week’s singles chart has seen a bit of an upset. The Black Eyed Peas managed to jump from number three to number one with Meet Me Halfway, keeping Leona Lewis off the top spot. I’m guessing Simon Cowell won’t be mentioning this on The X Factor. Last week’s number one JLS dropped to number three and Cheryl Cole dropped to four. N-Dubz entered at five and the new-look Sugababes entered at eight with About A Girl.

This week’s albums chart also saw something of an upset with JLS beating the returning Robbie Williams to number one. The former (and maybe future) Take That star has to settle for number two. Snow Patrol’s latest Up To Now entered at number three while Cheryl Cole saw a huge drop-off from number one to seven. The brilliant Biffy Clyro entered at number eight with Only Revolutions.

Top 10 UK Singles

1. (3) Black Eyed Peas: ‘Meet Me Halfway’
2. (-) Leona Lewis: ‘Happy’
3. (1) JLS: ‘Everybody In Love’
4. (2) Cheryl Cole: ‘Fight For This Love’
5. (-) N-Dubz: ‘I Need You’
6. (6) Ke$ha: ‘Tik Tok’
7. (-) Britney Spears: ‘3′
8. (-) Sugababes: ‘About A Girl
9. (4) Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne: ‘Down’
10. (5) Alexandra Burke ft. Flo Rida: ‘Bad Boys’

Top 10 UK Albums

1. (-) JLS: ‘JLS’
2. (-) Robbie Williams: ‘Reality Killed The Video Star’
3. (-) Snow Patrol: ‘Up To Now’
4. (5) Soldiers: ‘Coming Home’
5. (10) Black Eyed Peas: ‘The E.N.D.’
6. (3) Michael Bublé: ‘Crazy Love’
7. (1) Cheryl Cole: ‘3 Words’
8. (-) Biffy Clyro: ‘Only Revolutions’
9. (4) Foo Fighters: ‘Greatest Hits’
10. (-) Rod Stewart: ‘Soulbook’

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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As soon as Keisha Buchanan left the Sugababes in September, there were rumors that with the group now being made up of a different trio than that which originally formed way back in 1998 the originals were going to come back together and start all over again.

The rumors have persisted despite no confirmations or denials from any of the singers involved. Now though, Holy Moly is claiming a deal to bring the original Sugababes back as a group is almost done.

The celebrity gossip site is reporting that Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena, and Keisha Buchanan have today had a meeting with a potential producer (William Orbit or Stuart Price) and a potential label in Warners. All three are said to have been offered solo deals as a sweetener to accept the group deal.

This rumor comes at a time when the new Sugababes line-up is in complete disarray. Amelle Berrabah is allegedly relaxing in a clinic somewhere in Europe to recover from exhaustion. And the release date of the new album has been put back to give the girls extra time to re-record vocals with new member Jade Ewen.

I’d love to see the original Sugababes giving it another go but I just can’t see it happening. The trio split because they ended up not being able to work together, and although they have all grown up since I doubt they’d want to go through the same thing all over again. It’s sometimes better to leave the past where it belongs – in the past.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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The Sugababes originally formed way back in 1998, with Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Siobhan Donaghy teaming up to become the Sugababes. But Donaghy left in 2001, Buena left in 2005, and now Buchanan has left in 2009.

So, the name is the same but none of the girls are, and the sound has also changed completely. The Sugababes latest single, Get Sexy, is an instantly forgettable dance/pop song which bears little resemblance to the group’s early releases.

Talking to GMTV about Buchanan leaving, original member Mutya Buena, now a solo artist, put forward a very interesting possibility: reforming the original line-up. She said:

“Personally, I just don’t think the Sugababes is the Sugababes anymore. I mean, it would be different if Keisha had stayed in it and someone else had gone – then it would be the Sugababes. But wow, I suppose now there’s no original Sugababes we should just all reform again.”

“I’m actually quite disappointed. Obviously the brand name of Sugababes will always carry on. But to say like there’s no original in the Sugababes, it just kind of puts it down a bit.”

“You know, we’re all grown up. I haven’t been with the Sugababes for so long, and you know, I’ve had my years of growing up and learning about what I want in life and getting to look after my daughter. So hooking up with the rest of the girls – I think that could be an amazing idea, definitely.”

I very much doubt this will happen but I for one would love to see it. Overload still stands up for me as the best Sugababes song, so to see the original line-up back recording again would be brilliant.

