Today’s the big one - it’s been 20 years since Girls Aloud were formed! :cry: :heart: 30th November 2002 on Popstars: The Rivals!

 

Extremely long post alert…!

 

I’m sorry to begin my post by dwelling on something that’s quite negative but I felt like discussing this… a couple of days ago I watched clips of their formation episode. To be honest, the final’s concept of having 6 competitors remaining but only 5 making the band’s final line up was pretty brutal, and ultimately it created a situation that was really rather unpleasant television.

 

It always makes me feel terrible for Sarah. It was really unfair that extra pressure was put onto her by having a “two girls left, only one more place left in the band” scenario. That put all the onus on Sarah for having made it into the group over Javine, when obviously it was all five of them who denied Javine, not just Sarah.

 

I know that Davina was probably trying to be kind to Javine in the way she said Sarah’s name. Davina’s tone is kind of sympathetic but kind of apologetic too, which is in stark contrast to the gusto she gave it when announcing the first four names. Immediately the moment is awkward. The reveal of Sarah’s name literally meant that the girl group had been formed, but far from this being a celebratory moment, the entire focus is on the fact that Javine hadn’t made it. What should have been a moment of elation for Sarah instead comes across as something devastating for everyone… understandably for Javine, but also Davina, the other 4 girls, the judges, the audience. The shock and disappointment is palpable, leading to an awkwardly silent studio. At one point all you can hear is Sarah crying her eyes out. She walked up to the girls to join them at the seats, and not one of them celebrated her or even looked at her. Their faces are a picture! I get that there was disappointment for Javine and maybe no one wanted to seem insensitive to her, but there’s a clear lack of kindness to Sarah from pretty much everyone. I hate that moment. :(

 

So once Sarah was sitting with the girls, the focus continued to be on Javine - with Davina commiserating, Javine’s family joining her on stage, the judges looking bereft, and even One True Voice are seen shaking their heads in apparent disgust at the result. Then Javine performs again, with Girls Aloud joining her to stand behind her and then hug her / commiserate with her once she had finished performing.

 

The episode ended with the 5 girls left on stage with Davina, and having their band name be revealed. This came across as an after thought after the Javine pity party. Weeks of shows had built up to forming a girl group, but it’s just such a flat moment! :(

 

Imagine if this scenario happened on The X Factor! The winner being revealed, but immediate focus and disappointment going towards the runner up, having the runner up perform, and then the actual winner being like an after thought! That’s essentially what Sarah experienced.

 

Thankfully after all that drama, it quickly became apparent that those 5 had something really special. I watched some of the 7th December episode, on which they performed Sound of the Underground for the first time. Just a week after forming and they immediately looked like incredible popstars. The benefit of hindsight undoubtedly comes into play here, yet it seems so obvious that they were leaving One True Voice in the dust straight away. The song & their style was completely on point.

 

I was Team Girls from the very start! I actually remember hearing Sound of the Underground for the very first time. I caught it on radio but I didn’t know it was Girls Aloud’s song. I thought it sounded so fresh and exciting, and then at the end the DJ said it was Girls Aloud. I was so impressed!

 

It felt like the media was pushing One True Voice getting to #1 and thus winning the show overall as a complete inevitability. Even after both songs/videos had premiered. For instance Smash Hits magazine gave OTV a cover and interview, but not Girls Aloud. My friends at school were very dismissive of Girls Aloud and were smitten with OTV, which I couldn’t understand. I confidently told them I thought Girls Aloud would get to #1 and was laughed at!

 

I didn’t know about midweeks in 2002. The very final episode revealing that Girls Aloud were Christmas #1 was genuinely exciting for me because I didn’t know if they’d have managed it. I was over the moon!

 

20 years on and Sound of the Underground is still incredible. :wub: I’ll never understand how that didn’t become the blueprint for winners songs, something that comes across as a proper debut rather than a throwaway winners single. 9 years later and Little Mix got Cannonball, a song they went onto brush under the carpet.

