Sweet 7: Difference between revisions
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| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2010|03|05}} |
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2010|03|05}} |
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| recorded = |
| recorded = April–November 2009 |
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| studio = {{flatlist| |
| studio = {{flatlist| |
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* London, UK |
* London, UK |
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* Los Angeles, US |
* Los Angeles, US |
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* New York City, US |
* New York City, US |
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* Copenhagen, Denmark<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/entertainment/newsid_8140000/8140234.stm|title=Sugababes reveal all their gossip|website=[[Newsbeat]]. [[BBC]]|date=9 July 2009|access-date=22 April 2012}}</ref> |
* Copenhagen, Denmark<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/entertainment/newsid_8140000/8140234.stm|title=Sugababes reveal all their gossip|website=[[Newsbeat]]. [[BBC]]|date=9 July 2009|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=27 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327111630/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/entertainment/newsid_8140000/8140234.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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}} |
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| genre = |
| genre = |
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*[[ |
*[[Electropop]]<ref name="independent2"/> |
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*[[ |
*[[Electro music|electro]]-[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]<ref name="allmusic"/> |
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| length = 43:48 |
| length = 43:48 |
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| label = |
| label = |
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| producer = |
| producer = |
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* [[Fernando Garibay]] |
* [[Fernando Garibay]] |
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* Jonas Jeberg |
* [[Jonas Jeberg]] |
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* Martin K |
* Martin K |
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* [[RedOne]] |
* [[RedOne]] |
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| prev_title = [[Catfights and Spotlights]] |
| prev_title = [[Catfights and Spotlights]] |
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| prev_year = 2008 |
| prev_year = 2008 |
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| next_title = |
| next_title = [[The Lost Tapes (Sugababes album)|The Lost Tapes]] |
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| next_year = |
| next_year = 2022 |
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| misc = {{Singles |
| misc = {{Singles |
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| name = Sweet 7 |
| name = Sweet 7 |
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| single1date = 30 August 2009 |
| single1date = 30 August 2009 |
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| single2 = [[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]] |
| single2 = [[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]] |
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| single2date = |
| single2date = 8 November 2009 |
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| single3 = [[Wear My Kiss]] |
| single3 = [[Wear My Kiss]] |
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| single3date = |
| single3date = 21 February 2010 |
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}} |
}} |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Sweet 7''''' is the seventh |
'''''Sweet 7''''' is the seventh [[studio album]] by British girl group [[Sugababes]], released on 15 March 2010 by [[Island Records]]. Production for the album began in April 2009. ''Sweet 7'' is the only Sugababes album to feature [[Eurovision Song Contest 2009]] entrant [[Jade Ewen]] following the controversial departure of [[Keisha Buchanan]] in September 2009. As a result of the group line-up change, ''Sweet 7'' was re-recorded to feature the vocals of new member Ewen and for the removal of Buchanan's vocals, making this the only Sugababes album that features none of the original members. |
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Production on the album began with Buchanan's involvement, who was featured on the lead single "[[Get Sexy]]", which peaked at number two in the UK. Following her departure, "[[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]]" and "[[Wear My Kiss]]" peaked at number eight and seven, respectively. The album was produced by [[Jay-Z]]'s entertainment company [[Roc Nation]]; the involvement of Roc Nation's in-house producers gave the album a strong [[electro (music)|electro]] and [[dance-pop]] sound due to work from US producers and writers, mainly [[Fernando Garibay]], [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]] and [[The Smeezingtons]]. Despite the high-profile input, ''Sweet 7'' was negatively received by critics, with the negative reviews criticising the lack of an identifiable sound and soul from the project as well as the group's loss of identity due to Buchanan's departure, with many considering it a major step down in quality from their previous works. |
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''Sweet 7'' peaked at number 14 in the UK and number 35 in Ireland, becoming the group's second-lowest charting album to date in those countries |
''Sweet 7'' peaked at number 14 in the UK and number 35 in Ireland, becoming the group's second-lowest charting album to date in those countries. Promotion for the album ended after the release of the final single so that the group could begin work on a new album, but they split after they released its intended single, "[[Freedom (Sugababes song)|Freedom]]". |
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==Recording and line-up change== |
==Recording and line-up change== |
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Prior to the album's creation, Sugababes signed a US record deal with Jay-Z's label [[Roc Nation]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/3am/2009/05/02/sugababes-get-ready-to-roc-115875-21325382/ | title=Sugababes get ready to roc | author=3am | work=[[Mirror.co.uk]] | date=2 May 2009 | access-date=23 July 2009 }}</ref> The album was recorded by Sugababes mostly in [[Los Angeles]] and [[New York City|New York]] |
Prior to the album's creation, Sugababes signed a US record deal with Jay-Z's label [[Roc Nation]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/3am/2009/05/02/sugababes-get-ready-to-roc-115875-21325382/ | title=Sugababes get ready to roc | author=3am | work=[[Mirror.co.uk]] | date=2 May 2009 | access-date=23 July 2009 | archive-date=4 September 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904030758/http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/3am/2009/05/02/sugababes-get-ready-to-roc-115875-21325382/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The album was recorded by Sugababes mostly in [[Los Angeles]] and [[New York City|New York]] with a couple of sessions in [[London]].<ref name="newsbeat">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/entertainment/newsid_8140000/8140234.stm | title=Sugababes reveal all their gossip | work=[[BBC Radio 1]] [[Newsbeat]] | author=Sinead Garvan | date=9 July 2009 | access-date=23 July 2009 | archive-date=27 March 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327111630/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/entertainment/newsid_8140000/8140234.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> The group primarily worked with [[RedOne]],<ref name="guardian">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/24/sugababes-interview | title=Sugababes: 'We took our eye off the ball' | author=Caroline Sullivan | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=24 July 2009 | access-date=6 August 2009 | location=London | archive-date=28 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228205329/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/24/sugababes-interview | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ryan Tedder]],<ref name="guardian"/> [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]],<ref name="newsbeat"/> [[Fernando Garibay]],<ref name="garibay">{{cite web | url=https://www.twitter.com/FERNANDOGARIBAY/status/2684911005 | title=FERNANDOGARIBAY status | via=[[Twitter]] | author=Fernando Garibay | author-link=Fernando Garibay | date=17 July 2009 | access-date=23 July 2009 | archive-date=1 August 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801081305/https://twitter.com/FERNANDOGARIBAY/status/2684911005 | url-status=live }}</ref> and [[The Smeezingtons]]. One of the album's tracks, "No More You", was written by [[Ne-Yo]].<ref name="newsbeat"/> Keisha Buchanan compared the song to [[Rihanna]]'s "[[Hate That I Love You]]" and "[[Take a Bow (Rihanna song)|Take a Bow]]".<ref name="digitalspy">{{cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a171281/sugababes.html | title=Sugababes | author=David Balls | work=[[Digital Spy]] | date=14 August 2009 | access-date=14 August 2009 | archive-date=22 August 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822190417/http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a171281/sugababes.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Buchanan told [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[Newsbeat]], the album has "definitely got the British feel throughout the album - we've not gone away and gone 'All American' on our fans."<ref name="newsbeat"/> Buchanan continued, "I think it's given us a fresh energy again. I think the one thing we wanted to do was come back with something different."<ref name="newsbeat"/> She also admitted the girls had become "complacent" around the time of ''[[Catfights and Spotlights]]'' but they also said that they are very proud of that album.<ref name="guardian"/> |
