Change (Sugababes album)

Change
Studio album by Sugababes
Released	1 October 2007 (2007-10-01)
Recorded	2007
Genre	Pop, pop rock, dance-pop, R&B
Length	43:25
Label	Island
Producer	Dallas Austin, Deekay, Dr. Luke, Novel, Jony Rockstar, Flex Turner, Xenomania
Sugababes chronology
Taller In More Ways (2005) Change (2007) Catfights and Spotlights (2008)
Singles from Change
"About You Now" Released: 1 October 2007 "My Love Is Pink" Released: 10 December 2007 "Change" Released: 17 December 2007 "Denial" Released: 17 March 2008

Change is the fifth studio album by English girl group Sugababes, released through Island Records during October 2007 (see 2007 in music) in most European territories. The album features production by Dr. Luke, Jony Rockstar, Dallas Austin, Deekay and Xenomania, among others, and is the first album to feature complete vocals by Amelle Berrabah.

The album debuted on top of the UK Albums Chart, where it became the band's second consecutive number-one album and was eventually certified platinum by the BPI.^[1] In addition, it reached the top ten in Estonia and Ireland. In France, Change was adapted as the group's first greatest hits compilation.

Production and release

In early and mid 2007, the Sugababes went back into the studio to work with a number of American producers on their then-untitled fifth studio album, the band's first full studio album with Amelle Berrabah. Collaborators on the album include Dr. Luke, Danish production team Deekay, and Novel as well as previous collaborators Xenomania, Dallas Austin and Jony Rockstar. Although, it was Amelle's first production, many of the songs from the album were tracks that did not appear on Taller In More Ways.

AXM Magazine reported the Sugababes' assumed attempt to move into the American market with the album.^[2] On 30 August 2007, the group appeared on The Album Chart Show to perform the first single, "About You Now", and premiere another two album cuts. They also confirmed that the album's title would be Change.

The album leaked in its entirety, excluding the UK bonus track "3 Spoons of Suga", on 4 October. A day later, the bonus track was also leaked. When inserted into the computer, the UK edition disc allows access to bonus features such as remix versions of "About You Now" and a special interview with the group, plus wallpapers and photos. The French edition of Change is a greatest hits compilation because the album Overloaded: The Singles Collection was not released there, and it contains all their hits since "Overload" to "Denial".

The song "About You Now" was used in the movie Wild Child and features as track three on the soundtrack.^[3] In December 2007, "3 Spoons of Suga" was included on the soundtrack for the 2007 film St Trinian's.^[4]

Songs

"3 Spoons of Suga" is an uptempo pop song, with elements of dance-pop. Nick Levine of Digital Spy described it as a "Nancy Sinatra-style pop strut".^[5] He also suggested that the song "doesn't sound like anything the Sugababes have recorded before", and went on to name it a "kissing cousin" to the group's 2008 single, "Girls".^[6] Levine noted that "Boys and Girls" by Pixie Lott has a "passing resemblance" to "3 Spoons of Suga".^[7] Matt O'Leary of Virgin Media noted the incorporation of a guitar in the "beat-led dancefloor" track.^[8] An editor from The Scotsman suggested the line "He don't get stressed cos he's blessed by the cut of his jeans" was reminiscent of songs released by British girl group Girls Aloud.^[9]

"3 Spoons of Suga" garnered favorable reviews from music critics. Lauren Murphy of Entertainment Ireland described it as "villainous pop" and wrote that it epitomises the "sexy 'give-a-damn' attitude that Sugababes have pretty much built their career upon."^[10] Tom Young of BBC admitted that "3 Spoons of Suga" was "ridiculously titled", yet "ridiculously catchy". According to him, the song contains "simple rocky edge" that gives the "rich textured voices" of Berrabah and Buchanan "plenty of room in which to excel."^[11] Victoria Segal of The Times wrote that the "sticky disco of 3 Spoons of Suga should stop Mutya Buena's victory lap in its tracks".^[12] The Scotsman's editor felt that the song has a "playful attitude" which is missing from the rest of the album.^[9] Emily Mackay of Yahoo! Music suggested that it was one of the stronger tracks on the album, writing "the check-me-the-f*ck-out glammy strut of '3 Spoons Of Suga' finds them [Sugababes] on stronger footing."^[13] Paul Schultz The Trades regarded it as a "ridiculously danceable Bananarama mimicry" and "stirring anthem".^[14]

