The Sugababes, composed by Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy, got off to a strong start when they first hit the music scene in 2000, with their debut single Overload in the top ten and nominated for a Brit Award.
But from that moment on, their story deviated from the traditional history of the pop group – with reports of fights, ever-changing line-ups and the management’s ownership of the band’s name, which ultimately led to the original trio being forced to play differently. name.
It was not until 2019 that they fully regained the name Sugababes, and now, after successfully returning to the stage of the Mighty Hoopla Festival, the band has announced a tour of the United Kingdom – their first in more than two decades.
Although their experiences are certainly not common, they reflect a recent topic for women musicians who do not have complete control over their careers.
Singer Ray left her record label Polydor last summer after saying she had been prevented from releasing her debut album for years, while earlier this month Halsey said they were told they could not release a song unless goes viral in Tik Tok.
But while Sugababes may have faced some difficulties as they try to regain control, they told Sky News that they are finally at a stage where they can enjoy their careers.
“I personally think we’re so grown up right now, we just want to have fun, we want to enjoy every moment we do right now,” Buena said.
“We can’t control what’s going on around us, we just have to be able to do everything we can to deal with these things,” Buchanan added.
“Some of the obstacles we had to deal with were not the best to deal with and it was really difficult and, of course, difficult to stay motivated, I know for myself, but as Mutya said, it’s about enjoying on this.
“And you know who’s going to say what crooked balls will be thrown next, but again, how we’re going to handle it is key.”
Read more: Keisha Buchanan talks about allegations of harassment and racism during Sugababes
More than two decades since they began, the music industry has undoubtedly seen some change.
Buchanan says they are reaping the benefits of this progress, acknowledging that it was much harder when they arrived on stage.
“The industry is completely different from when we first started and it was exhausting,” she said.
“It’s like half the work we did on promotions and things like that and even just preparation – the rehearsals were much longer because we were trying to get the right sound and we were going to make the speakers on stage hear ourselves, and now we all wear In-Ears together [monitors that allow singers to hear]”
“We know what we expect, we have an amazing new band and we have all the creative input we want, and I think, you know, it’s just a dream,” Donagi added.
For more than 20 years in various iterations of the group or working as solo artists or even resting from business in general, the singers have gained extensive experience and many prospects.
They admit that if they had known in the beginning what they know now, of course, things would have gone differently.
Image: The Sugababes perform for the 2019 Graham Norton show
“I think of course you would do things differently, but I think the good thing is that we learned from a lot of mistakes and a lot of things we’ve been through in the past,” Buena said.
“And now it’s like just going out, having fun and just bouncing off each other.”
“Yes, this is the school of life,” Buchanan agreed.
Older and wiser
“It’s a universal thing – everyone compares how you were when you were 16, the things you would think and just look back.
“And I think that’s the most important thing to look back on and then try to make better decisions.”
Older and wiser is probably a good way to summarize the band now – Buchanan has discarded the “20 boxes of Red Bull” she drank before the show, and Donagi says she is no longer involved in pre-show rituals. which may not have been helping really.
But despite their collective decades in the music industry, Buchanan says they will never fully get used to it.
“I don’t think anyone has to go on stage or put a camera in their face [gets used to it] “It’s not normal, isn’t it,” she said.
“But yeah, I think it’s better that we’re a little more seasoned with him, I guess, and I feel like the right moment.”
“There are no obstacles” at this stage of their careers
And Donagi says their experience is resilient.
“There are actually no surprises – but I mean in a good way, you know,” she said.
“If there are any crooked balls or anything like that, it’s like water from a duck’s back.”
The focus is currently on the upcoming tour, with the band saying they can’t find time to head to the studio to make new music right now.
But 22 years after their first single, the band faces a lot of challenges and says they don’t see anything looming on the horizon that would disrupt this stage of their careers.
“There are no obstacles at the moment,” Donagi said.
“We control what we’re doing right now and it’s ours, so we can just go out there and enjoy it.”
Tickets for the Sugababes UK tour go on sale today.
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