ThePensmith

New interview Rach did with OK this week ahead of the paperback being published:

There's a rather incisive new interview with them from Michael Cragg (author of Reach for the Stars) in The Guardian today: ‘If Jesus and Buddha had our work schedule, they’d have fallen out too’: boyband Five on bullying, Britney and their blockbuster return https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/25/if-jesus-and-buddha-had-our-work-schedule-theyd-have-fallen-out-too-boyband-five-on-bullying-britney-and-their-blockbuster-return/ Also these images which were taken on the very same tower block / skate park that they filmed the "Slam Dunk (Da Funk)" video at! InstagramFive on Instagram: "The five of us went back to the skate...8,825 likes, 200 comments - itsfiveofficial on April 25, 2025: "The five of us went back to the skate park where we shot the Slam Dunk video for @guardian and to be there 28 years later was definit...

I'm surprised she's never done it either, she'd be ideal! I know she does a lot of Pride shows anyway.

Jon is quite literally looking for romance 🤣 (Sorry, had to be done!)

So... tour kicked off last night in Plymouth. And he only casually dropped a brand new song for the first time! It's called "Save Me". I've heard a very small snatch of it on socials and it's really promising, it's a bit of a hark back to the ska / reggae pop feel of the first album. Looks as if it'll be the first single off the new album so not long to wait! InstagramDawn Gillingwater on Instagram: "What an opening night @o...6 likes, 0 comments - dawnio21 on April 24, 2025: "What an opening night @ollymurs @plymouthpavilions . A little bit of trouble #ollymurs #ollymurstour #ollymursarmy #newsingle".

Reach and Natural were absolutely still the right two to be the first two singles. I do think Bring The House Down should have been a double-A-side with Never Had A Dream Come True - it was being lined up as the single after Natural anyway, so it would have made sense and would have also nicely dovetailed in the way the S Club album era went, plus it would have meant not yeeting a whole album era. After that I'm not sure what would have been the best fourth single. Maybe Love Train given they performed that on telly a few times and it had the same sort of vibe to it as Reach?

I feel like Everybody Wants Ya was the missed fourth single opportunity. It would have been an ideal release for either late February or early March 2000, it would have kept fans tided over until promo for Reach and L.A. 7 got under way.

Was up at half 4. Got there about twenty minutes to 7 with 30 ahead of me in the queue and... Beautiful reissue, going to give it a spin in a second!

I was at the O2 last night. Didn't think the One Night Only show could be topped but they absolutely did. They have this wonderful way of maintaining the intimacy of their shows they've done to now at an arena level which I think is divine. Great to hear some deep cuts as well as Jungle and Weeds live for the first time!

Out tomorrow early doors too! Got to get two buses just to get there cause the earliest direct one wouldn't get me in until just seconds before 8 and I don't want to chance it! It's only Sugababes I'm after this year really so hopefully I'll be alright, but don't want to chance it!

It is on there now, got added a few months back!

The singles back catalogue of Lolly is on DSPs from today!

The digital singles are now complete as the 1999 releases are up as of today:

Couldn't see a topic for this yet but I thought I'd start it. Austin is a new BBC sitcom co-produced with ABC in Australia which started last Friday, although the full series is on iPlayer, and it's already got commissioned for a second series. It stars Ben Miller (Armstrong & Miller, Worst Week Of My Life) Sally Phillips (Miranda, Smack the Pony), and Michael Theo, who was one of the participants in an Aussie neurodivergent dating show called Love on the Spectrum, and this is his first acting role. He plays the title character, who is a 28 year old autistic man who finds out his birth dad is Ben's character, a highly egotistical British children's author who has just been on the receiving of a widespread media cancellation following inappropriate use of social media. I've watched the first three episodes so far. Firstly Michael is wonderful, and plays the character so true to life being neurodiverse himself, and a lot of the comedy actually comes from him. Ben Miller isn't as likeable or funny to be honest and his character and the whole being cancelled plotline is a tad shoddy. I'm sticking with it though (Sally is brilliant as always).

