The Sugababes are, aside from Girls Aloud, generally regarded as the UK’s most successful girl group of the 21st century. With dozens of chart-topping hits–from “Overload” to “Freak Like Me” to “About You Now”–five Top 10 albums and dozens of awards to their name, the ‘Babes have consistently slayed for well over a decade–although not all as one defining unit.

Yet as much as the girls have become known for being a legendary powerhouse troupe of soulful divas, they’ve earned themselves just as strong of a reputation for the revolving door status of their members–the kind of constant switcheroo that easily puts the frequent chiding of Destiny’s Child‘s own member swap to shame.

When the group first started, the original Sugababes were Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy–who left after the release of their debut album citing an interest in pursuing fashion, and only later on revealing during an interview that Keisha was a “bully” that pushed her out of the group. She was replaced by Heidi Range in 2001.

Mutya Buena then took a leave in late 2005 and replaced by Amelle Berrabah, while Keisha Buchanan eventually bowed out (and/or was kicked out by Amelle and Heidi for–you guessed it, allegedly being a bully) in late 2009, leaving Jade Ewen to fill her spot.

But as the group’s original member count has slowly dwindled, so too has their reputation. Now in their fourth incarnation, the Sugababes have no actual Sugababes members remaining, and it’s come to the point now where the group is being heavily mocked in the media for looking like a desperate knock-off of the original brand.

For years, there’s been a steadily growing public outcry for the original ‘Babes to reform (if not just the stuff of Suga fanboy/girl dreams) and now, it seems those dreams are about to come true.

Back in October, UK blog Wot You Got reported that the original trio had reunited and were heading back in the studio to work on a few demos together to test out their sound after over a decade apart.

Earlier this evening, Keisha Buchanan just added fuel to the initial rumors by tweeting the following:

Hanging out in the studio with @professorgreen and two lovely ladies with bags of talent :-p lol

And then came a tweet from Mutya Buena:

@ studio wit professor green in tha building and 2 beautiful ladies

The third and final original member of Sugababes–Siobhán–isn’t on Twitter just yet, but the tweets still all but confirm the same thing: The iconic soulstresses behind hits like “Overload,” “Run For Cover” and “Soul Sound” are back in the studio working together. As of today, they’ve allegedly been involved with popular UK producer Professor Green. And according to some newer Internet rumors, they were even working with Xenomania‘s Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper just before Christmas. And although there’s still no official confirmation just yet (although my boo over at The Prophet Blog just revealed that he’s known this to be true for a while), it’s pretty safe to say that this one’s a go. (EDIT: It is–as triply confirmed by PopJustice.)

Still, plenty of questions now loom: For one, what’s to come of the current Sugababes? Well, the news certainly doesn’t look promising. By most accounts, the group’s been quietly dropped from Sony/RCA. Ever since the non-release of “Freedom” by the Sugababes 4.0 which stalled only days before its release date last September and ended up being offered as a free download, the ever-withering troupe has fallen silent over the past six months.

Plus, in an interview published yesterday with Heidi Range–who’s now about to appear on Dancing On Ice–the singer openly admitted that the group’s not doing much these days. From Digital Spy:

“We were just in a period where we weren’t busy anyway. We were doing our own thing,” Range told Digital Spy. “We haven’t split up, no.”

Speaking about the group’s future, she added: “We’re not concentrating on it. I’m concentrating on this. We haven’t got anything planned at the moment.”

If the Sugababes 4.0 aren’t splitting just yet, their name remains intact. So what will the original troupe be called? Although it’s true that Mutya won limited rights to the Sugababes name back in August (quite limited, actually–as in paper goods, stationary and gift wrapping), it doesn’t seem as though the girls will be able to reunite under their original name. Any guesses on their new incarnation name?

Only one thing’s for sure: I’m on overload.

It’s the answer to the question everyone’s been asking ever since Keisha Buchanan got the boot/left the group in September of 2009: Can the girl group made up of three girls that were never part of the original line-up really still call themselves the Sugababes? The answer: Sorry, no can do!

Founding member Mutya Buena has just won a lawsuit against the troupe for legal rights to the band’s original name. From the NME article:

The singer then announced she would be pursuing legal action to win the rights to the name Sugababes and announced yesterday that she had succeeded.

She wrote on her Facebook page of the news: “I won the official name of the Sugababes now!!! I deserve this! I’m over the moon!”. She is also listed as the owner of the name Sugababes on the official EU trademark website.

The decision not only means current members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen will potentially have to tour and record under a new name, but that Buena and original members Keisha Buchanan and Siobahn Donaghy will be able to reunite under the name Sugababes if they wish.

So, um…now what? The ‘Babes have a brand new single due out at the start of September (“Freedom”) and an album launch on the horizon. Coupled with dwindling support from the group’s original fan-base, is this the sound of goodbye?

Will Jade Ewen finally get to realize her dreams as a perfectly good solo artist in her own right? Will Amelle Berrabah start up a bad ass bitch duo with Alesha Dixon? Will Heidi Range launch a high street collection of tea cozies? Only one thing’s for sure: The Sugababes are officially no more.

