Sugababes made their return to the stage in an explosive comeback on Friday night - and it's like they had never even been away. Thousands of 90s kids crammed into the O2 Apollo in Manchester to see the original trio reunite to reign over British pop once more.
It is not lost on me how much Mutya, Keisha and Siobhán really have still got it. More than 20 years from first emerging onto the music scene as teenagers, their undeniable stage presence, sprinkle of attitude and breathtaking, pitch-perfect harmonies proved for a thoroughly stunning set...if only it could've gone on for longer.
Nostalgia most certainly filled the air on Friday night. It's been more than a decade since the former chart-toppers released an album, but the three-and-a half-thousand strong crowd appeared elated with their bold comeback, relishing in every moment, with early 2000s chart toppers 'Round Round' and 'Freak Like Me' sending them into overdrive.
Their UK tour comes three years after the pop trio finally reclaimed their original name and almost ten years after releasing new music under MKS, back in 2013. Over the last 21 years, there have been four iterations of the Sugababes, but this latest reunion just feels right.
It was not just in Manchester where they were welcomed with open arms to perform before a sea of waving arms and deafening screams. In June, Glastonbury's Avalon field had to be shut down after the band had drawn in such a mammoth crowd.
As the floor began to fill on Friday night, I wondered which songs would be making an appearance. After all, many of their most notable hits were released after Siobhán had left the band, with other classics also written following Mutya's later departure.
I needn't have worried though. As their dramatic musical intro rumbled through the venue and the spotlights darted towards the stage, on they strutted, launching straight into 'Push The Button'. Mutya's instantly recognisable earthy vocal kicked off the show with Siobhán taking over what had previously been Heidi's second verse, sending fans into a frenzy.
Accompanied by an impressive live band and dazzling light show, complete with a disco ball, the trio went straight into a sensational 'Red Dress'. But, before the cheers could settle or a single breath could be caught, they raised their mics to sing 'Hole In The Head', which was topped off with a guitar solo.
The entire performance truly was a gift that kept on giving. Just when I thought there couldn't be anymore hits for them to grace us with, the songstresses clutched their mics and proved us wrong. The set had a varied pace, swapping out their synchronised moves for a few more sombre moments in the spotlights, with slick harmonies rearing their head once more in 'Too Lost in You', 'Flatline' and '2 Hearts'.
In a change up to their recorded tracks, many of the live arrangements incorporated new creative outros, as they stood facing one another to sing sultry, note-perfect harmonies, proving themselves not just as singers, but exceptionally talented vocalists.
With a resounding message of self-love, 'Ugly' followed, along with an impassioned 'Stronger' and then the classic 'Overload', a proud nod to their early days bursting onto the scene as teenagers - miles from where they stand now as renown chart-toppers.
Nineties kids were next treated to a cover of Sweet Female Attitude’s UK Garage track ‘Flowers’, a song that could've almost made for the Sugababes, before they flexed even more of their memorable radio hits with energetic renditions of 'Round Round' and 'Freak Like Me'.
Signing off with an encore performance of 'About You Now', I found myself crossing my fingers, hoping that this new Sugababes era is a comeback here to stay.
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