 

Of course this anniversary is incredibly bittersweet to be marking, with Sarah no longer being with us. :( But they deserve to be celebrated. Girls Aloud were an incredible band, their discography is honestly insane. Some of the best pop music of all time in my opinion. From 2002 to 2009 I was 14 to 21 years old, and for all that time they were my #1 favourite group. They soundtracked my youth and were a great form of escapism for me during difficult moments growing up. Every new era was such an event. Approaching Christmas was more often than not a time to be playing a new Girls Aloud album on repeat. They were and always will be very special to me, and I’ll definitely be celebrating them today by listening to their music. :wub:

BBC News: Girls Aloud: It's 20 years since pop greats were born on Popstars The Rivals

 

Full article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63570796.amp

An incredible fan made megamix video 😍

 

I was only 5 when Popstars: The Rivals aired so I didn't watch it. I do remember hearing Sound of the Underground on the radio and it standing out, though! I quickly became a fan and obviously that never went away. They were such an exciting group to follow with colourful visuals, catchy songs and the excitement of going to buy each single from Woolworths or HMV after school!! It's hard to imagine that these days. Part of the thrill definitely came in the build-up to a release, and the excitement of finding it in a shop, as much as things these days are obviously far more convenient and such a strategy just wouldn't work now.

 

My biggest Girls Aloud regret is not seeing them live more. Obviously being so young it wouldn't have been easy! I saw them on the WWTNS? tour, it was my first ever concert but I don't remember loads from it because I was so young. I really wish I'd gone to the Ten Tour! It was just before I started making concerts a regular thing :(

 

20 years is insane, I can't imagine not having their music there for me to listen to whenever I need a mood lift, or whenever I'm missing Sarah :heart:

I didnt watch popstars religiously but watched the most of it but really got into the chart battle and was fully supporting Girls Aloud, it was such a big thing at the time from what i remember and the press really got behind the battle for number 1 although in reality there never really was a battle. Its incredible to think this is 20 years though, their journey has seen many highs and unfortunately a terrible low (the worst possible) with the sad loss of Sarah. This is a time if life was fair that they would be celebrating their 20th anniversary with all the glitz and glamour doing a tour and reflecting on their career, i hope they have/or will meet up privately this week and acknowledge what they achieved and without doubt will honour Sarah.

I cant believe it's been 20 years, i dont think I watched Popstars the rivals as i was bit young then. I vividily remeber listening to SOTU though and a fan was born. I cant thank GA enough for the impact they have had on me these past 20 years and the memories of their performances snd videos etc.

 

This does feel bittersweet to celebrate knowing Sarah isnt around to celebrate with us. I will play some GA later in their honour and her honour.

I remember so well watching this, watching the name be announced etc.

 

I liked 'Sound of the Underground' at the time but I totally didn't think they'd stick around, the moment I heard 'No Good Advice' it was instant love and from there they grew into being a huge part of my life that remains to this day.

I agree about no good advice, i really enjoyed sound of the underground but it was no good advice that made me a real fan, life got cold put a short term dampener on things luckily the songs before it had well won me over at that stage.

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Happy 20 years girls! Wow I am proud of what we achieved and love you all much. There is a huge hole in my heart that Sarah isn’t here to celebrate this with us but I am looking through pictures, sobbing and remembering all the amazing times we shared. A girl band is a bond that no one can ever break. The memories will always stay with us forever ♥️✨#GA20 #20years

 

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Happy 20th Birthday Girls Aloud.

Thank you so much Cheryl, Kimberley, Nadine, Nicola and Sarah for the music and the memories.

 

#20YearsOfGirlsAloud #GirlsAloud #GirlsAloud20 #allontheboard

 

 

:heart:

Potentially Long, Late Post Incoming!

 

I've been avoiding posting this for quite some time. Part of it has to do with timing, but overall a general avoidance on summarizing my love for Girls Aloud.

I mean, there is no better place to start, but AT the start. I loved (at the time) anything to do with Singing Reality TV Shows, especially POPSTARS. Hear'Say, Bardot, Scandal'Us, Sugar Jones, Velvet Empire, No Angels, Bro'Sis, Nu Pagadi, Monrose, Six, Excellence, Supernatural, Eden's Crush, Scene 23. I loved them all, but I think we all realize every single one of them had a very short shelf-life.

