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Catfights and Spotlights

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
BBC(positive)[2]
Digitalspy[3]
The Guardian[4]
Planet Sound[5]
The Sunday Times[6]
The Times[7]

Catfights and Spotlights is the sixth studio album by British pop band Sugababes, released by Island Records on 17 October 2008. Produced primarily by Klas Åhlund, Steve Booker and Orson, the album also features additional contribution from Si Hulbert, The Invisible Men, Melvin Kuiters, and Max Martin. It is the group's final album to include remaining founding member Keisha Buchanan.

The album received a generally positive reception from the media and music critics,[8][9] but became the group's third lowest-charting and second lowest-selling album, reaching number eight and the top twenty in the UK and on the Irish Albums Chart, respectively. Catfights and Spotlights spawned only two singles, with the international top ten entry "Girls". The second and final single "No Can Do" was released on 22 December 2008.

Recording and theme

After they had completed the Change Tour in May 2008, the Sugababes announced that they would not go back into the recording studio until September 2008 to work on their next album, insisting they needed more time to work on their new material.[10] However, on 15 June 2008, band member Keisha Buchanan told an interviewer that the group would start work on a new album straight away due to opportunities to record with new producers,[11] and by 17 June the trio had started recording. Less than a month later at the annual Liverpool Summer Pops in Liverpool, they announced that the lead single was completed, describing it as "amazing". The title of the single, "Girls", was revealed on 11 August 2008 and was released on 6 October 2008 in the UK.[12][13]

The album has been described as having a "funkier" sound by Orson's lead singer Jason Pebworth, who has been working with the group in the recording studio.[14] In an interview, the Sugababes described the Catfights and Spotlights as having a more mellow and mature sound which focuses mainly on their vocals.

The album was also described by Range as darker.[15]

Sales and impact

Catfights and Spotlights debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of over 23,000 copies, becoming their fifth studio album to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom. However, it also became their first album since their debut One Touch not to peak inside the national top three. The album fell out of the top fifty in its fourth week of release.[16] As of Monday, 19 January, the album jumped 22 places from 96 to 74 with sales 2,000.[17][18] It was eventually certified Silver by the BPI.[19]

In Ireland, the album debuted at number 18, before falling to number 42 the following week,[20] while in Greece, the album entered at number 33, before dropping to number 37 the following week. However, on its third week the album climbed to number 22.[21]

In an interview with Daily Star Sunday, Sugababes member Heidi Range blamed their music label, Island, for disappointing sales of their new album. According to Range, "The sales have been disappointing but I don't think it is a reflection on the album's quality, and the problem is the promotion, I don't actually think our fans know we've even got an album out."[22]

An unreleased song that never made the cut to the album, "Hot Under the Collar" leaked online in February 2013—almost five years after the album's release.

Track listing

Catfights and Spotlights
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Girls"
  • Melvin Kuiters
  • Si Hulbert
3:11
2."You on a Good Day"
Åhlund3:27
3."No Can Do"
  • Jason Pebworth
  • Jon Shave
  • George Astasio
  • Geeki
  • The Invisible Men
  • Si Hulbert
3:11
4."Hanging on a Star"
  • Pebworth
  • Shave, Astasio
  • Geeki
  • Buchanan
  • The Invisible Men
  • Hulbert
3:22
5."Side Chick"
  • Åhlund
  • Alex Purple
  • Buchanan
Åhlund3:40
6."Unbreakable Heart"
Åhlund3:52
7."Sunday Rain"
Booker4:01
8."Every Heart Broken"ÅhlundÅhlund4:09
9."Beware"
  • Åhlund
  • Berrabah
Åhlund2:56
10."Nothing's as Good as You"
  • Pebworth
  • Shave
  • Astasio
  • Geeki
  • The Invisible Men
  • Hulbert
3:03
11."Sound of Goodbye"
  • Booker
  • Poole
  • Buchanan
Booker4:23
12."Can We Call a Truce"
  • Åhlund
  • Purple
  • Deanna
  • Buchanan
Åhlund4:33
13."About You Now" (Acoustic Version)
Dr. Luke2:46
14."She's Like a Star" (with Taio Cruz) (UK bonus track))CruzCruz2:43
Catfights and Spotlights – iTunes Store bonus content
No.TitleLength
15."Girls" (radio edit)3:08
16."Girls / Watershed" (music video)3:18
Catfights and Spotlights – Enhanced CD bonus content[23]
No.TitleLength
15."Girls" (Klas Åhlund Rework)3:08
Notes
  • "Every Heart Broken" is titled "Murder One" on the Greek edition of the album.

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Label
Netherlands 17 October 2008 Island
Ireland
United Kingdom 20 October 2008
Australia[29] 22 November 2008
United States[30] 24 December 2009

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ BBC review
  3. ^ Digitalspy review
  4. ^ The Guardian review
  5. ^ Planet Sound review
  6. ^ The Sunday Times review
  7. ^ The Times review
  8. ^ link
  9. ^ link
  10. ^ WENN (11 May 2008). "Sugababes Scrap New Album Plans". Entertainmentwise. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  11. ^ Champion, Sarah (18 August 2008). "Interview at Isle of Wight Festival 2008". VirginRadio.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "New single - GIRLS" Archived 22 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Sugababes.com. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  13. ^ Peter Robinson (11 August 2008). "Here come the Sugababes: listen to the new single now..." Popjustice. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  14. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "Sugababes working on "funky" album". Digital Spy. 4 August 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  15. ^ "Sugababes Heidi, Keisha and Amelle on the new single 'Girls'" on YouTube. ITN Music. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  16. ^ The UK Albums Chart Week 9 November 2008
  17. ^ "UK Music Charts | The Official UK Top 75 Albums: Week of Mon 23 Mar - Yahoo! Music UK". Uk.launch.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Board Message". Buzzjack.com. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  19. ^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
  20. ^ Sugababes - Catfights and Spotlights Irish Top 100 Archived 19 October 2012 at WebCite
  21. ^ a b "Ελληνικό Chart". Ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 15 November 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Music - News - Sugababes blame label for album 'flop'". Digital Spy. 30 November 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  23. ^ "Sugababes - Catfights and Spotlights (pre-order)". iTunes Store UK (Apple Inc). Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  24. ^ "Top of the Shops - službena tjedna lista prodanih albuma u Hrvatskoj". hdu-toplista.com/. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  25. ^ "Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales". Billboard.com. 15 November 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2009. [dead link‍]
  26. ^ "Sugababes - Catfights And Spotlights - Music Charts". Acharts.us. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  27. ^ "Archive Chart". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  28. ^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
  29. ^ "SUGABABES / CATFIGHTS AND SPOTLIGHTS - Sanity.com.au - More Movies - More Music". Sanity.com.au. Retrieved 22 March 2009.[dead link‍]
  30. ^ http://www.sugababes.de
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