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After the release of the album's first single "[[Get Sexy]]" and just two months before its projected November 2009 release, it was reported by the media that [[Amelle Berrabah]] had quit the group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/sugababes/news/154096-amelle-quits-sugababes |title=Amelle Quits Sugababes | Sugababes | News |
After the release of the album's first single "[[Get Sexy]]" and just two months before its initial projected November 2009 release, it was reported by the media that [[Amelle Berrabah]] had quit the group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/sugababes/news/154096-amelle-quits-sugababes |title=Amelle Quits Sugababes | Sugababes | News |website=Mtv.co.uk |date=18 September 2009 |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=22 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922213615/http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/sugababes/news/154096-amelle-quits-sugababes |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a177232/sugababe-keisha-amelle-wants-to-go.html |title=Music - News - Sugababe Keisha: 'Amelle wants to go' |website=Digital Spy |date=14 September 2009 |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=26 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026055416/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a177232/sugababe-keisha-amelle-wants-to-go.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-news/2009/09/19/amelle-berrabah-quits-sugababes-after-big-bust-up-86908-21685020/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923001713/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-news/2009/09/19/amelle-berrabah-quits-sugababes-after-big-bust-up-86908-21685020/|date=23 September 2009}}</ref> Buchanan, however, denied any drama within the group and insisted that Berrabah would remain a member "for the moment". Rumors began circulating that [[Jade Ewen]], the UK's 2009 [[Eurovision Song Contest]] entrant, would be joining the group and replacing Berrabah.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.new-magazine.co.uk/latestnews/view/13657/Amelle-leaves-Sugababes-/ | title= Amelle leaves Sugababes? | work= New! Magazine | date= 19 September 2009 | access-date= 6 July 2011 | location= London | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111009084420/http://www.new-magazine.co.uk/latestnews/view/13657/Amelle-leaves-Sugababes-/ | archive-date= 9 October 2011 }}</ref> On 21 September 2009, it was announced that Buchanan had left the band,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a178484/keisha-buchanan-leaves-sugababes.html | title=Keisha Buchanan leaves Sugababes | author=David Balls | work=[[Digital Spy]] | date=21 September 2009 | access-date=24 September 2009 | archive-date=20 June 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620125407/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a178484/keisha-buchanan-leaves-sugababes.html | url-status=live }}</ref> although she stated via her [[Twitter]] account that it was not her decision to leave.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.twitter.com/keisha_buchanan/status/4152790653 | title=Although it was not my... | via=[[Twitter]] | author=Keisha Buchanan | date=21 September 2009 | access-date=24 September 2009 | archive-date=5 February 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205013232/http://twitter.com/keisha_buchanan/status/4152790653 | url-status=live }}</ref> Berrabah and fellow member [[Heidi Range]] later stated that they both attempted to quit the Sugababes themselves only to find that their group's management decided that they would follow them, rather than find two new members for Buchanan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/range-eyed-sugababes-walk-out-before-buchanan_1131106 |title=Keisha Buchanan | Range Eyed Sugababes Walk-Out Before Buchanan |publisher=Contactmusic |date=5 February 2010 |access-date=31 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208185051/http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/range-eyed-sugababes-walk-out-before-buchanan_1131106 |archive-date=8 February 2010}}</ref> Buchanan was immediately replaced by Ewen, who immediately began recording her vocals over Buchanan's in preparation for the album's release.<ref name="heidimirror">{{cite web | url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/09/24/sugababe-heidi-range-reveals-why-keisha-buchanan-was-kicked-out-115875-21697073/ | title=Sugababe Heidi Range reveals why Keisha Buchanan was kicked out | author=Rachael Wheeler | work=[[Mirror.co.uk]] | date=24 September 2009 | access-date=24 September 2009 | archive-date=14 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014131029/http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sugababe-heidi-range-reveals-why-keisha-420702 | url-status=live }}</ref> Additional new material was recorded in November 2009.<ref name="Nov2009">{{cite web | last=Balls | first=David | title=Sugababes record new songs for 'Sweet 7' | website=Digital Spy | date=16 November 2009 | url=http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a187116/sugababes-record-new-songs-for-sweet-7/ | access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref> |
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Buchanan reunited with the original Sugababes line-up with former members [[Mutya Buena]] and [[Siobhán Donaghy]] in 2011, but the trio would not regain the Sugababes name and trademark until 2019. In March 2023, Buchanan stated that she would never again perform any of the songs from ''Sweet 7''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wab9qewUnoM&t=858s | title=I answered ALL your questions! And guys...I had to be honest | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> |
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==Songs== |
==Songs== |
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"Thank You for the Heartbreak" is an [[electropop]] song with a 1980s [[Electro music|electro]] influence.<ref name="digitalspy"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Pollock|first=David|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-207725507|title=Two Sugas will do|work=[[Sunday Mail (Scotland)|Sunday Mail]]|date=13 September 2009|access-date=23 December 2012}} |
"Thank You for the Heartbreak" is an [[electropop]] song with a 1980s [[Electro music|electro]] influence.<ref name="digitalspy"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Pollock|first=David|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-207725507|title=Two Sugas will do|work=[[Sunday Mail (Scotland)|Sunday Mail]]|date=13 September 2009|access-date=23 December 2012|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115170835/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia|url-status=live}}{{subscription required}}</ref> David Balls of ''Digital Spy'' described it as a "snappy [[electropop]] number", and noted its potential to "have slotted quite nicely" onto Sugababes' fifth studio album, ''[[Change (Sugababes album)|Change]]'' (2007).<ref name="digitalspy2">{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/thesound/a170504/who-wants-to-hear-two-new-sugababes-songs.html|title=Who wants to hear two new Sugababes songs?|website=Digital Spy|date=11 August 2009|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=8 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608060056/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/thesound/a170504/who-wants-to-hear-two-new-sugababes-songs.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During an interview with ''[[Digital Spy]]'', group member Amelle Berrabah stated that "Thank You for the Heartbreak" is amongst the tracks on the album that the Sugababes enjoy, and later named it a potential single from the album.<ref>{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a192329/sugababes-plan-six-singles-from-new-lp.html|title=Sugababes plan six singles from new LP|website=[[Digital Spy]]|date=22 December 2009|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=16 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516162136/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a192329/sugababes-plan-six-singles-from-new-lp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> There was a "potential lyrical mishap" with the song's lyric, 'dancing off my tears', on which Heidi Range replied: "If people want to sing that when we perform it, well, we won't complain!"<ref>{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/interviews/a171281/sugababes.html|title=Sugababes|website=Digital Spy|date=14 August 2009|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=16 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516175452/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/interviews/a171281/sugababes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Nick Levine of ''Digital Spy'' wrote that the song "displays the Sugababes spunk of old" in comparison to the other "characterless" tracks on the album.<ref>{{cite web|last=Levine|first=Nick|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/albumreviews/a209942/sugababes-sweet-7.html|title=Sugababes: 'Sweet 7'|website=Digital Spy|date=23 March 2010|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115170811/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/|url-status=live}}</ref> David Balls of ''Digital Spy'' noted that the song suggests that the Sugababes "extracted maximum benefit from their recording sessions in LA earlier this year", and they did not "stray too far from their comfort zone". Balls also described "Thank You for the Heartbreak", as well as the album's second single "[[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]]", as a track that is both "fresh-sounding" and "packed with the attitude that always made the group stand out."