ThePensmith

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".

A handful of re-entries for Enya after her "at the BBC" special that was on last night: Enya - Orinoco Flow Enya - Caribbean Blue Enya - Only Time "Paint the Sky With Stars", her best of album is at #7 on the album chart.

The 1997 singles are now on DSPs - including the first time to digital for the single remix of "Isn't It A Wonder":

I was gonna say that and also "Whenever Wherever" were both snubbed. To add insult to injury with the latter they exorcised all but the last panpipe interlude on the version they played on the top 40 as well! They eventually playlisted her when "She Wolf" came out.

In hopes that their digital platforms get a tidy up, I have compiled a fantasy set of digital singles packages. I've consulted their Discogs and Wikipedia to try and get every remix and B-side accounted for, and this is what I've put together. Couple of pointers on each of these: 1) Doing this made me realise they had a hell of a lot of megamixes on their singles. They loved megamixes like Steps loved doing double-A-sides 🤣 2) Much like S Club had a version of "Alive" with Rachel doing lead vocal in place of Jo who was absent for its promo due to her back injury, so too did "Let's Dance" have a version with Ritchie taking Sean's lead vocal after his leave of absence during promo for the single. I don't think it's ever been commercially released but this would surely be the opportunity for it. 3) "Pour Some Sugar On Me" was a track recorded for the Kingsize album but ultimately didn't make the final cut. As the name suggests, it was a song that extensively sampled the Def Leppard song of the same name. Popjustice wrote about it here and said it was essentially "Everybody Get Up Part II". If not added to a single package, they could surely put it on a new version of the Greatest Hits ahead of the tour?

Nine more dates have been added and many are now sold out already after general sale this morning! Absolutely loving this for them. I have to say as well, watching all their interviews of the last week or so, it's so clear that they have a genuine bond again after their little Airbnb jaunt Scott arranged, and are just happy and enjoying it for what it is. And as a fan my hope had dimmed somewhat after The Big Reunion that we would ever see them all back again so I am buzzingwith joy. Long may that continue to the tour and beyond.

Couple more interviews from Hits Radio and Manchester Evening News from the last few days:

Got pit for second O2 date on AEG presale this morning ☺️🤘🏻🔥 They've also added two Irish dates in Belfast and Dublin:

A second O2 date has been added for Weds 12th Nov - on sale Friday!

No presale joy for me this morning 😒 Just hoping they add more dates ahead of general on Friday. On a positive tickets look to be quite decently priced!

BBC Breakfast interview this morning:

JLS were my first ☺️ Went to see them at Hammersmith Apollo on their first tour in 2010. Filmed for their DVD that night as well so lots of great memories of that show!

Take That are the obvious ones here. But I'd actually put a vote in for Steps as well. When they came back with "Scared of the Dark" in 2017 it was a real moment and it felt like they'd found a way to update their sound but also win a new audience. OK their singles success may be long behind them but they can still shift albums and tours. I went to see them just up the road from me at Chelmsford Racecourse a couple of years back, and it was honestly one of the best gigs I've been to, they had such a wide audience that it really took me by surprise.

They've gone up a bit tardily considering the album came out four months ago, but they've been adding some more J15 stuff to their YouTube in the last few weeks: The last video of these is particularly interesting to watch as it has the previously unseen rushes from their video for "Hallelujah" which obviously would have been their single if they'd won The X Factor. Parallel universe!

The next batch of their singles - Coming Home Now up to A Different Beat - have now been added to DSPs: "A Different Beat" is probably one of my favourite singles of theirs. It's giving "Storms In Africa" by Enya but if done by a boyband!

They appear to be relishing in social content 🤣 InstagramFive on Instagram: "How’d we do? 🤣"16K likes, 584 comments - itsfiveofficial on March 3, 2025: "How’d we do? 🤣". InstagramFive on Instagram: "Five bad boys without the power to st...5,113 likes, 263 comments - itsfiveofficial on March 3, 2025: "Five bad boys without the power to stop a lift…". They're also on BBC Breakfast tomorrow, I believe The One Show later in the week as well. I do wonder if we'll get their singles back catalogue / 4K videos etc tidied up on DSPs ahead of the tour?

I was gonna say the unfortunate timing of the 3 Lions 98 / Vindaloo duopoly was what scuppered "Got The Feelin'" - but it did have a very good chart run nonetheless. A channel I'm subscribed to on YouTube uploaded their performance of it from TOTP the other day (and all their others) and they're all wearing different World Cup related football strips to tie into it being on at the time. It's one of my lasting memories of that song! "Don't Wanna Let You Go" is the only single of theirs not in their top 10 list so I'm assuming it sold less than "Closer To Me" did? They also had a couple of cancelled singles: "It's The Things You Do" was meant to come out here March 1999 following it's release in the States the previous October. "Two Sides To Every Story" was also meant to be a single after "We Will Rock You" in October 2000 to time with their live DVD coming out as well.