Headlines!

Headlines! is the first extended play (EP) and third major release by British-Irish girl group The Saturdays. It was released in Ireland on 13 August 2010 and in the United Kingdom on 16 August 2010 by Fascination Records. Due to its length, the EP was dubbed a mini-album by the group and their record label; it serves as the bridge between the group's second studio album, Wordshaker (2009) and their third studio album On Your Radar (2011).

The mini album includes previous singles "Forever Is Over" and "Ego" as well as a remix of "One Shot" from Wordshaker and five new songs recorded in 2010. One of these is a cover of the song "Died in Your Eyes", originally from Kristinia DeBarge's 2009 album Exposed. The release was preceded by lead single "Missing You" on 5 August 2010 which became the group's seventh top-ten hit when it peaked at number three in the UK and number six in Ireland.

Overall the project received mixed to positive reception from critics, who were undecided about the new direction for the group but agreed on the need for more consistency. Headlines! debuted in the UK at number three and number ten in Ireland, becoming their highest charting album to date and following the success of "Missing You". A second single, "Higher", was released on 31 October 2010 after it was remixed to feature American rapper Flo Rida. The album was re-issued on 8 November to include this new version along with the tracks "Deeper", "Lose Control" and "Here Standing", all of which previously appeared on Wordshaker.

The album has sold over 200,000 copies.

Background and development

The Saturdays never intended to release any material in 2010, as confirmed by Vanessa White in an interview with BBC News. "We weren't really supposed to be releasing anything til next year but we couldn't wait, so we decided to do a mini-album instead."^[1] It was something which both the label and group agreed to.^[2] Group member Rochelle Wiseman explained in an interview with Digital Spy:

"We finished [Wordshaker] and we'd come across some songs that we were really excited about. The songs that we had found were so current, and we'd written a couple of songs ourselves, [so] we wanted to just get everything out now."^[3]

With regards to recording for the new album the group revealed that they worked with previous collaborators Steve Mac and Ina Wroldsen as well as some new producers.^[2] The group would also go on to explain exactly what a mini-album was, "a normal album would maybe consist of 12 or 13 tracks, but here we have eight. It'll be cheaper for the fans - and then hopefully we'll finish the other songs and put something else out later."^[1]

The album includes the song "Died in Your Eyes", a cover of a song featured on Kristinia DeBarge's 2009 album Exposed.^[4] Though Ryan Love from entertainment website Digital Spy, said that only a few people will realise that "Died in Your Eyes" is a cover, "it's a shame that one of Headlines!' five new songs turns out to be second-hand".^[5] Another member of the group, Una Healey confirmed that the song "Higher", which has been performed by the group several times during festivals over the summer, would be one of the songs on the EP.^[3] Meanwhile Wiseman would tip "Higher" to be the second single from the album whilst Mollie King told 'Digital Spy' "We're definitely having another single from the album after 'Missing You' and probably another after that if all goes well".^[6]

Critical reception

The album has generated generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Ryan Love of Digital Spy gave Headlines! a positive review saying it "falls a little short of pop gold status" and that its "positives certainly outweigh the negatives", and concluded by stating that it "offers a tantalising glimpse of what to expect from the group's next album proper."^[5] Gavin Martin of The Mirror called Headlines! the "CD of the week", awarding it three out of four. He felt that the Saturdays "assert a more serious side of their personality" and noticed that although Headlines! is not "a cover story, [...] it will keep things ticking over nicely for them."^[9] Sarah-Louise James of Daily Star said that the album "packs a pop punch" and complimented the "sheer swooning, girly drama of Died in Your Eyes", as well as the songs "Higher" and "Puppet".^[10] OK! magazine praised the songs "Missing You" and "Higher" and noticed that the band has developed "a feisty edge", and concluded by calling the album "short but sweet".^[13] Ian Gittins of Virgin Media gave the album three out of five stars, however he called it "opportunist" and felt that it "reeks of desperation", but stated that it implies "the Saturdays’ best times are ahead of them".^[14]

Luke Winkie of MusicOMH gave the album a mixed review. He said that the group's "charm doesn't translate well over the weight of a full album's listen" and criticized the lack of strong material saying that "there isn't enough to these songs to merit more than a cursory scan" and that the group "hit the same safe notes, and stick to the same safe themes for all 30 minutes of the album."^[11] Fraser McAlpine of BBC Music criticized the band for mixing "cast-off recordings with previously-released album tracks and present[ing] it as a new mini-album" and felt that the Saturdays are "in some kind of decline". He said "what you get for your money are two potential future hits, four songs you probably already own, one slightly mad album track – Puppet – and a solid-gold clunker" and noticed that it is not "a mini-album, it's a double A-side, or an EP at best."^[7] Simon Gage of the Daily Express said that although the album is "not exactly bad", it sounds "much like everything else out there" and "in the parlance of the kids it’s aimed at, a bit “whatever”".^[8] Jaime Gill of Yahoo! Music complimented the songs "Higher" and "Puppet", but said that "if the intention is to whip up a storm of excitement, [...] then it's a case of mission unaccomplished".^[15] Hazel Sheffield of NME called the album "a summer hatchet-job" and although she praised the single "Missing You", she felt that "the rest is filler in Rihanna's slipstream" and awarded the album five out of ten.^[12]

Promotion and singles

It was preceded by the release of "Missing You", an electropop song incorporating elements of trance and synthpop^[16] which was released as the lead single on 9 August 2010.^[17] It features autotuned vocals.^[16] The Saturdays have performed the single at T4 on the Beach 2010, where member of the band, Mollie King was absent from the performance, after a horsefly bite left her on crutches and thus unable to perform.^[18] King was absent from a number of other performances The Saturdays performed to promote the single. On 1 August 2010, all of the members of The Saturdays performed on Alan Carr: Chatty Man^[19] and they were interviewed on GMTV three days later.^[20] On Friday 5 August 2010 the song debuted on the Irish Singles Chart at number forty-two.^[21] On 10 August 2010 the group appeared at the Habbo Hotel, London for a 'Meet and Greet' session in promotion of "Missing You".^[22] It has so far reached #3 on the UK Singles Charts becoming their 5th top 5, and 3rd top 3 single, and it has so far peaked at #6 in the Irish charts, equalling their best back in 2009 with "Just Can't Get Enough". The group's next single "Higher" was released digitally on 31 October 2010 and physically 1 November 2010.^[23] Fascination Records announced on 8 October 2010, via the group's official website, that an expanded version of the mini album would be released on 8 November 2010. The new version will feature three further songs from Wordshaker, including: "Here Standing", "Lose Control" and "Deeper" as well as the remixed version of "Higher" featuring Flo Rida.^[24]

Track listing

Standard version

Notes

• * co-producer or additional production from.
• ** additional production and remixer.

Expanded version

Credits

Headlines! was recorded from 2009 - 2010, promoted by Fascination Records, under license to Geffen Records, for Polydor Records.^[28]

Personnel

Recording locations

Charts

Release history

References