<ref name="digitalspy"/> Thomas H Green of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' listed the song in his "Download this" category.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7429555/Sugababes-Sweet-7-CD-review.html|title=Sugababes: Sweet 7, CD review|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=12 March 2010|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114085832/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7429555/Sugababes-Sweet-7-CD-review.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Lauren Murphy of [[Entertainment.ie|Entertainment Ireland]] described it as a "minor saving grace" and "very likeable" in comparison to the other "mediocre" tracks on the album.<ref>{{cite web|last=Murphy|first=Lauren|url=http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Sugababes-Change/5277.htm|title=Sugababes - Sweet 7|work=[[Entertainment.ie|Entertainment Ireland]]|date=16 March 2010|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-date=1 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401121601/http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Sugababes-Change/5277.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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"She's a Mess" is an [[uptempo]] electropop song. Originally called "I'm a Mess", the group decided to retitle it due to concerns that the lyrics (such as "Drinking bottle after bottle / I'm such a mess in that dress / I'm not impressed") encouraged [[binge drinking]]. However, Range stated that "there are some lyrics that are quite cheeky but people shouldn't take them seriously."<ref>{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a206672/sugababes-change-boozing-album-lyric.html|title=Sugababes change 'boozing' album lyric|work=[[Digital Spy]]|date=4 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> During an interview for ''Digital Spy'', Berrabah described the overall sound of ''Sweet 7'', saying: "It's quite an uptempo album with a lot of different sounds." Berrabah cited "She's a Mess" as an example for this, which she said was "just totally different from everything else."<ref name="digital spy">{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/interviews/a171281/sugababes.html|title=Sugababes|work=Digital Spy|date=14 August 2009|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> Jon O'Brien of [[AllMusic]] wrote that the "aptly named 'She's a Mess' is a chaotic attempt at a Clubland trance-pop floor-filler".<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jon|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-7-r1696073/review|title=Sweet 7 – Sugababes|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> Al Fox of the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] called the song, along with the album's third single "[[Wear My Kiss]]", a "glimmer of brilliance" and went on to say that it is saved by Berrabah's "unashamed attitude".<ref>{{cite web|last=Fox|first=Al|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/28hf|title=Music – Review of Sugababes – Sweet 7|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=16 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> Christopher Lee of ''[[The Scotsman]]'' named it one of the better tracks on the album, although admitted that it "wouldn't have sounded much different coming from any other girl band".<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Christopher|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-sugababes-christopher-lee-national-youth-choir-of-great-britain-peter-carberry-brad-mehldau-odeo-sukeroku-taiko-1-794788|title=Sugababes: Sweet 7|work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=14 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> Nick Levine of ''Digital Spy'' wrote that "sisterhood" is being "jettisoned entirely" on the track, which he described as "crass and misogynistic".<ref>{{cite web|last=Levine|first=Nick|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/albumreviews/a209942/sugababes-sweet-7.html|title=Sugababes: 'Sweet 7'|work=Digital Spy|date=22 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> Celina Murphy of ''[[Hot Press]]'' suggested that "She's a Mess" "might actually sound quite punchy" if it was recorded by Barbadian recording artist [[Rihanna]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Murphy |first=Celina |url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/Sweet-7/6300720.html |title=Sweet 7 |work=[[Hot Press]] |date=5 March 2010 |access-date=23 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327063603/http://hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/Sweet-7/6300720.html |archive-date=27 March 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
"She's a Mess" is an [[uptempo]] electropop song. Originally called "I'm a Mess", the group decided to retitle it due to concerns that the lyrics (such as "Drinking bottle after bottle / I'm such a mess in that dress / I'm not impressed") encouraged [[binge drinking]]. However, Range stated that "there are some lyrics that are quite cheeky but people shouldn't take them seriously."<ref>{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a206672/sugababes-change-boozing-album-lyric.html|title=Sugababes change 'boozing' album lyric|work=[[Digital Spy]]|date=4 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012|archive-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222174535/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a206672/sugababes-change-boozing-album-lyric.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During an interview for ''Digital Spy'', Berrabah described the overall sound of ''Sweet 7'', saying: "It's quite an uptempo album with a lot of different sounds." Berrabah cited "She's a Mess" as an example for this, which she said was "just totally different from everything else."<ref name="digital spy">{{cite web|last=Balls|first=David|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/interviews/a171281/sugababes.html|title=Sugababes|work=Digital Spy|date=14 August 2009|access-date=18 May 2012|archive-date=16 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516175452/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/interviews/a171281/sugababes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Jon O'Brien of [[AllMusic]] wrote that the "aptly named 'She's a Mess' is a chaotic attempt at a Clubland trance-pop floor-filler".<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jon|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-7-r1696073/review|title=Sweet 7 – Sugababes|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=18 May 2012|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115170811/https://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-7-mw0001937585|url-status=live}}</ref> Al Fox of the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] called the song, along with the album's third single "[[Wear My Kiss]]", a "glimmer of brilliance" and went on to say that it is saved by Berrabah's "unashamed attitude".<ref>{{cite web|last=Fox|first=Al|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/28hf|title=Music – Review of Sugababes – Sweet 7|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=16 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012|archive-date=11 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111185536/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/28hf|url-status=live}}</ref> Christopher Lee of ''[[The Scotsman]]'' named it one of the better tracks on the album, although admitted that it "wouldn't have sounded much different coming from any other girl band".<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Christopher|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-sugababes-christopher-lee-national-youth-choir-of-great-britain-peter-carberry-brad-mehldau-odeo-sukeroku-taiko-1-794788|title=Sugababes: Sweet 7|work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=14 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012|archive-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222181426/http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-sugababes-christopher-lee-national-youth-choir-of-great-britain-peter-carberry-brad-mehldau-odeo-sukeroku-taiko-1-794788|url-status=live}}</ref> Nick Levine of ''Digital Spy'' wrote that "sisterhood" is being "jettisoned entirely" on the track, which he described as "crass and misogynistic".<ref>{{cite web|last=Levine|first=Nick|url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/albumreviews/a209942/sugababes-sweet-7.html|title=Sugababes: 'Sweet 7'|work=Digital Spy|date=22 March 2010|access-date=18 May 2012|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115170811/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/|url-status=live}}</ref> Celina Murphy of ''[[Hot Press]]'' suggested that "She's a Mess" "might actually sound quite punchy" if it was recorded by Barbadian recording artist [[Rihanna]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Murphy |first=Celina |url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/Sweet-7/6300720.html |title=Sweet 7 |work=[[Hot Press]] |date=5 March 2010 |access-date=23 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327063603/http://hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/Sweet-7/6300720.html |archive-date=27 March 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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==Critical reception== |
==Critical reception== |
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Line 67: | Line 69: | ||
| MC = 39/100<ref name="metacritic"/> |
| MC = 39/100<ref name="metacritic"/> |
||
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
||
| rev1score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=O'Brien |
| rev1score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jom|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-7-r1696073/review|title=Sweet 7 - Sugababes|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=7 May 2010|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115170811/https://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-7-mw0001937585|url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
