Girls Aloud | |
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.jpg) Girls Aloud performing atthe O2 Arena in June 2024 duringthe Girls Aloud Show (L–R): Walsh, Coyle, Cheryl, and Roberts | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Past members | Sarah Harding |
| Website | girlsaloud |
Girls Aloud are a British-Irishpopgirl group that was created through theITV talent showPopstars: The Rivals in 2002. The line up consisted of membersCheryl,Nadine Coyle,Sarah Harding,Nicola Roberts andKimberley Walsh. In 2012, the group was named Britain's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century so far, with over 4.3 million singles sales and 4.0 million albums sold in the UK.[1] The group achieved a string of twenty top-ten singles on theUK singles chart, including four number ones. They also achieved sevenBPI certified albums, two of which debuted at number one on theUK Albums Chart. They have been nominated for fiveBrit Awards and won one of them, Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise".
The group's main musical style is pop, and they have also experimented with other sounds includingelectropop,dance-pop anddance-rock throughout their career. The group's collaborations withBrian Higgins and the production teamXenomania earned the group critical acclaim,[2] because of an "innovative" approach to mainstream pop music. The group became one of the few British reality television acts to achieve continued success, amassing a fortune of£30 million by May 2010 (a value equivalent to £41 million in 2023).Guinness World Records listed them as the "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2007 and 2011 edition. They also hold the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group" in the 2008 edition.[3]
The group disbanded in March 2013 following the conclusion of theTen: The Hits Tour. Harding died of breast cancer on 5 September 2021 at the age of 39. The remaining members reunited for a 2024 concert tour,The Girls Aloud Show, becoming the biggest UK arena tour of 2024.[4]
Girls Aloud was formed on 30 November 2002 onITV'sPopstars: The Rivals. The concept of the programme, hosted byBig Brother presenterDavina McCall, was to produce aboy band and agirl group who would be "rivals" and compete for the 2002Christmas number one single. Following the initial success ofHear'Say (winners of the originalPopstars show), several thousand applicants attended auditions across the United Kingdom in hope of being selected. Ten girls and ten boys were chosen as finalists by judgesPete Waterman,Louis Walsh andSpice Girls memberGeri Halliwell. However, two of these were disqualified before the live shows began:Hazel Kaneswaran was found to be too old to participate,[5] while Nicola Ward refused to sign the contract, claiming the pay the group would receive was too low.[6]Kimberley Walsh andNicola Roberts were chosen as their replacements.[7]
During October and November, the finalists took to the stage participating in weekly Saturday night live performances (alternating week-by-week between the girls and boys). Each week the contestant polling the fewestphone votes was eliminated until the final line-ups of the groups emerged. The five girls who made it into the group were Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh, and Sarah Harding;Javine Hylton missed out on a place in the group, despite previous expectations that she would be placed in the line-up.[8] The group was named Girls Aloud and were managed by Louis Walsh, until 2005 when Hilary Shaw replaced him.[9]
The new group competed with the boys' winning group,One True Voice to have 2002's Christmas number-one single. Girls Aloud won the battle with their single "Sound of the Underground", produced byBrian Higgins andXenomania. The song spent four consecutive weeks at number one and was certified platinum in March 2003.[10][11] The song received critical acclaim;Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian stated that "it proved a first: it was a reality pop record that didn't make you want to do physical harm to everyone involved in its manufacture".[12]
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After the success of their first single "Sound of the Underground", Girls Aloud spent five months recording the follow-up single and their debut album.Sound of the Underground was completed in April 2003 and released the following month.[13] The album entered the charts at number two and was certified platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry.[14] The second single, "No Good Advice", was also released in May 2003 to similar success. Girls Aloud's third single, "Life Got Cold", charted at number three in August 2003. In November 2003, Girls Aloud released a cover version ofthe Pointer Sisters' 1980s dance hit "Jump". The single, which charted at number two, accompanied a new edition ofSound of the Underground.
After a brief hiatus, Girls Aloud released "The Show" in June 2004, the first single fromWhat Will the Neighbours Say?, the group's second album. The single entered the charts at number two. The next single, "Love Machine", also peaked at number two in September 2004. Girls Aloud then recorded a cover ofThe Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" which was released as the officialChildren in Need charity single. The song was not well received by critics.[15][16][17] The cover became Girls Aloud's second number-one single, holding the position for two weeks.[18][19]
The albumWhat Will the Neighbours Say? was entirely written and produced by Xenomania. Upon its release on 29 November 2004, the album charted just outside of the top five and was quickly certified platinum. The final single from the album, "Wake Me Up", was released in February 2005. It charted at number four, making it their first to miss the top three. In early 2005, the group was nominated for aBRIT Award for Best Pop Act. Following the album's success, Girls Aloud announced their first tour, theWhat Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour, which took place in May 2005. The group also released their first DVD,Girls on Film.
