Change

Album Review

It's amazing what effect a big hit single can have on album sales — not merely an average-sized number one single, and the Sugababes at this point of their career had six of them (including the charity collaboration with Girls Aloud) — but a massive, radio-friendly number one single that even average listeners can't get out of their heads. Well, having hit the top of the singles chart with "About You Now," the Sugababes unleashed their sixth album, Change, which was the first to feature new member Amelle Berrabah after Mutya Buena departed to pursue a solo career, leaving Keisha Buchanan as the only original remaining member of the group. The omens were not looking great. Change was the first release after the career summary Overloaded: The Singles Collection, and the most recent single, "Follow Me Home," had become their lowest-charting single to date. The Sugababes needn't have worried, however. Following the Comic Relief charity number one with Girls Aloud, "Walk This Way" (a rather messy version of the Aerosmith hit), "About You Now" was released and topped the chart throughout the whole of October 2007. One of the catchiest pop singles of the year, it propelled the album to the top, giving the group a simultaneous number one single and album. With various tracks produced by William Orbit, Dallas Austin, and the U.K.-based production team of Xenomania, the whole album from beginning to end was a slice of sophisticated dance-pop, midtempo songs that Girls Aloud (their greatest rivals for girl band supremacy) wouldn't record, and slushy ballads that the Spice Girls should have been recording for their comeback album. At the end of the day, it really didn't matter whether people thought the album was credible and worthy — it was pure pop with hummable songs and good melodies. Change was good to listen to and even better to dance to, and one could not ask more of the Sugababes or any other so-called manufactured pop band. [The 2007 edition included one bonus track.]