| rev2 = ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' |
| rev2 = ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' |
||
| rev2score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="mirror">{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Gavin|url=http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/the-ticket/2010/03/album-reviews-sugababes-owl-ci.html |
| rev2score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="mirror">{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Gavin|url=http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/the-ticket/2010/03/album-reviews-sugababes-owl-ci.html|title=Album reviews: Sugababes, Owl City, Joan Armatrading, Jimi Hendrix and the Crookers, Broken Bells, Boyzone and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - The Ticket - TV & Entertainment - Mirror.co.uk|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|date=5 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010|archive-date=8 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308034707/http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/the-ticket/2010/03/album-reviews-sugababes-owl-ci.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
| rev3 = ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' |
| rev3 = ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' |
||
| rev3score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|last=Green |first=Thomas H |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7429555/Sugababes-Sweet-7-CD-review.html |title=Sugababes: Sweet 7, CD review |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=12 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
| rev3score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news |last=Green |first=Thomas H |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7429555/Sugababes-Sweet-7-CD-review.html |title=Sugababes: Sweet 7, CD review |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=12 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=18 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318050135/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7429555/Sugababes-Sweet-7-CD-review.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| rev4 = ''[[The Guardian]]'' |
| rev4 = ''[[The Guardian]]'' |
||
| rev4score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="guardian2">{{cite web|last=Sullivan |first=Caroline |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/04/sugababes-sweet-7-cd-review |title=Sugababes: Sweet 7 - CD review - Music - The Guardian|work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
| rev4score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="guardian2">{{cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/04/sugababes-sweet-7-cd-review |title=Sugababes: Sweet 7 - CD review - Music - The Guardian |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=12 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212030448/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/mar/04/sugababes-sweet-7-cd-review |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| rev5 = ''[[The Independent]]'' |
| rev5 = ''[[The Independent]]'' |
||
| rev5score = {{rating|1|5}}<ref name="independent">{{cite web|last=Gill|first=Andy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1916268.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1916268.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Album: Sugababes, Sweet 7 (Island) - Reviews, Music |work=[[The Independent]] |date=5 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
| rev5score = {{rating|1|5}}<ref name="independent">{{cite web|last=Gill|first=Andy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1916268.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1916268.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Album: Sugababes, Sweet 7 (Island) - Reviews, Music |work=[[The Independent]] |date=5 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
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Line 79: | Line 81: | ||
| rev6score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="london">{{cite news|last=Pearson|first=Rick|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23812711-cds-of-the-week-gorillaz-sugababes-and-jimi-hendrix.do|title=CDs of the week: Gorillaz, Sugababes and Jimi Hendrix - Music - Arts - Evening Standard|newspaper=[[London Evening Standard]]|date=5 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606160958/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23812711-cds-of-the-week-gorillaz-sugababes-and-jimi-hendrix.do|archive-date=6 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
| rev6score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="london">{{cite news|last=Pearson|first=Rick|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23812711-cds-of-the-week-gorillaz-sugababes-and-jimi-hendrix.do|title=CDs of the week: Gorillaz, Sugababes and Jimi Hendrix - Music - Arts - Evening Standard|newspaper=[[London Evening Standard]]|date=5 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606160958/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23812711-cds-of-the-week-gorillaz-sugababes-and-jimi-hendrix.do|archive-date=6 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
| rev7 = ''[[NME]]'' |
| rev7 = ''[[NME]]'' |
||
| rev7score = |
| rev7score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="nme">{{cite web |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/sugababes/11108-313769 |title=Album Review: Sugababes – 'Sweet 7' (Universal/Island) |work=[[NME]] |date=5 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=8 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308065350/http://www.nme.com/reviews/sugababes/11108-313769 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| rev8 = ''[[The Scotsman]]'' |
| rev8 = ''[[The Scotsman]]'' |
||
| rev8score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="scotsman">{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-sugababes-1-474660|title=Album Reviews: Sugababes - News - Scotsman.com|work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=14 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012}}</ref> |
| rev8score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="scotsman">{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-sugababes-1-474660|title=Album Reviews: Sugababes - News - Scotsman.com|work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=14 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012|archive-date=29 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129024646/http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-sugababes-1-474660|url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
| rev9 = ''[[The Times]]'' |
| rev9 = ''[[The Times]]'' |
||
| rev9score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="the times">{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article7048736.ece|title=Sugababes: Sweet 7 review - CD reviews - Music - Times Online|work=[[The Times]]|date=7 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615103812/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article7048736.ece|archive-date=15 June 2011 }}</ref> |
| rev9score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="the times">{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article7048736.ece|title=Sugababes: Sweet 7 review - CD reviews - Music - Times Online|work=[[The Times]]|date=7 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615103812/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article7048736.ece|archive-date=15 June 2011 }}</ref> |
||
| rev10 = [[Virgin Media]] |
| rev10 = [[Virgin Media]] |
||
| rev10score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="virgin">{{cite web|last=Dee|first=Johnny|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/sugababes-sweet7.php |title=Sugababes: Sweet 7 review - Reviews - Music |publisher=[[Virgin Media]] |date=8 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
| rev10score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="virgin">{{cite web |last=Dee |first=Johnny |url=http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/sugababes-sweet7.php |title=Sugababes: Sweet 7 review - Reviews - Music |publisher=[[Virgin Media]] |date=8 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=26 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926002845/http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/sugababes-sweet7.php |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
}} |
}} |
||
''Sweet 7'' received poor reviews from [[music journalism|music critics]]. Aggregating website [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 given to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the album an [[weighted mean|average]] score of 39, based on six reviews, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web|last=Stevens |first=Darren |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/sugababes/sweet7 |title=Sweet 7 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More - Metacritic |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=17 August 2011}}</ref> |
''Sweet 7'' received poor reviews from [[music journalism|music critics]]. Aggregating website [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 given to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the album an [[weighted mean|average]] score of 39, based on six reviews, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |last=Stevens |first=Darren |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/sugababes/sweet7 |title=Sweet 7 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More - Metacritic |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=17 August 2011 |archive-date=4 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404124131/http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/sugababes/sweet7 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