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Following their first tour, Girls Aloud began work on their third studio album,Chemistry. The album peaked on the UK Albums Charts at number 11 and received platinum certification. The first single from the album, "Long Hot Summer" was released in August 2005. The single ended Girls Aloud's run of top five singles when it charted at number seven.[20] The follow-up single from the album, "Biology" was released in November 2005. The song was critically acclaimed; Peter Cashmore ofThe Guardian labeled it "the best pop single of the last decade".[21] The release was followed by a cover ofDee C. Lee's "See the Day", released in the Christmas week of 2005.[22][23] Following this, they presented a one-off TV Special, Christmas Mania, on ITV, where they sang songs taken from their Christmas album.[24][25] Girls Aloud won the Heart Award for the single at the O2 Silver Clef Lunch. The group travelled to Australia and New Zealand in February 2006 to release "Biology" andChemistry. Despite, a one-week promotional tour, "Biology" peaked at number 26 on theARIA Singles Chart, failing to break the group in the Australian market.[26] "Whole Lotta History", the fourth and final single to be taken fromChemistry, was released in March 2006 and charted at number six.[27]
In 2005, Girls Aloud filmed a one-off documentary entitledGirls Aloud: Home Truths forITV2. The success of the show later made way forGirls Aloud: Off the Record, a six-partfly on the wall documentary series forE4. Girls Aloud then appeared in an episode ofGhosthunting with... (without Nadine) towards the end of 2006, in whichYvette Fielding guided them through haunted locations.[28] In May 2006, Girls Aloud embarked on their first arena tour, namedChemistry: The Tour. In the same month, Girls Aloud were moved toFascination Records, a sub-label ofPolydor Records.[citation needed]
In October 2006, Girls Aloud released their first greatest hits collection,The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits. It debuted at number one on the UK album chart and went on to sell over one million copies.[29][30] The album was accompanied by the single "Something Kinda Ooooh". Girls Aloud became the first British act to reach the top five purely on download sales;[31] the single peaked at number three following its physical release.[32] The next single was a cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" which peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart.[33] In March 2007, Girls Aloud collaborated with fellow British girl groupSugababes for the cover of the song "Walk This Way" byAerosmith. Billed as "Sugababes vs. Girls Aloud", the song served as the official single forComic Relief which became the group's third number one.[34] In May 2007, Girls Aloud embarked on their third tour,The Greatest Hits Tour.
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Girls Aloud released their fourth studio album,Tangled Up, in November 2007. The first single from the album, "Sexy! No No No..." peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, "Call the Shots" entered the top three. The third and final single from the album, "Can't Speak French", continued Girls Aloud's top ten streak.[35] The release of the single coincided with Girls Aloud's second television series,The Passions of Girls Aloud.[36] The show revolved around each member, with the exception of Coyle, achieving aspirations outside of the group.[37] The group received their second Brit Award nomination in 2008, nominated for the Best British Group award.[38] In May 2008, Girls Aloud embarked on theTangled Up Tour which consisted of 34 concerts around the United Kingdom.
Girls Aloud then recorded two tracks for the soundtrack to the 2007 film,St Trinian's. They made acameo appearance in the film, as the school band. Thesoundtrack was released on 10 December 2007,[39] and the music video for "Theme to St. Trinian's" premiered in December 2007.[citation needed]
In November 2008, Girls Aloud released their fifth studio album,Out of Control. The album entered theUK Albums Chart at number one and[40] became their most successful studio album to date, being certified double platinum.[41] The album's lead single, "The Promise", became the group's fourth number one on theUK Singles Chart.[42] The single also returned the group to the top two on theIrish Singles Chart.[43] "The Promise" was awarded Best British Single at the 2009 Brit Awards; the group also performed the song during the ceremony.[44] For the promotion of the album, Girls Aloud appeared in a variety show entitledThe Girls Aloud Party which aired on 13 December 2008 on ITV.[citation needed]
The second single fromOut of Control, "The Loving Kind" was produced by Xenomania. Peaking at number ten, it became the group's twentieth consecutive top ten single.[45] The final single from the album, "Untouchable" was released in April 2009. It peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the first single of the group to miss the top ten. The group embarked on theOut of Control Tour, from April to June 2009. A singles boxset collection was released to coincide with the tour.