…That is, unless the original group reforms. SHIVERS.

In all seriousness though, this is incredibly sad news: It’s officially the end of an era (for now). RIP Sugababes!

EDIT: Orrrrr not so fast!

NME has provided a quick update to their original story to clarify that Mutya has only won some rights to the Sugababes name, including “paper, cardboard and goods; namely stationery, paper gift wrap and paper gift wrapping ribbons.”

The Sugas live to fight another day! BUT YOU’LL NEVER WRAP A GIFT IN THIS TOWN AGAIN, AMELLE.

$UCCE$$!

Okay–new post idea!

This is Muusical Chairs, or essentially the “6 Degrees of Separation/Kevin Bacon” game. The idea is to take one pop star, connect the musical dots to another, and maybe share some previously unknown pop tidbits in the process!

This one’s an easy start, but I’m sure I can dream up more complex connections in the future. Let me know what you think!

Volume 1: Siobhan Donaghy to BoA

Siobhan Donaghy is a talented UK indie-pop songstress responsible for releasing two albums: 2004′s Revolution In Me and 2007′s Ghosts, a gorgeous, electro-tinged smart pop record that spawned two singles (“Don’t Give It Up” and “So You Say”) and remains an absolutely essential addition to any pop lover’s collection. Donaghy first rose to fame…

As one of the three founding members of the Sugababes, the massively successful UK girl group famous for both their soulful smashes–including “Freak Like Me,” “Round Round” and “Hole In The Head”–and their ever-changing line-up.

In 2007, the groups third incarnation (Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah) recorded a cover of Aerosmith‘s “Walk This Way” as a charity single for Comic Relief with another another UK girl group…

Girls Aloud, the power pop fivesome originally formed through the reality series, Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The girl group ruled the UK charts for over 7 years until late 2009, when they chose to go on hiatus to pursue personal projects, including solo albums by Nadine Coyle and the group’s breakaway star and current X Factor UK judge, Cheryl Cole.

During the group’s majorly successful Out Of Control Tour in 2009, Girls Aloud performed a cover of “Womanizer” by…

Britney Spears, the legendary icon who requires no formal introduction. (Plus, if you’ve hung around this site long enough, you’d already know every minor detail about her life.) The superstar’s fifth studio album, 2007′s critically acclaimed Blackout–featured production by several high profile acts including Danja, Bloodshy & Avant and…

Sean Garrett, who worked on Britney’s “Toy Soldier.” Along with writing the follow-up to his 2008 debut, Turbo 919, the rapidly rising producer has busied himself with several major productions including Beyoncé‘s “Diva” and “Video Phone” as a writing duo with producer Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj‘s “Massive Attack,” and…

BoA‘s “I Did It For Love,” the second single off of the international superstar’s 2009 English self-titled debut album (which allows for some truly sick choreography–check that Joseph Kahn-directed video, stat!) The single went on to peak at #19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in May of 2009.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT: Siobhan, meet BoA!

The Sugababes are* a UK girl group act of considerable success.

In October of 2003, they** released an album called Three. Many people consider it their greatest work ever.***

The eleventh track of the album is called “Nasty Ghetto.” It is both nasty (in terms of beats) and ghetto (in terms of lyrics).

The song was penned by the very talented Linda Perry (“What You Waiting For?”; “Beautiful”).

The song is complimented by an illicit, gritty swagger and a sexy, groaning delivery that can only lead to winding, grinding, and general sassy sauntering.

It can also be easily stuck on repeat.

“Nasty Ghetto” continues to be a very good song to this day.

Let us appreciate that fact here and now.

*Were (2001-2007).
**Meaning the members at the time: Heidi Range, Mutya Buena, and Keisha Buchanan.
***It probably is.

Hey, Muusers…

So, I’ve unexpectedly fallen ill (I’ve been couch-bound all day–and I didn’t even drink last night!), but when I saw that this radio interview occurred, I knew that it was a perfect fit for the first post of 2010.

Click here to listen to Nuhdeen Coyle and Alan Carr tick off some of the greatest British songs of the Noughties for The Great British Songbook on BBC’s Radio 2 (It starts at the 18:30 mark).

Loads of great song selections, great dialogue between the two (Nuhdeen speak in full force!), and quite a few unexpected call-in guests, including Heidi Range, Adele, and Paloma Faith.

For Girls Aloud fans, NuhdeenNuts, and any and all Brit pop fanatics…this is a must listen. Trust me, it’s brightened my spirits, and I can barely move my body!

When I saw the first candids of Jade Ewen on-set for the “About a Girl,”  I thought to myself “WOW, self…she’s a sassy minx.”

Who would have thought this girl and the one featured above would be one and the same? She looks like she’s just sat down for her first day of school! The nervous side-glances to Amelle and Heidi, the awkward posture and nervous giggles…it’s precious!