Jon O'Brien of [[AllMusic]], who gave the album a 2 out of 5 star rating, criticised it as a "bland, soulless, and repetitive affair", while admitting that it "reveals they [Sugababes] are now unrecognizable, not only in terms of personnel, but also in terms of their sound and image". He admitted that although the album is "never short of an infectious hook or club-friendly production", it "undoubtedly betrays the experimental sensibilities that set them apart from their contemporaries."<ref name="allmusic"/> Thomas H Green of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' gave the album a 3 out of 5 star rating, praising it as "catchy, cod-sexy, hi-NRG cheese that will ensure jammed and joyful school discos and gay club dance floors."<ref name="telegraph"/> |
Jon O'Brien of [[AllMusic]], who gave the album a 2 out of 5 star rating, criticised it as a "bland, soulless, and repetitive affair", while admitting that it "reveals they [Sugababes] are now unrecognizable, not only in terms of personnel, but also in terms of their sound and image". He admitted that although the album is "never short of an infectious hook or club-friendly production", it "undoubtedly betrays the experimental sensibilities that set them apart from their contemporaries."<ref name="allmusic"/> Thomas H Green of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' gave the album a 3 out of 5 star rating, praising it as "catchy, cod-sexy, hi-NRG cheese that will ensure jammed and joyful school discos and gay club dance floors."<ref name="telegraph"/> |
||
Caroline Sullivan of ''[[The Guardian]]'' called the album "disappointing" and criticised the band's shift in sound, stating that most of the tracks "are [...] either in thrall to [[Lady Gaga]]'s robotronic sound" or "just wrong for this particular band" |
Caroline Sullivan of ''[[The Guardian]]'' called the album "disappointing" and criticised the band's shift in sound, stating that most of the tracks "are [...] either in thrall to [[Lady Gaga]]'s robotronic sound" or "just wrong for this particular band", with her gaving the album 2 out of 5 stars.<ref name="guardian2"/> Andy Gill of ''[[The Independent]]'' gave a notably unfavorable review wherein the album was awarded 1 out of 5 stars. He criticised the group's lack of identity, in particular the loss of founding member Buchanan, writing: "Sugababes finally slipped from being a band to a brand". He went on to say that the "policy of replenishment has eroded both the trio's character and its appeal".<ref name="independent"/> Regarding the quality of the album, Gill felt that ''Sweet 7'' contained mostly "generic disco stompers".<ref name="independent"/> |
||
Rick Pearson of ''[[London Evening Standard]]'' wrote that Range, Berrabah and Ewen were unconvincingly "grasping for an identity" on the album, giving it 2 out of 5 stars.<ref name="london"/> Alex Denney of ''[[NME]]'' awarded it 4 out of 10, writing that ''Sweet 7'' "leaves us hankering after the good old days" and that "time was we could expect more than bland consistency from the Sugababes – shame."<ref name="nme"/> Johnny Dee of [[Virgin Media]] awarded ''Sweet 7'' 2 out of 5 stars; according to him, the Sugababes "have completely lost all vocal character and personality".<ref name="virgin"/> ''[[The Times]]'''s Dan Cairns criticised the album's songs and went on to write that the Sugababes in 2010 "are a pale, karaoke imitation of the glory days."<ref name="the times"/> Simon Price of ''The Independent'' wrote that the group "plays it depressingly safe with substandard electro pop", while reacting negatively to the line-up change, saying: "They [Sugababes] can call themselves what they like, but they'll never fill the heels of Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan. It's over."<ref name="independent2">{{cite web|last=Price|first=Simon|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1921302.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1921302.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Album: 'Sugababes', Sweet 7 (Island) - Reviews, Music |work=The Independent |date=14 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
Rick Pearson of ''[[London Evening Standard]]'' wrote that Range, Berrabah and Ewen were unconvincingly "grasping for an identity" on the album, giving it 2 out of 5 stars.<ref name="london"/> Alex Denney of ''[[NME]]'' awarded it 4 out of 10, writing that ''Sweet 7'' "leaves us hankering after the good old days" and that "time was we could expect more than bland consistency from the Sugababes – shame."<ref name="nme"/> Johnny Dee of [[Virgin Media]] awarded ''Sweet 7'' 2 out of 5 stars; according to him, the Sugababes "have completely lost all vocal character and personality".<ref name="virgin"/> ''[[The Times]]'''s Dan Cairns criticised the album's songs and went on to write that the Sugababes in 2010 "are a pale, karaoke imitation of the glory days."<ref name="the times"/> Simon Price of ''The Independent'' wrote that the group "plays it depressingly safe with substandard electro pop", while reacting negatively to the line-up change, saying: "They [Sugababes] can call themselves what they like, but they'll never fill the heels of Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan. It's over."<ref name="independent2">{{cite web|last=Price|first=Simon|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1921302.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-sugababes-sweet-7-island-1921302.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Album: 'Sugababes', Sweet 7 (Island) - Reviews, Music |work=The Independent |date=14 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
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==Commercial performance== |
==Commercial performance== |
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''Sweet 7'' debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=109177|title=Music forums focusing on chart music with chart and entertainment discussion|website=BuzzJack}}</ref> It became the Sugababes' lowest-charting album in the country since their 2000 debut album, ''[[One Touch (Sugababes album)|One Touch]]''.<ref name="music week">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=1040477|title=Music Week - GaGa back to the top of the albums chart|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=22 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012}}</ref> The album dropped 29 places to number 43 in the following week, which was its last appearance in the chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storyCode=1040587§ioncode=1|title=TV exposure helps Boyzone and GaGa to top charts - Music Week|magazine=Music Week|date=29 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012}}</ref> In Ireland, ''Sweet 7'' peaked at number 35 on the [[Irish Albums Chart]], becoming their second-lowest charting album in that country to date.<ref name="ireland" /> The album debuted at number 92 on the [[Swiss Hitparade|Swiss Albums Chart]], becoming their lowest charting album in that country, excluding ''[[Catfights and Spotlights]]'' (2008), which failed to chart.<ref name="charts"/> ''Sweet 7'' debuted at number five on the [[IFPI Greece|Greek International Albums Chart]], staying the chart for two weeks.<ref name="charts"/> |
''Sweet 7'' debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=109177|title=Music forums focusing on chart music with chart and entertainment discussion|website=BuzzJack|access-date=2 August 2019|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115170812/http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=109177|url-status=live}}</ref> It became the Sugababes' lowest-charting album in the country since their 2000 debut album, ''[[One Touch (Sugababes album)|One Touch]]''.<ref name="music week">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=1040477|title=Music Week - GaGa back to the top of the albums chart|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=22 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012}}</ref> The album dropped 29 places to number 43 in the following week, which was its last appearance in the chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storyCode=1040587§ioncode=1|title=TV exposure helps Boyzone and GaGa to top charts - Music Week|magazine=Music Week|date=29 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2012|archive-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222180523/http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storyCode=1040587§ioncode=1|url-status=live}}</ref> In Ireland, ''Sweet 7'' peaked at number 35 on the [[Irish Albums Chart]], becoming their second-lowest charting album in that country to date.<ref name="ireland" /> The album debuted at number 92 on the [[Swiss Hitparade|Swiss Albums Chart]], becoming their lowest charting album in that country, excluding ''[[Catfights and Spotlights]]'' (2008), which failed to chart.<ref name="charts"/> ''Sweet 7'' debuted at number five on the [[IFPI Greece|Greek International Albums Chart]], staying the chart for two weeks.<ref name="charts"/> |
||
==Singles== |
==Singles== |
||
"[[Get Sexy]]" was released on |
"[[Get Sexy]]" was released on 30 August 2009 as the album's lead single. It is the last single to feature vocals by founding member Buchanan. Some reviewers praised the song's production and lyrics, while others dismissed it as unoriginal and generic. The song peaked at number two on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number three on the [[Irish Singles Chart]], while also charting on the singles charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden and Slovakia. |
||
"[[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]]", the first single to feature vocals by Ewen, was released as the album's second single on 8 November 2009. The single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and inside the top twenty on the Irish Singles Chart. |