Reception

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[15]
BBC Music	[16]
Digital Spy	[17]
The Guardian	[18]
NME	(4/10)[19]
The Times	[20]
Virgin	[21]
Yahoo! Music UK	(4/10)[22]

The album received mixed reviews, with The Guardian calling it a "mixed bag" but applauding tracks such as "Never Gonna Dance Again" and "Back Down".^[23] Daily Star gave the album a glowing review, calling it "one of the finest contemporary pop records of the decade".^[24] The Times claimed that the album was "only slightly better than All Saints outtakes, all dated production and pop tastefulness" but complimented tracks such as "My Love Is Pink" and "3 Spoons of Suga".^[25]

Commercial performance

The album's first single, "About You Now", was digitally released on 24 September 2007 in the United Kingdom, with the physical single release a week later. The song, produced by Dr. Luke, became Sugababes' sixth number-one single in the UK and their most successful to date. The second release from the album, "Change", was digitally released on 10 December and physically released on 17 December, charting at number thirteen. "My Love Is Pink" was also released as a digital single on 10 December.^[26] The third single from the album, "Denial", was digitally released on 10 March 2008 and physically released on 17 March, peaking at number fifteen.

Tracklisting

Greatest hits edition

Change: Greatest Hits Edition
Compilation album by Sugababes
Released	1 October 2007 (2007-10-01) (France)
Recorded	1999-2007
Genre	Pop, dance-pop, electropop
Length	56:57
Label	Island
Producer	Dallas Austin, Deekay, Dr. Luke, Novel, Jony Rockstar, Flex Turner, Xenomania
Sugababes chronology
Taller in More Ways (2006) Change (Greatest Hits Edition) (2007) Catfights and Spotlights (2008)

Since the Sugababes' greatest hits album, Overloaded: The Singles Collection, was not released in France, the French version of Change was adapted to become a greatest hits compilation. The album features the original Overloaded tracklisting, with the addition of "About You Now", "Denial" and "Change", the three singles released from the international version of "Change".

Tracklisting

1. "About You Now"
2. "Change"
3. "Denial"
4. "Freak Like Me"
5. "Round Round"
6. "Red Dress"
7. "In the Middle"
8. "Stronger"
9. "Shape"
10. "Overload"
11. "Good to Be Gone"
12. "Caught in a Moment"
13. "Ugly"
14. "Easy"
15. "Too Lost in You"
16. "Hole in the Head"
17. "Push the Button"

Personnel

• Dallas Austin – Drums, Keyboards, Producer
• JC Chasez – Vocal Producer
• Nick Coler – Guitar
• Miranda Cooper – Keyboards, Programming
• Pete Craigie – Engineer, Mixing
• Richard Edgeler – Assistant
• Serban Ghenea – Mixing
• Aniela Gottwald – Assistant
• Lukasz "Doctor Luke" Gottwald – Bass, Guitar, Drums, Programming
• Matt Gray – Keyboards, Programming
• Brian Higgins – Keyboards, Programming, Producer, Mixing
• Tim McEwan – Percussion
• Tom Nichols – Percussion, Programming, Producer
• Andrew Nitsch – Assistant Engineer
• Rohan Onraet – Engineer
• Chris Parmenidis – Mastering
• Tim Powell – Keyboards, Programming, Mixing
• Kurt Read – Engineer
• Tony Reyes – Guitar
• Tim Roberts – Assistant
• Johnny Rockstar – Bass, Programming, Producer, Beats
• Rick Sheppard – Engineer
• Alonzo "Novel" Stevenson – Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr), Producer, Drum Programming
• Tim VanDerKuil – Bass
• Jeremy Wheatley – Keyboards, Drum Programming, Mixing
• Steven Wolf – Producer
• Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – Engineer

Charts and certifications

Release history

Tour

References