Sugababes

• Genre: Dance Pop
• Sugababes Website

About

Sugababes were signed in the wake of the Spice Girls' success and released their debut, One Touch, in 2000. Despite their young age (they were 16 years old when they were signed) and seemingly transparent talent, the Sugababes scored three U.K. hits out of the gate. With Sugababes "mania" in full effect, Siobhan Donaghy (aka "the redhead") decided to throw in the towel, leaving the future of the band in jeopardy. Heidi Range (aka "the blonde") stepped in without missing a beat, and in 2002 the Sugababes found even greater success with the Gary Numan-sampled song "Freak Like Me," which went to No. 1 in the U.K. This was followed by the album, Angels With Dirty Faces, which spawned another series of hits for the girls, silencing critics while adding weight to their career. In 2003, Sugababes released their third and most varied album, Three, which, fittingly, landed at No. 3 on the charts. Three reflected a heady mix of pop, hip-hop and U.K. garage, creating a more "adult" sound than before. Leading the assault on the U.K. charts was the song "Hole In My Head," a delicately charged slice of electro-pop that made some headway for the girls in the United States.

- Linda Ryan