"[[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]]", the first single to feature vocals by Ewen, was released as the album's second single on 8 November 2009. The single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and inside the top twenty on the Irish Singles Chart. |
||
"[[Wear My Kiss]]" was released as the third and final single from ''Sweet 7'' on |
"[[Wear My Kiss]]" was released as the third and final single from ''Sweet 7'' on 21 February 2010, three weeks prior to the album's release. It went top-ten in the UK and Ireland at numbers seven and nine, respectively. |
||
==Track listing== |
==Track listing== |
||
{{Track listing |
{{Track listing |
||
| headline = ''Sweet 7'' |
| headline = ''Sweet 7'' track listing |
||
| extra_column = Producer(s) |
| extra_column = Producer(s) |
||
| title_width = 30% |
|||
| writing_width = 40% |
|||
| extra_width = 30% |
|||
| title1 = [[Get Sexy]] |
| title1 = [[Get Sexy]] |
||
| writer1 = {{hlist| [[Bruno Mars]]| [[Philip Lawrence (songwriter)|Philip Lawrence]]| Ari Levine| [[Right Said Fred|Richard Fairbrass]]| [[Right Said Fred|Fred Fairbrass]]| Rob Manzoli}} |
|||
| writer1 = {{Flatlist | |
|||
* [[Bruno Mars]] |
|||
* [[Philip Lawrence (songwriter)|Philip Lawrence]] |
|||
* Ari Levine |
|||
* [[Right Said Fred|Richard Fairbrass]] |
|||
* [[Right Said Fred|Fred Fairbrass]] |
|||
* Rob Manzoli |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra1 = [[The Smeezingtons]] |
| extra1 = [[The Smeezingtons]] |
||
| length1 = 3:14 |
| length1 = 3:14 |
||
| title2 = [[Wear My Kiss]] |
| title2 = [[Wear My Kiss]] |
||
| writer2 = {{hlist|[[Fernando Garibay]]| Mars| Lawrence| [[The Jackie Boyz|Carlos Battey]]| [[The Jackie Boyz|Steven Battey]]}} |
|||
| writer2 = {{Flatlist | |
|||
* [[Fernando Garibay]] |
|||
* Mars |
|||
* Lawrence |
|||
* [[The Jackie Boyz|Carlos Battey]] |
|||
* [[The Jackie Boyz|Steven Battey]] |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra2 = Garibay |
| extra2 = Garibay |
||
| length2 = 3:44 |
| length2 = 3:44 |
||
| title3 = [[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]] |
| title3 = [[About a Girl (Sugababes song)|About a Girl]] |
||
| writer3 = {{ |
| writer3 = {{hlist| [[Makeba Riddick]]| [[RedOne|Nadir Khayat]]}} |
||
* [[Makeba Riddick]] |
|||
* [[RedOne|Nadir Khayat]] |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra3 = [[RedOne]] |
| extra3 = [[RedOne]] |
||
| length3 = 3:28 |
| length3 = 3:28 |
||
| title4 = Wait for You |
| title4 = Wait for You |
||
| writer4 = {{ |
| writer4 = {{hlist|Garibay| Mars| Lawrence}} |
||
* Garibay |
|||
* Mars |
|||
* Lawrence |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra4 = Garibay |
| extra4 = Garibay |
||
| length4 = 3:54 |
| length4 = 3:54 |
||
| title5 = Thank You for the Heartbreak |
| title5 = Thank You for the Heartbreak |
||
| writer5 = {{hlist| [[Ryan Tedder]]| [[Stargate (production team)|Mikkel Eriksen]]| [[Stargate (production team)|Tor Erik Hermansen]]| [[Claude Kelly]]}} |
|||
| writer5 = {{Flatlist | |
|||
* [[Ryan Tedder]] |
|||
* [[Stargate (production team)|Mikkel Eriksen]] |
|||
* [[Stargate (production team)|Tor Erik Hermansen]] |
|||
* [[Claude Kelly]] |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra5 = [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]] |
| extra5 = [[Stargate (production team)|Stargate]] |
||
| length5 = 3:40 |
| length5 = 3:40 |
||
Line 162: | Line 144: | ||
| title6 = Miss Everything |
| title6 = Miss Everything |
||
| note6 = featuring [[Sean Kingston]] |
| note6 = featuring [[Sean Kingston]] |
||
| writer6 = {{ |
| writer6 = {{hlist|Mars| Lawrence| Levine| Brody Brown}} |
||
* Mars |
|||
* Lawrence |
|||
* Levine |
|||
* Brody Brown |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra6 = The Smeezingtons |
| extra6 = The Smeezingtons |
||
| length6 = 3:39 |
| length6 = 3:39 |
||
| title7 = She's a Mess |
| title7 = She's a Mess |
||
| writer7 = {{ |
| writer7 = {{hlist| Mars| Lawrence| Levine}} |
||
* Mars |
|||
* Lawrence |
|||
* Levine |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra7 = The Smeezingtons |
| extra7 = The Smeezingtons |
||
| length7 = 3:26 |
| length7 = 3:26 |
||
| title8 = Give It to Me Now |
| title8 = Give It to Me Now |
||
| writer8 = {{ |
| writer8 = {{hlist|[[Cristyle|Crystal Johnson]]| [[Syience|Reggie Perry]]}} |
||
* [[Cristyle|Crystal Johnson]] |
|||
* [[Syience|Reggie Perry]] |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra8 = [[Syience]] |
| extra8 = [[Syience]] |
||
| length8 = 2:50 |
| length8 = 2:50 |
||
| title9 = Crash & Burn |
| title9 = Crash & Burn |
||
| writer9 = {{ |
| writer9 = {{hlist||[[Jonas Jeberg]]| Marcus Bryant| Nakisha Smith}} |
||
* Jonas Jeberg |
|||
* Marcus Bryant |
|||
* Nakisha Smith |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra9 = Jeberg |
| extra9 = Jeberg |
||
| length9 = 3:35 |
| length9 = 3:35 |
||
| title10 = No More You |
| title10 = No More You |
||
| writer10 = {{ |
| writer10 = {{hlist | [[Ne-Yo|Shaffer Smith]]| Eriksen| Hermansen}} |
||
| extra10 = {{hlist|Stargate|Ne-Yo{{ref|a|[a]}}}} |
|||
* [[Ne-Yo|Shaffer Smith]] |
|||
* Eriksen |
|||
* Hermansen |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra10 = Stargate |
|||
| length10 = 4:15 |
| length10 = 4:15 |
||
| title11 = Sweet & Amazing (Make It the Best) |
| title11 = Sweet & Amazing (Make It the Best) |
||
| writer11 = {{ |
| writer11 = {{hlist|Rob Allen|Eriksen|Hermansen|Martin Kleveland|Bernt Stray}} |
||
| extra11 = {{hlist|Stargate|Martin K}} |
|||
* Rob Allen |
|||
* Eriksen |
|||
* Hermansen |
|||
* Martin Kleveland |
|||
* Bernt Stray |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra11 = {{Flatlist | |
|||
* Stargate |
|||
* Martin K |
|||
}} |
|||
| length11 = 3:50 |
| length11 = 3:50 |
||
| title12 = Little Miss Perfect |
| title12 = Little Miss Perfect |
||
| writer12 = {{ |
| writer12 = {{hlist| Hermansen| Eriksen| Kelly}} |
||
* Hermansen |
|||
* Eriksen |
|||
* Kelly |
|||
}} |
|||
| extra12 = Stargate |
| extra12 = Stargate |
||
| length12 = 3:53 |
| length12 = 3:53 |
||
Line 232: | Line 181: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Track listing |
{{Track listing |
||
| headline = ''Sweet 7'' {{nobold|– |
| headline = ''Sweet 7'' {{nobold|– [[iTunes Store]] bonus content<ref>{{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/sweet-7/id355050734 |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 (pre-order) |publisher=[[iTunes Store]] UK ([[Apple Inc]]) |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-date=6 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106122819/http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/sweet-7/id355050734 |url-status=live }}</ref>}} |
||
| extra_column = Producer(s) |
|||
| title_width = 30% |
|||
| writing_width = 40% |
|||
| extra_width = 30% |
|||
| title13 = About a Girl |
| title13 = About a Girl |
||
| note13 = The Sharp Boys Extended Remix |
| note13 = The Sharp Boys Extended Remix |
||
| writer13 = {{hlist| Riddick| Khayat}} |
|||
| extra13 = {{hlist| RedOne|The Sharp Boys{{ref|b|[b]}}}} |
|||
| length13 = 7:22 |
| length13 = 7:22 |
||
Line 245: | Line 202: | ||
| length15 = 3:13 |
| length15 = 3:13 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Notes''' |
|||
* {{small|{{note|a|a}}}} signifies a co-producer |
|||
===Notes=== |
|||
* {{small|{{note|b|b}}}} signifies an additional producer |
|||
"Get Sexy" contains an interpolation of the 1991 song "[[I'm Too Sexy]]" by the band [[Right Said Fred]].<ref>{{cite web|first= Fraser |last= McAlpine |title= Sugababes – 'Get Sexy' |website= The Chart Blog |publisher= [[BBC Online]] |date= 25 August 2009 |access-date= 21 November 2017 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chartblog/2009/08/sugababes_get_sexy.shtml}}</ref> |
|||
'''Sample credits''' |
|||
*"Get Sexy" contains an interpolation of the 1991 song "[[I'm Too Sexy]]" by the band [[Right Said Fred]].<ref>{{cite web |first= Fraser |last= McAlpine |title= Sugababes – 'Get Sexy' |website= The Chart Blog |publisher= [[BBC Online]] |date= 25 August 2009 |access-date= 21 November 2017 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chartblog/2009/08/sugababes_get_sexy.shtml |archive-date= 2 January 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180102054354/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chartblog/2009/08/sugababes_get_sexy.shtml |url-status= live }}</ref> |
|||
==Personnel== |
==Personnel== |
||
Track listing and credits taken from ''Sweet 7 |
Track listing and credits taken from ''Sweet 7'' liner notes.<ref>[[Roc Nation]] (2010) ''Sugababes - Sweet 7, Album Notes''. [[Island Records]], ([[Universal Music Group]])</ref> |
||
'''Visuals''' |
'''Visuals''' |
||
Line 260: | Line 219: | ||
*[[The Jackie Boyz|Carlos Battey & Steven Battey]] – background vocals |
*[[The Jackie Boyz|Carlos Battey & Steven Battey]] – background vocals |
||
*[[Amelle Berrabah]] – lead vocals, background vocals |
*[[Amelle Berrabah]] – lead vocals, background vocals |
||
*[[Keisha Buchanan]] - background vocals |
|||
*[[Jade Ewen]] – lead vocals, background vocals |
*[[Jade Ewen]] – lead vocals, background vocals |
||
*[[Sean Kingston]] – guest vocals |
*[[Sean Kingston]] – guest vocals |
||
Line 268: | Line 228: | ||
*[[Heidi Range]] – lead vocals, background vocals |
*[[Heidi Range]] – lead vocals, background vocals |
||
{{col-end}} |
{{col-end}} |
||
*[[Keisha Buchanan]] - background vocals |
|||
'''Technical''' |
'''Technical''' |
||
Line 288: | Line 247: | ||
*Bruno Mars – musician |
*Bruno Mars – musician |
||
*Mads Nilsson – mixer |
*Mads Nilsson – mixer |
||
*AJ Nunez – assistant mixer |
|||
{{col-2}} |
{{col-2}} |
||
*AJ Nunez – assistant mixer |
|||
*Robert Orton – mixer |
*Robert Orton – mixer |
||
*Carlos Oyanedel – engineer |
*Carlos Oyanedel – engineer |
||
Line 308: | Line 267: | ||
==Charts== |
==Charts== |
||
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
||
|+ Chart performance for ''Sweet 7'' |
|||
|- |
|||
! Chart (2010) |
! Chart (2010) |
||
! Peak<br />position |
! Peak<br />position |
||
Line 321: | Line 280: | ||
! scope="row"| UK Albums ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="music week"/> |
