Oooh, Hanging On A Star has suddenly grown a lot on me, hopefully this will continue with the rest of the album.

Sugababes are touting Catfights and Spotlights as their most "mature" outing yet - no bad thing for a chart act now on its sixth album. Less encouragingly, the group who've given us some of the best pop singles of the 21st century - 'Freak Like Me', 'Push The Button', 'About You Now', the list goes on - are claiming to have moved on from pop.

 

That's rubbish of course, but Amelle, Heidi and Keisha have certainly stuck to the "electropop ban" they imposed while recording the album. Catfights and Spotlights is mellower and more classic-sounding than previous Sugababes records, with loads of strings and a conspicuous lack of synths, but it's no less polished and commercially-minded. Lead single 'Girls', with its brassy, Ronsonish production and advert-tested chorus, is as radio-friendly as anything they've ever released.

 

This being the year pop went retro, the girls and their collaborators - who include Robyn sidekick Klas Ahlund and 'Mercy' co-writer Steve Booker - offer several nods to the pop sounds of the sixties and seventies. 'You On A Good Day', a sparky slice of girl group pop, and 'Sunday Rain', which has all the melodrama of an old Dusty Springfield single, are among the most infectious tracks Sugababes have ever recorded. 'Every Heart Broken', meanwhile, has their sharpest lyrics in years.

 

Sadly, this album is saddled with one too many bland ballads, which probably betrays the fact that it was recorded in a bit of a hurry. Just as disappointingly, the likes of 'Hangin On A Star' and 'Sidechick' are actually slighter and more disposable than the uptempo cuts Sugababes sang when they considered themselves a pop group. Surely they should have outgrown sub-Kylie couplets like "I got a little crush / Your body's such a rush" by now?

 

The odd dodgy lyric aside, Catfights and Spotlights is a far more sensible album than its cheeky title would suggest. It's the sound of Sugababes growing up gracefully. The girls are apparently planning to take their time over album number seven - a good plan given the variable quality control here - but it's not a good sign that Amelle, Heidi and Keisha are now writing separately more often than they do together.

 

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Fairly positive. This album's had a better critical reception than Change, with mostly 3 star and the odd 4 star reviews. T4P!

Haven't stopped listening to the album! :wub:

Nothing's As Good As You is still my fave

Will post a full review once ive had more listens but seriously I dont think there is a single standout track on this album so dissapointed.

1 more sleep till Catfights & Spotlights :cheer: :w00t:

Will post a full review once ive had more listens but seriously I dont think there is a single standout track on this album so dissapointed.

Yeah its all a bit forgettable isn't it, defo no classics on there.

 

What c**p! There are 3 classics on there which would invade my all-time top 10 Sugas songs. :wub:

:kink:

I BET SIDECHICK IS ONE OF THEM ISNT IT JARK

 

:( Mehz. It sounds just like a Ciara/any other generic RnB track and with added crass/trite lyrics.

i don't quite get the 'hanging on a star' hate :mellow:

 

And as for those who say there are no classics on this album. I advise you get your ears cleaned out -_-

 

Every Heart Broken is my 2nd favourite Sugababes song ever

Definitely no classics, nothing to make you go "wow amazing" :) Im bored of it already and its not even out yet.

Can't wait to get my hands on it tommorow night after school ^_^

Really bad album :( I'm so dissapointed in them. Side Chick is GHASTLY. Oh my good lord. Even worse than "Nasty Ghetto"

 

Easily their worst album. I adore the Sugababes and love all the other albums they've released but this is just bad. God knows what has happened but they just arent the same band anymore.

Really bad album :( I'm so dissapointed in them. Side Chick is GHASTLY. Oh my good lord. Even worse than "Nasty Ghetto

 

I agree, finally someone else who thinks its foul.

I agree, finally someone else who thinks its foul.

Add me to that list. I think after giving it a few more listens (painfully) that its DIABOLICAL.

Add me to that list. I think after giving it a few more listens (painfully) that its DIABOLICAL.

 

We should make a campaign for them to go away and come back with an album up to their usual standard or higher :lol: and one with single worthy tracks

God forbid they'd make an artistic album. There's a few of you who'd be happy with another Change, an album so safe you could play it whilst walking a tightrope at two thousand feet. But they've gone for something a bit more unexpected, and some people always were going to prefer an album full of Undignifieds and Back Whens. That's fine...

We should make a campaign for them to go away and come back with an album up to their usual standard or higher :lol: and one with single worthy tracks

 

Sign me up please ^_^