Music video: Annie - Back together

A piss take of 90's UK Saturday morning chart programs, followed by a 90's music video piss take to a killer 90's pop jam recorded in 2013. YES ANNIE!

Annie has been crafting pop gems with pop connoisseurs Xenomania and Richard X for years, with the later producing "Back together" and the entirety of her latest EP The A&R EP. Whenever I listen to Xenomania's stuff now, I just hear lazy recycles of Girls aloud songs, so I'm glad that she decided to just work with Richard X. Ever since his epic mash-up of Adina Howard's "Freak like me" and Tubeway army's "Are friends' electric?" for the Sugababes, I've dug everything he's been involved with. But his stuff is always so under ground because he is so notoriously selective with who he works with and what he puts out. It also doesn't help that he seems to often work with underselling flops.

As is the life story of many of Sweden and Norway's most promising acts, Annie has been grafting and putting out Pop gems for quite some time but is yet to have that big commercial hit. "Back together" has had zero impact on any chart anywhere, but I won't hold that against her when the song is so good and the video is such an endearing cheap mess.

Music video: Mutya Keisha Siobhan - Flatline

When I first watched this video I didn't really have much of an opinion on the Instagram looking ass cinematography. The only thought in my mind was "It's so fucking good seeing these girls together again".

We have had group formations and reunions in the past, but I've never cared as much about any of them in the way I have for the reformation of the original Sugababes. When was the last time a group lost its original members over the course of 10 years winding up with a group void of the original members, just for the original members to get back together and form a new group!? This shit generally does not happen, which is why I am so glad that it did, because I LOVED the Sugababes up until Mutya left.

I loved Heidi. Despite the hate for her now, she was as much of a Sugababes as Siobhan. Some would argue even more so. But even after 6 albums that girl was always the side chick of the group. On the Sugababes debut One touch there was no one member of the group who felt more prominent than the other. Siobhan was all over the songs just as much as Keisha and Mutya were. But with Angels with dirty faces, Three and Taller in more ways, each album felt very much like Mutya and Keisha were carrying the songs with Heidi just featuring and being relegated to the bridge section. She continually felt like 'the new girl'. When Mutya left and Amelle came in, Amelle was all over the songs. When Keisha got kicked out and Jade came in, Jade was all over the songs. Heidi never once bothered to step up to the plate. I'm hard pressed to recall a song where Heidi even bothered to ad-lib. By the time Change came around, Heidi was certified irrelevant and I don't know why she even bothered turning up to the studio on Catfights & spotlights. Siobhan gets the opening verse and the bridge on "Flatline". When has Heidi ever!?

Amelle, Heidi and Jade may want to grab a pillow for their seats, because they are gonna be sat down in them for the longest. Sugababes' 4.0? Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.

The original sugababes (aka Mutya Keisha Siobhan) perform their first live set together. Throw Heidi, Amelle and Jade's careers into the Thames.

The Sugababes (aka Mutya Keisha Siobhan) performed their very first official gig at Scala in London this week. Treating the crowd to a slew of new material, along with some of the classics. Not only did the girls perform singles from their debut album One touch (the first and last Sugababes album recorded with Siobhan as part of the group) but they also dipped into Angels with dirty faces. So if you ever wondered how "Freak like me" and "Stronger" would have sounded with original Sugababes line-up, wonder no more.

Boys


Freak like me from Angels with dirty faces


Run for cover from One touch


I'm alright


No regrets


Today


Stronger from Angels with dirty faces


Flatline / Push the button from Taller in more ways

After that "Stronger" performance, Heidi must have wanted to jump off of a bridge. Siobhan had said in interviews that "Stronger" is one of her favourite Sugababes songs and that she was not precious of that despite it being a song recorded after she had departed the group. So for her to be able to sing it with Keisha and Mutya for the first time live must have meant a lot to her. When she began to sing her verse, you could barely hear her because the crowd were going so mad. And the way she finished off that note and the end? Bye Heidi.

None of new songs really blew me away. It was great to finally hear "Boys" after being teased with a 15 second snippet and then an impromptu acapella of it from the girls during an interview. The song which stuck out for me however was "Today". It was the one song which screamed 'Classic Sugababes'. I need "Today" in my life. The rest of the songs I'll reserve judgement on until I hear the studio recorded album versions as they could end up sounding completely different. Then there's always the possibility some of these songs may not make the new album at all.

There isn't much more proof we need to know that Sugababes' fans are stoked for the re-formation of Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan. Jade, Amelle and Heidi can consider their singing careers well and truly killed. They're over. Jade had better use her flexibility to turn tricks on poles for cash and Amelle may wanna get back with her thug boyfriend to shot call so she can maintain some form of expensive lifestyle. Heidi needs to reach out to her ex Dave Berry. Those Sugababes royalty cheques will soon be drying up.

It was great seeing the girls perform together again and to hear their voices together. Some of the harmonies during this set sounded amazing and each of them held their own vocally. You could see the girls were excited to be back on stage together again and that they are truly ready to make every UK girl group look completely irrelevant from here on out.