! scope="row"| UK Albums ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="music week"/> |
||
| 14 |
| 14 |
||
|- |
|||
! scope="row"| Scottish Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Scottish Albums Chart |website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]] |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-albums-chart/20100321/40/ |access-date=25 October 2023}}</ref> |
|||
| 16 |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
== Release history == |
== Release history == |
||
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
||
|+ ''Sweet 7'' release history |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! Region |
! scope="col"| Region |
||
! Date |
! scope="col"| Date |
||
! Label |
! scope="col"| Label |
||
! Catalogue |
! scope="col"| Catalogue |
||
! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Poland |
|||
! scope="row"| Poland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.empik.com/sweet-7-pl-muzyka,prod52110428,p |title=Sweet 7 PL - Sugababes- 34.99zł |website=empik.com |access-date=21 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407220815/http://www.empik.com/sweet-7-pl-muzyka,prod52110428,p |archive-date=7 April 2010}}</ref> |
|||
| rowspan="3"| 5 March 2010 |
| rowspan="3"| 5 March 2010 |
||
| rowspan="5"| [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music]] |
| rowspan="5"| [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music]] |
||
| rowspan=" |
| rowspan="5"| 060252727295 |
||
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.empik.com/sweet-7-pl-muzyka,prod52110428,p |title=Sweet 7 PL - Sugababes- 34.99zł |website=empik.com |access-date=21 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407220815/http://www.empik.com/sweet-7-pl-muzyka,prod52110428,p |archive-date=7 April 2010}}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Switzerland |
|||
! scope="row"| Switzerland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Sugababes&titel=Sweet+7&cat=a |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 |website=swisscharts.com |access-date=17 August 2011}}</ref> |
|||
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Sugababes&titel=Sweet+7&cat=a |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 |website=swisscharts.com |access-date=17 August 2011 |archive-date=29 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929002658/http://www.swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Sugababes&titel=Sweet+7&cat=a |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Austria |
|||
! scope="row"| Austria<ref>{{cite web |url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Sugababes&titel=Sweet+7&cat=a |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 |website=austriancharts.at |access-date=17 August 2011}}</ref> |
|||
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Sugababes&titel=Sweet+7&cat=a |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 |website=austriancharts.at |access-date=17 August 2011 |archive-date=2 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102194650/http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Sugababes&titel=Sweet+7&cat=a |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Australia |
|||
! scope="row"| Australia<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sweet-7/id355050734|title=Sugababes - Sweet 7|date=12 March 2010|work=[[Apple Inc.|Apple Inc]]|publisher=[[iTunes Store]]|access-date=12 March 2010}}</ref> |
|||
| rowspan="3"|12 March 2010 |
| rowspan="3"|12 March 2010 |
||
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sweet-7/id355050734|title=Sugababes - Sweet 7|date=12 March 2010|work=[[Apple Inc.|Apple Inc]]|publisher=[[iTunes Store]]|access-date=12 March 2010|archive-date=6 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106154336/https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sweet-7/id355050734|url-status=live}}</ref> |
|||
| 060252727295 |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Netherlands |
|||
! scope="row"| Netherlands<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bol.com/nl/p/muziek/sweet-7/1000004007503827/index.html |title=Sweet 7, Sugababes | Muziek |website=bol.com |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> |
|||
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bol.com/nl/p/muziek/sweet-7/1000004007503827/index.html |title=Sweet 7, Sugababes | Muziek |website=bol.com |access-date=21 March 2010 |archive-date=26 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326093721/http://www.bol.com/nl/p/muziek/sweet-7/1000004007503827/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Ireland |
! scope="row"| Ireland |
||
| rowspan="2"| [[Island Records|Island]] |
| rowspan="2"| [[Island Records|Island]] |
||
| |
|||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 354: | Line 322: | ||
| 15 March 2010 |
| 15 March 2010 |
||
| 00602527272955 |
| 00602527272955 |
||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Germany |
|||
! scope="row"| Germany<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.universal-music.de/sugababes/detail/product/162581/0/sweet-7/ |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 - (CD) - Universal Music |publisher=Universal-music.de |date=16 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717180040/http://www.universal-music.de/sugababes/detail/product/162581/0/sweet-7/ |archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref> |
|||
| 16 March 2010 |
| 16 March 2010 |
||
| Universal Music |
| Universal Music |
||
| 0602527272955 |
|||
| |
|||
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.universal-music.de/sugababes/detail/product/162581/0/sweet-7/ |title=Sugababes - Sweet 7 - (CD) - Universal Music |publisher=Universal-music.de |date=16 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717180040/http://www.universal-music.de/sugababes/detail/product/162581/0/sweet-7/ |archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
Latest revision as of 15:36, 21 October 2024
Sweet 7 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 March 2010 | |||
Recorded | April–November 2009 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 43:48 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Sugababes chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Sweet 7 | ||||
|
Sweet 7 is the seventh studio album by British girl group Sugababes, released on 15 March 2010 by Island Records. Production for the album began in April 2009. Sweet 7 is the only Sugababes album to feature Eurovision Song Contest 2009 entrant Jade Ewen following the controversial departure of Keisha Buchanan in September 2009. As a result of the group line-up change, Sweet 7 was re-recorded to feature the vocals of new member Ewen and for the removal of Buchanan's vocals, making this the only Sugababes album that features none of the original members.
Production on the album began with Buchanan's involvement, who was featured on the lead single "Get Sexy", which peaked at number two in the UK. Following her departure, "About a Girl" and "Wear My Kiss" peaked at number eight and seven, respectively. The album was produced by Jay-Z's entertainment company Roc Nation; the involvement of Roc Nation's in-house producers gave the album a strong electro and dance-pop sound due to work from US producers and writers, mainly Fernando Garibay, Stargate and The Smeezingtons. Despite the high-profile input, Sweet 7 was negatively received by critics, with the negative reviews criticising the lack of an identifiable sound and soul from the project as well as the group's loss of identity due to Buchanan's departure, with many considering it a major step down in quality from their previous works.
Sweet 7 peaked at number 14 in the UK and number 35 in Ireland, becoming the group's second-lowest charting album to date in those countries. Promotion for the album ended after the release of the final single so that the group could begin work on a new album, but they split after they released its intended single, "Freedom".
Recording and line-up change
[edit]Prior to the album's creation, Sugababes signed a US record deal with Jay-Z's label Roc Nation.[4] The album was recorded by Sugababes mostly in Los Angeles and New York with a couple of sessions in London.[5] The group primarily worked with RedOne,[6] Ryan Tedder,[6] Stargate,[5] Fernando Garibay,[7] and The Smeezingtons. One of the album's tracks, "No More You", was written by Ne-Yo.[5] Keisha Buchanan compared the song to Rihanna's "Hate That I Love You" and "Take a Bow".[8] Buchanan told BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat, the album has "definitely got the British feel throughout the album - we've not gone away and gone 'All American' on our fans."[5] Buchanan continued, "I think it's given us a fresh energy again. I think the one thing we wanted to do was come back with something different."[5] She also admitted the girls had become "complacent" around the time of Catfights and Spotlights but they also said that they are very proud of that album.[6]
After the release of the album's first single "Get Sexy" and just two months before its initial projected November 2009 release, it was reported by the media that Amelle Berrabah had quit the group.[9][10][11] Buchanan, however, denied any drama within the group and insisted that Berrabah would remain a member "for the moment". Rumors began circulating that Jade Ewen, the UK's 2009 Eurovision Song Contest entrant, would be joining the group and replacing Berrabah.[12] On 21 September 2009, it was announced that Buchanan had left the band,[13] although she stated via her Twitter account that it was not her decision to leave.[14] Berrabah and fellow member Heidi Range later stated that they both attempted to quit the Sugababes themselves only to find that their group's management decided that they would follow them, rather than find two new members for Buchanan.[15] Buchanan was immediately replaced by Ewen, who immediately began recording her vocals over Buchanan's in preparation for the album's release.[16] Additional new material was recorded in November 2009.[17]