In February 2009, Girls Aloud signed a new record deal with Fascination that would see the group release another three studio albums.[46] In July 2009, the group announced that they were taking a year-long hiatus to pursue solo projects, and would reunite for a new studio album in 2010 which did not materialise.[47] In September 2009, the group briefly interrupted the hiatus to do two shows supportingColdplay along withJay-Z atWembley Stadium.[48]
After three years of hiatus, Girls Aloud reunited for the group's tenth anniversary. On 16 November 2012, the group released their new single, "Something New" – the official charity single forChildren in Need. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[49] The group released their second greatest hits compilation,Ten on 23 November 2012. The second single taken fromTen, "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me," was released on 17 December 2012 and failed to chart in the top 40.[50] A documentary special entitledGirls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top aired onITV1 on 15 December 2012.[51][52] In February 2013, the group embarked onTen: The Hits Tour.[53] On 20 March 2013, the group performed their final concert atEcho Arena Liverpool. A few hours later, they announced their split on Twitter.[54]
On 26 August 2020, group memberSarah Harding stated that she had been diagnosed withbreast cancer that hadadvanced to "other parts" of her body.[55] In March 2021, she said that the disease wasterminal and that she "won't see another Christmas".[56][57] She died on 5 September 2021 at the age of 39.[58] On 24 July 2022, Girls Aloud appeared inHyde Park, London, to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. Tweedy, Roberts and Coyle participated in the event, with Walsh taking part in a remote event.[59]
In November 2023, the group announced areunion tour,The Girls Aloud Show, as a dedication to the memory ofSarah Harding and a "celebration" of the group's music.[60] The tour consisted of thirty shows, opening inDublin, Ireland in May 2024 and concluding inLiverpool, England in June.[61] It became the biggest UK arena tour of 2024.[62][63] Following the main tour, the group held a concert atShepherd's Bush Empire inLondon on 2 July and performed atBrighton Pride a month after.[64][65] On 17 November 2024, the group released "I'll Stand By You (Sarah's Version)" as the 2024BBC Children in Need single, which featured newly discovered lead vocals from Harding and was a centerpiece of the set list for the 2024 tour.[66][67] Official recordings of the tour were released in June 2025 on video and as a live album.[68]
This tour was preceded by and ran parallel to a re-release campaign, celebratingeach album's 20th anniversary. Each reissue includes a collection of alternative cuts, rarities, unreleased songs, never-before-hearddemos, andremixes. The campaign began in December 2022 with a limited-edition7" vinyl of "Sound of the Underground", which included a previously unreleased alternative vocal version with profits donated to The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.[69] In June 2023, the fullSound of the Underground album was reissued. The release featured the album'svinyl debut as apicture disc and a three-CD deluxe edition containing two CDs of rarities.[70][71]
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What Will the Neighbours Say? was reissued in March 2024 on vinyl and as a three-CD set featuring three previously unreleased tracks: a cover of British-pop duoMania's "Baby When You Go," the original song "Disco Bunny", and a cover ofChris Isaak's "Wicked Game" originally slated for a cancelled 2005 re-issue of the album.[72][73] During an August 2025 appearance onBBC Radio 2'sThe Radio 2 Breakfast Show, Nicola Roberts announced her new role in theWest End production ofHadestown and unveiled "Singapore (Definitive Edition)."[74][75] Produced by Brian Higgins and mixed by Manon Grandjean, the updated track features a new pre-chorus by Sarah Harding[76] and appears on theChemistry 20th-anniversary edition.[77] Released in September 2025, the re-issue's deluxe edition also includes the unreleased tracks "Naked in the Shower" and "You Go Too Fast (Demo)."[77]
In October 2025, the group announced the standalone release of their 2005 collection of Christmas songs as aChristmas album calledChristmas 'Round at Ours, issued on multiple formats withremastered audio, new sleeve notes, and a new "Christmas Party" remix of "Not Tonight Santa".[78][79]
Girls Aloud came together withMattel in 2005 to produce Fashion FeverBarbies. Each member designed the outfit and look of a doll modelled after themselves. In addition to live DVDs of their tours and both of Girls Aloud's television series, the group has also releasedGirls on Film andStyle. Official calendars were also issued annually from 2004 to 2009, the only exception being 2005. Girls Aloud co-wrote an autobiography titledDreams That Glitter – Our Story.[80] The book, named after a lyric in "Call the Shots", was published in October 2008 through theTransworldimprintBantam Press.[81][82] Before the release,OK! magazine bought the rights to preview and serialise the book.[83]