But if it did happen, despite what Buena says about them all having grown up, I can see the old arguments surfacing again. So maybe it’s best to leave it where it is. Dead.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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There was, of course, speculation at the end of last week that Amelle was about to leave and be replaced by Ewen, but it seems while the thrust of the story was correct, the departing member wasn’t. The 24-year-old Buchanan will stay with Island Records but as a solo artist instead.

Buchanan’s departure means the Sugababes now are comprised of three totally different people than started the group back in 1998. Back then it was a 13-year-old Buchanan alongside Mutya Buena and Siobhan Donaghy. Seven studio albums later and it’s a different trio calling themselves the Sugababes.

Donaghy left in 2001, Buena in 2005, and now Buchanan in 2009. So if they were to continue on for another four years I’d suggest Heidi Range would be then due to leave for pastures new in 2013. Interestingly, Buchanan has insisted it wasn’t her choice to leave, telling fans on Twitter:

“I’ve had a great time and have achieved more than I ever thought I would. Although it was not my choice to leave, it’s time to enter a new chapter in my life. I have nothing but positive things to say about the girls and I wish them the best of luck. I would like to state that there were no arguments, bullying or anything of the sort that led to this.

“Sometimes a break down in communication and lack of trust can result in many different things. I would also like to point out that I have always supported the girls and they have also supported me. I want to thank the Sugababes fans and my fans for all your support and all who have never judged me, but accepted me for who I am… The feisty, funny, professional, fearless motor mouth. This is not the end… but the beginning!”

So it would appear there was a bit of a power struggle between Buchanan and Berrabah, with Berrabah clearly winning and forcing Buchanan out in the process. Sugababes are still due to release their new album, Sweet 7, on November 23, although whether parts of it will be re-recorded with Ewen’s voice rather than Buchanan remains to be seen.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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This week’s singles chart sees Taio Cruz go straight in at number one with Break Your Heart, knocking last week’s topper Pixie Lott down to number 6 in the process. Madonna enters at number 3 while Shakira had a massive climber with She Wolf going from 25 to 5. Sugababes manage to stick in the top 10 despite rumors of a new split occurring.

This week’s albums chart sees Muse unsurprisingly enter at number one with The Resistance. The aged Vera Lynn’s reign at the top ends while most of the rest of the top 10 are new entries. This includes Peter Andre’s Revelation, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, and Pixie Lott’s Turn It Up, the latter no doubt benefiting from having last week’s number one single.

Top 10 UK Singles

1. Muse: ‘The Resistance’
2. Vera Lynn: ‘We’ll Meet Again – The Very Best Of’
3. Peter Andre: ‘Revelation’
4. Jay-Z: ‘The Blueprint 3′
5. David Gray: ‘Draw The Line’
6. Pixie Lott: ‘Turn It Up’
7. Kings of Leon: ‘Only By The Night’
8. David Guetta: ‘One Love’
9. Mark Knopfler: ‘Get Lucky’
10. Florence and the Machine: ‘Lungs’

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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In the aftermath of the fight, there were reports Berrabah was preparing to quit. Now, according to Heatworld, it’s actually happened. What’s more, a replacement has already been found in the form of Jade Ewan, the 21-year-old singer who represented Great Britain in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Sugababes are one of those groups that just doesn’t seem able to hang on to its members. Founding member Siobhan Donaghy left in 2001 to be replaced by Heidi Range, while Mutya Buena left in 2005 to be replace by Berrabah. It’s thought that Buchanan is difficult to work with, and the fact that her bandmates drop like flies around her would suggest that’s true.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

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The singles chart sees Jay-Z straight in at number one, with the Sugababes having to settle for number two with Get Sexy. Dizzee Rascal drops from one to four, while Kings Of Leon are still in the Top 10 with Sex On Fire.

The albums chart sees Arctic Monkeys still at the top with Humbug, while Vera Lynn (wartime sweetheart) has moved up to number two. Michael Jackson is still in the Top 10 with The Essential album, which has been hanging around since the King of Pop died in June.

Top 10 UK Singles

1. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
2. Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again
3. David Guetta – One Love
4. Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
5. Black Eyed Peas – The End
6. Paolo Nutini – Sunny Side Up
7. Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend
8. Florence & The Machine – Lungs
9. Michael Jackson – The Essential
10. James Morrison – Songs For You Truth For Me

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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