I treated myself to the deluxe Yearbook and Yearbook Extra 98 CDs. I mean 1998 has always been one of my favourite music years so I couldn't not really, even despite owning all the main Nows and Hits albums from this year. Really well compiled and comprehensive - it'll make good accompanying listening when BBC Four get to showing the 98 editions of TOTP in a couple of months' time! I must admit I'm excited whilst equal parts nervous for when they finally do one for 1999. Only in so far as they have had a rather nasty habit of compiling incorrect versions of hits from that year on other retrospectives (watch where my eyes fall, Shania Twain and ATB).

Just been listening to this tonight which I can highly recommend from Hits Radio, it's an in depth chat with the band with Fleur East (it's on the Rayo app but it's free to download and sign up): https://hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/shows/off-the-record-five/

I think if memory serves me correctly it was because the final three from the year before all got deals with SyCo (Leon Jackson, Rhydian and Same Difference) but none of them did very well compared to Leona or even Shayne. In hindsight, best thing that happened to them going with Epic because Nick Raphael there who then also signed Olly Murs after his series did wonders with them. I get the feeling we'll get more new material from them one day - still love 2.0, it was a wicked album - but it probably needs a strong marketing hook like an anniversary to hang from. I wouldn't be surprised if we get the 15th anniversary of the Outta This World album this year after the debut album celebrations last year.

Already several new dates added in Birmingham and Cardiff as presale sold out so quick! Got M&G VIP for the first O2 show. Couple of promo bits from Friday into Scott Mills' Radio 2 breakfast show and This Morning: InstagramBBC Radio 2 on Instagram: "A birthday treat for @realscot...17K likes, 94 comments - bbcradio2 on March 28, 2025: "A birthday treat for @realscottmills 🧡🥳 @samhairwolfryder • @jlsofficial". InstagramBBC Radio 2 on Instagram: "@realscottmills and the JLS bo...310 likes, 0 comments - bbcradio2 on March 29, 2025: "@realscottmills and the JLS boys go way back 😅 @jlsofficial". Oh and their first album has just been certified 5x Platinum!

Awesome and timely news given they've just got another tour on sale! I'm assuming the J15 anniversary edition of the album released last November has counted towards this happening?

Not strictly a second single but in both cases, they did get retrospectively added to the albums after: Never Had A Dream Come True was added to S Club 7's "7" album (along with the single mix of Natural and their cover of Stevie Wonder's Lately for Motown Mania) Similarly a few years later, they repacked Rachel Stevens' "Funky Dory" album when Some Girls became a hit (again, single mix of the title track and Breathe In Breathe Out were added, as was More More More - although annoyingly the single version was different from the album version just a couple of months later) Actually just thought of another one as I was writing this: they reissued Boyzone's "Where We Belong" just three months after release to add No Matter What after that went to #1.

The 1998 singles are now on DSPs from today. Crikey me "All That I Need" had a ton of remixes for a ballad! Also. I knew the Spice Girls did a Pepsi single back in the day - didn't know they did as well!

Yep! The Club Is Alive Tour in November up and down the UK. Example is supporting them on all dates. Tickets on sale next Friday (presale Wednesday):

Announcement at 7pm tonight. Seems to be pointing towards something to do with "The Club Is Alive". Maybe the 15th anniversary of the Outta This World album? InstagramJLS on Instagram: "Getting the wifi fixed tomorrow 👀"9,250 likes, 472 comments - jlsofficial on March 19, 2025: "Getting the wifi fixed tomorrow 👀".

An announcement is coming: InstagramJLS on Instagram: "👀"13K likes, 668 comments - jlsofficial on March 18, 2025: "👀".

Ricky Martin - "Livin' La Vida Loca" was mentioned - part sung, in fact - in Sisqo "Thong Song".