Buchanan reunited with the original Sugababes line-up with former members Mutya Buena and Siobhán Donaghy in 2011, but the trio would not regain the Sugababes name and trademark until 2019. In March 2023, Buchanan stated that she would never again perform any of the songs from Sweet 7.[18]
Songs
[edit]"Thank You for the Heartbreak" is an electropop song with a 1980s electro influence.[8][19] David Balls of Digital Spy described it as a "snappy electropop number", and noted its potential to "have slotted quite nicely" onto Sugababes' fifth studio album, Change (2007).[20] During an interview with Digital Spy, group member Amelle Berrabah stated that "Thank You for the Heartbreak" is amongst the tracks on the album that the Sugababes enjoy, and later named it a potential single from the album.[21] There was a "potential lyrical mishap" with the song's lyric, 'dancing off my tears', on which Heidi Range replied: "If people want to sing that when we perform it, well, we won't complain!"[22] Nick Levine of Digital Spy wrote that the song "displays the Sugababes spunk of old" in comparison to the other "characterless" tracks on the album.[23] David Balls of Digital Spy noted that the song suggests that the Sugababes "extracted maximum benefit from their recording sessions in LA earlier this year", and they did not "stray too far from their comfort zone". Balls also described "Thank You for the Heartbreak", as well as the album's second single "About a Girl", as a track that is both "fresh-sounding" and "packed with the attitude that always made the group stand out."[8] Thomas H Green of The Daily Telegraph listed the song in his "Download this" category.[24] Lauren Murphy of Entertainment Ireland described it as a "minor saving grace" and "very likeable" in comparison to the other "mediocre" tracks on the album.[25]
"She's a Mess" is an uptempo electropop song. Originally called "I'm a Mess", the group decided to retitle it due to concerns that the lyrics (such as "Drinking bottle after bottle / I'm such a mess in that dress / I'm not impressed") encouraged binge drinking. However, Range stated that "there are some lyrics that are quite cheeky but people shouldn't take them seriously."[26] During an interview for Digital Spy, Berrabah described the overall sound of Sweet 7, saying: "It's quite an uptempo album with a lot of different sounds." Berrabah cited "She's a Mess" as an example for this, which she said was "just totally different from everything else."[27] Jon O'Brien of AllMusic wrote that the "aptly named 'She's a Mess' is a chaotic attempt at a Clubland trance-pop floor-filler".[28] Al Fox of the British Broadcasting Corporation called the song, along with the album's third single "Wear My Kiss", a "glimmer of brilliance" and went on to say that it is saved by Berrabah's "unashamed attitude".[29] Christopher Lee of The Scotsman named it one of the better tracks on the album, although admitted that it "wouldn't have sounded much different coming from any other girl band".[30] Nick Levine of Digital Spy wrote that "sisterhood" is being "jettisoned entirely" on the track, which he described as "crass and misogynistic".[31] Celina Murphy of Hot Press suggested that "She's a Mess" "might actually sound quite punchy" if it was recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna.[32]
Critical reception
[edit]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 39/100[33] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Daily Mirror | [34] |
The Daily Telegraph | [35] |
The Guardian | [36] |
The Independent | [37] |
London Evening Standard | [38] |
NME | [39] |
The Scotsman | [40] |
The Times | [41] |
Virgin Media | [42] |
Sweet 7 received poor reviews from music critics. Aggregating website Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 given to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the album an average score of 39, based on six reviews, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews".[33]
Jon O'Brien of AllMusic, who gave the album a 2 out of 5 star rating, criticised it as a "bland, soulless, and repetitive affair", while admitting that it "reveals they [Sugababes] are now unrecognizable, not only in terms of personnel, but also in terms of their sound and image". He admitted that although the album is "never short of an infectious hook or club-friendly production", it "undoubtedly betrays the experimental sensibilities that set them apart from their contemporaries."[3] Thomas H Green of The Daily Telegraph gave the album a 3 out of 5 star rating, praising it as "catchy, cod-sexy, hi-NRG cheese that will ensure jammed and joyful school discos and gay club dance floors."[35]
Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian called the album "disappointing" and criticised the band's shift in sound, stating that most of the tracks "are [...] either in thrall to Lady Gaga's robotronic sound" or "just wrong for this particular band", with her gaving the album 2 out of 5 stars.[36] Andy Gill of The Independent gave a notably unfavorable review wherein the album was awarded 1 out of 5 stars. He criticised the group's lack of identity, in particular the loss of founding member Buchanan, writing: "Sugababes finally slipped from being a band to a brand". He went on to say that the "policy of replenishment has eroded both the trio's character and its appeal".[37] Regarding the quality of the album, Gill felt that Sweet 7 contained mostly "generic disco stompers".[37]
Rick Pearson of London Evening Standard wrote that Range, Berrabah and Ewen were unconvincingly "grasping for an identity" on the album, giving it 2 out of 5 stars.[38] Alex Denney of NME awarded it 4 out of 10, writing that Sweet 7 "leaves us hankering after the good old days" and that "time was we could expect more than bland consistency from the Sugababes – shame."[39] Johnny Dee of Virgin Media awarded Sweet 7 2 out of 5 stars; according to him, the Sugababes "have completely lost all vocal character and personality".[42] The Times's Dan Cairns criticised the album's songs and went on to write that the Sugababes in 2010 "are a pale, karaoke imitation of the glory days."[41] Simon Price of The Independent wrote that the group "plays it depressingly safe with substandard electro pop", while reacting negatively to the line-up change, saying: "They [Sugababes] can call themselves what they like, but they'll never fill the heels of Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan. It's over."[2]
Commercial performance
[edit]Sweet 7 debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.[43] It became the Sugababes' lowest-charting album in the country since their 2000 debut album, One Touch.[44] The album dropped 29 places to number 43 in the following week, which was its last appearance in the chart.[45] In Ireland, Sweet 7 peaked at number 35 on the Irish Albums Chart, becoming their second-lowest charting album in that country to date.[46] The album debuted at number 92 on the Swiss Albums Chart, becoming their lowest charting album in that country, excluding Catfights and Spotlights (2008), which failed to chart.[47] Sweet 7 debuted at number five on the Greek International Albums Chart, staying the chart for two weeks.[47]
Singles
[edit]"Get Sexy" was released on 30 August 2009 as the album's lead single. It is the last single to feature vocals by founding member Buchanan. Some reviewers praised the song's production and lyrics, while others dismissed it as unoriginal and generic. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number three on the Irish Singles Chart, while also charting on the singles charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden and Slovakia.
"About a Girl", the first single to feature vocals by Ewen, was released as the album's second single on 8 November 2009. The single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and inside the top twenty on the Irish Singles Chart.
"Wear My Kiss" was released as the third and final single from Sweet 7 on 21 February 2010, three weeks prior to the album's release. It went top-ten in the UK and Ireland at numbers seven and nine, respectively.
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Get Sexy" |
| The Smeezingtons | 3:14 |
2. | "Wear My Kiss" |
| Garibay | 3:44 |
3. | "About a Girl" | RedOne | 3:28 | |
4. | "Wait for You" |
| Garibay | 3:54 |
5. | "Thank You for the Heartbreak" | Stargate | 3:40 | |
6. | "Miss Everything" (featuring Sean Kingston) |
| The Smeezingtons | 3:39 |
7. | "She's a Mess" |
| The Smeezingtons | 3:26 |
8. | "Give It to Me Now" | Syience | 2:50 | |
9. | "Crash & Burn" |
| Jeberg | 3:35 |
10. | "No More You" |
|
| 4:15 |
11. | "Sweet & Amazing (Make It the Best)" |
|
| 3:50 |
12. | "Little Miss Perfect" |
| Stargate | 3:53 |
Total length: | 43:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "About a Girl" (The Sharp Boys Extended Remix) |
|
| 7:22 |
14. | "About a Girl" (music video) | 4:23 | ||
15. | "Wear My Kiss" (music video) | 3:13 |
Notes
Sample credits
- "Get Sexy" contains an interpolation of the 1991 song "I'm Too Sexy" by the band Right Said Fred.[49]
Personnel
[edit]Track listing and credits taken from Sweet 7 liner notes.[50]
Visuals
- StudioBOWDEN – art direction
Vocal and performance credits
|
|
Technical
|
|
Charts
[edit]Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
Greek Albums (IFPI)[47] | 5 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[46] | 35 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] | 92 |
UK Albums (OCC)[44] | 14 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[52] | 16 |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Label | Catalogue | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Poland | 5 March 2010 | Universal Music | 060252727295 | [53] |
Switzerland | [54] | |||
Austria | [55] | |||
Australia | 12 March 2010 | [56] | ||
Netherlands | [57] | |||
Ireland | Island | |||
United Kingdom | 15 March 2010 | 00602527272955 | ||
Germany | 16 March 2010 | Universal Music | 0602527272955 | [58] |
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