Even if the new line-up may seem a little strange at the moment, it seems to me that the three ‘Babes are getting along better than any previous configuration. There’s a much lighter tone in the interview. It’s almost as though they…like each other?

On a side note, what was with that answer to the dreaded Keisha question? Did Amelle and Heidi really oust her? Maybe it wasn’t the label’s decision after all…

What, what…WHAT?! I KNOW.

The Sugababes 4.0 have just covered Florence and the Machine‘s “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” for Radio 1′s Live Lounge…for the first time live under their new formation, no less!

I need to know who made this happen. Was it Jade?

EDIT: I got so excited, I forgot to actually REVIEW the damn song. This is probably one of my favorite covers of the year…I’m absolutely blown away.

Amelle‘s lower register is chilling, Jade’s voice is more powerful and controlled than I expected, and Heidi? Well, those sugary sweet vocals are the icing on the cake here. I just can’t stop playing the song!

Is this the best Sugababes line-up yet?

Thank you to Matt for bringing this to my attention, as well as blowing my mind.

Today I received a press release in my inbox regarding the November 9 release of the Sugababes‘ second single off of Sweet 7, “About A Girl.”

Since suspending my disbelief was simply not an option about halfway through reading, I decided to share some of the many moments throughout that made me…reflect on the situation.

2009 sees a new chapter in the Sugababes’ incredible history with the exciting introduction of stunning new member Jade Ewen, who joins Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah following the departure of Keisha Buchanan, who left to pursue a solo career.

Oh really, she just left then? I believe it. NOTHING FISHY TO SEE HERE. LET US MOVE ON.

For their 7th longplayer aptly titled ‘Sweet 7’, the girls decided to retool the Sugababes magic. “It was about remembering what we are,” says Amelle, “and thinking about what we can be. We love this band. We love what we do. And we love the fact that every album is different from the last.” Three albums into her tenure as a ‘babe’ she can say this stuff.

This is almost unfair. Amelle, discussing who ‘we’ are as the Sugababes? Before you even have the option of slowly leaning back and thinking, “That’s a bit silly. She’s not really a Sugababe,” they’ve ALREADY read our minds: “NO. She can say this stuff…SHE’S BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST FOREVER.” They’re quite literally justifying her ‘Babe-ness!

Rihanna herself was working in the same studio as the Babes and after they finished recording tracks, the girls would ask their first producers Stargate what she thought of the material. The thumbs were up. Something was immediately beginning to catch fire.

And now, the actual dialogue from what actually transpired that night:

Amelle: Oi, thanks Sean Kingston!
Heidi: Slamming track. God, I’m just so excited about this!
Jade: Me too!
Heidi: WHO THE FUCK ARE YO–oh, right. Hey look, it’s Rihanna recording next door to us!
Amelle: Wow! Let’s ask her what she thinks.
Sugababes: RIHANNA.
Rihanna: ~You can see my heartttttt, beating….~
Sugabaes: RIHANNA.
Rihanna: ~Know that I must pass this test…~
Sugababes: RIHANNA.
Rihanna: ~So just pull th–~ WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT. WHO? WHAT.
Amelle: Do you like this?
Rihanna: HUH?
Heidi: OUR SONG?
Rihanna: HUH?
Jade: It’s with Sean Kingston!
Rihanna: ….*Thumbs up.*
Sugababes: *Gleeful celebration.*
Rihanna: *Middle finger.*
Soundboard Technician: Who the fuck ah’ they?
Rihanna: I don’t know. I think they’re, like, Diddy‘s new Making the Band group or some shit. SOMEONE GET ME SOME DARKER SUNGLASSES.

They were hob-nobbing with those that have shaped the sound of Beyonce and Lady Gaga and finding something with them that was distinctly their own.

Editor’s note: Not their own.

The girls Twittered the results as they were happening to their loyal fanbase in the UK, lending the whole thing an extra layer of dynamically modern instant returns. “We wanted to make the album as Sugababes as possible and wave the British flag, we‘ve pushed ourselves and stepped it up” says Amelle.

Yes, if any of the ‘Babes tweeted about the recording process, it was…well, it was Keisha who did that. How the hell does one ‘wave the British flag’ when you enlist American producers that make you sound serviceable to American radio anyway? And WHY is Amelle the only one contributing quotes to this thing? ISN’T SHE THE ONE IN THE CRAZY HOUSE RIGHT NOW?!

The new record is marked by a glistening neon sheen. It sits ahead of the contemporary curve of welterweight R&B with an endless succession of tracks to choose as singles. They say that this is the Sugababes record they are proudest of.

Some of them might even say, “This is the first Sugababes album I’ve ever recorded.”

If you can feel the confidence bouncing out of the girls in their shiny new form right now, you wouldn’t be wrong. “We’re having fun. We’re so excited to have Jade in the band and embracing the next chapter. This is us. And we want to be Sugababes as badly as ever.”

Yes, I’d have to say if there were any quality I’d pick out as eminating from the current line-up of the ‘Babes, it’s confidence.

Eesh.