 

I remember watching (Youtube?) videos of Popstars: The Rivals. It was really just the performances I watched, I remember absolutely falling in love with Kimberly, Nicola and Sarah and praying they would make the band. I remember the support for Girls Aloud being overwhelming at the time, and it was great to see the band form right before our eyes. There was something really fresh and exciting about 'Sound Of The Underground' as a track, probably one of the best 'Winning Singles' from any competitive music based Reality TV Show. But, from here - I'll be honest I wasn't expecting too much other than 1 Album and we would never hear anything from Girls Aloud ever again (falling suit with many of the bands formed above).

 

The Sound Of The Underground Album was actually released the day after my Birthday in 2003. I particularly fell in love with the Singles, obviously. But All I Need (All I Don't), Girls Allowed, Forever and a Night, Love/Hate all stood out to me, but my favourite album track from this album was White Lies by far. Outside of this however the Album just felt like your typical 1-Album Release from a generic Pop Star Group. I don't think it was actually until I heard 'The Show' where I'm like.. holy shit these girls are going somewhere. Everything released after The Show, I immediately fell in love with. I can usually place almost every single important life event from the age of 15 - 25 with a Girls Aloud Album or Single.

 

Girls Aloud were formed when I was 15 Years Old, watching old clips of their performances in my parents basement. I would spend hours upon hours watching and listening. I would have been 17 when 'What Will The Neighbours Say' came out. Grade 11 in High School, I remember a lot of my music listening would take place on my way to or from School. I knew this album inside an out. I can map out in my mind, 18 years later my route. I’m a habit for routine and Girls Aloud were a huge part of routine for me.

 

Chemistry came right after I graduated High School, I was 18 and I had my first job. I’ll be honest I had very little direction in life, but this is when everything really started to come together for me. I had great new friends, a great job that I liked. This was really my glow up era. I really blossomed after graduating High School and the Chemistry Album with songs like ‘Models’ and ‘Watch Me Go’ were, a bit iconic for me. They played a lot into my self confidence as a person. However, I will have to say - my Relationship with Girls Aloud has always been a strictly solo venture. I had great friends at this time - started dating a bit, but every single gay male I met (Friends or Dating) either had no idea who Girls Aloud were, or mocked me for liking them. Including my roommate at the time.

To this day I’ve never met someone that knows who Girls Aloud are, or if they do, like them. Unbelievably my last boyfriend (38 at the time) had NO IDEA WHO GIRLS ALOUD WERE (and we had a lot of music in common). Sent him a few tracks to listen to, and he hated them all. Don’t worry. We didn’t last lol.

 

This also took place right around the time Sarah passed away.

Truth time. I’ve yet to process Sarah’s passing. I’ve kept this locked up in a box in the back of my mind, because for me it is probably the biggest artist based loss that I will ever experience. Girls Aloud from 2006 - 2020 were my #1 Played Artist every single year, and for me, never getting to see them in concert, and now, never getting to see them in concert hasn’t sunk in at all.

There is of course the lovely, amazing, sweet, fun, talent person we lost. There is a lot to unpack here and I’m not exactly ready (this comes with the combination that I have a close family member that is very ill, with dealing with depression and a lack of overall motivation at the moment).

 

Tangled Up will always be THAT ALBUM for me. I was 20 at the time, I was just getting ready to move out for the first time. This album was everything for me. The Singles. Call The Shots alone was my #1 Song for, almost forever. Girl Overboard was probably the first time I was obsessed with an Album Track.

 

Out Of Control - 21. I was a dirty boy in my 20s :lol: I remember going to Vegas for the first time just as this Album was released. There is no better album out there for a gay kid in his early 20s. This was the album for my awakening as an Adult. I just remember being completely obsessed with Girls Aloud by this point. Their X-Factor performance of ‘The Promise’ I probably watched over 100 Times.

 

As you can see, I was born and raised by Girls Aloud. They are my ultimate “Group” of all time. They are my Beatles. They are my Queen. They had such a massive part in my upbringing. They were there for my first Kiss, my first Job, my first Love. They were there when I was up and when I was down. I didn’t really realize that I was taking them for granted and.. well, things do eventually come to an end when you least expect it or want it.

 

It’s been difficult listening to Girls Aloud since Sarah’s passing. I always have it in the back of mind that I still need to process this loss. I think out of anything, this long, rambling post that I have has provided me with some comfort that I can leverage Girls Aloud in the next chapter in my life.