In 2007, Girls Aloud signed a £1.25M one-year deal to endorsehair care brandSunsilk.[84] The girls filmed a television advertisement and appeared in and magazine advertisements, with each of the five members being the face of a different shampoo. The same year, Girls Aloud also signed a deal with the UK division ofSamsung. They endorsed mobile phones and MP3 players, made personal appearances and sang at Samsung events, and contributed to competition prizes, among other activities.[85] The Samsung F210 Purple came with a 1GB memory card featuring Girls Aloud content.[86] Girls Aloud appeared in television advertisements forNintendo DS the following year.[87] The group signed a deal to front a promotional campaign for a new low-calorieKitKat bar called "Senses" in March 2008. Sales increased 6.8% in the United Kingdom.[88]
Beginning in 2009, Girls Aloud teamed with Eylure to release five sets offalse eyelashes, each set designed by a different member of the band. A range offestival-themed lashes followed in 2010, while limited edition "10th Anniversary" lashes were released in 2012.[89][90] Similarly, to celebrate their tenth anniversary, each member designed acharm bracelet for Pandora, available as either a complete bracelet or a "starter" bracelet.[91]
All five members of the group have been involved in charity work. Girls Aloud's cover of The Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" was released as the official 2004 Children in Need single, with proceeds going to the charity.[92] Nicola Roberts said, "Hopefully if our single does well it's a lot of money going to the charity."[92] Their cover of Aerosmith andRun DMC's "Walk This Way", a collaboration with the Sugababes, was the official charity single forComic Relief in 2007, recorded at Comic Relief co-founder and trusteeRichard Curtis' request.[93][94] Kimberley Walsh said, "It's a fantastic song and hopefully will raise tons of money for people living in really difficult situations here and in Africa."[93] In March 2009, Cheryl, Kimberley Walsh, and various other celebrities climbedMount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief.[95] Walsh is also a charity ambassador forBreast Cancer Haven. She helped open a £2.2 million breast cancer centre in 2008 and participated in a "heel-a-thon" in 2009.[96] In February 2011, Cheryl Cole launched her own charitable foundation named the "Cheryl Cole Foundation withThe Prince's Trust following a meeting with The Trust's President,Charles, Prince of Wales". The foundation provides vital funds for The Trust in the North East, helping disadvantaged young people from her own region.[97] Girls Aloud celebrated their 10 years as a group by releasing another Children in Need single, "Something New", which they performed on theChildren in Need TV special on 16 November 2012.[98]
Girls Aloud worked closely withBrian Higgins and his songwriting and production teamXenomania throughout their career. Xenomania produced all of Girls Aloud's albums and singles, excluding nine songs from their debut album,Sound of the Underground, the charity single "Walk This Way" and two songs fromTen. Of Higgins and Xenomania, Girls Aloud's former manager Louis Walsh says, "He just makes great songs for radio. They just jump out at you and stay in your brain."[99] In a review of the group's debut single "Sound of the Underground",The Guardian'sAlexis Petridis exclaimed it "proved a first: it was a reality pop record that didn't make you want to do physical harm to everyone involved in its manufacture."[100] In response to Girls Aloud's debut album, Jacqueline Hodges ofBBC Music said that "Higgins injects an element of instant-catchy-cool to the songs without going overboard in trying to shape uber-chic dance floor hits."[101]
Petridis ofThe Guardian describedWhat Will the Neighbours Say? as "a great album: funny, clever, immediate, richly inventive."[102] He later wrote thatChemistry is "a record that dispenses with the tiresome business of verses and instead opts for songs apparently constructed by stitching eight different choruses together."[103] Talia Kraines of BBC Music exclaimed that Girls Aloud "have resuscitated [pop music's] corpse by wedding chart-friendly melodies to experimental avant-garde sounds".[104] "Biology" was described as "about as far from tired formula as you can possibly get. It sounds like three separate melodies condensed into one."[105]Popjustice referred to the song as "pop music which redefines the supposed boundaries of pop music."[106] In a review for 2007's "Sexy! No No No...", Nick Levine ofDigital Spy complimented Xenomania's work on the song: sacrificing "conventional song structure in the name of keeping [...] hooks coming thick and fast – and quite right too."[107]
Despite being most generally associated with the pop genre Girls Aloud have experimented with other genres.[108] In particular rock music with singles like "Sound of the Underground", "Graffiti My Soul", "Wake Me Up" and "Sexy! No No No...".[109]
The band members themselves are known to be fans of artists such asNe-Yo andOasis.[110][111]
The group's debut albumSound of the Underground takes influence from a number of 1980s genres, such assynthpop,power pop, andnew wave, and 1990s styles likebig beat,drum and bass, andgarage.[112] The album received comparisons to girl groups such asBananarama,The Bangles, and theSpice Girls.[13][113][114] Similarities toKylie Minogue andMadonna were also noted.[114][115] A majority of the songs make use of guitars andelectronicbeats. The rise ofindie rock also inspired Brian Higgins to "blur the edges between commercial music and so-called 'indie' music."[116] He continued, "pop music was on its backside and indie music was about to rise, throughThe Strokes and everything else. We were an independent company and we were as indie as the other bands around us. The guitar riff on No Good Advice is very very similar to the riff on the trackMichael byFranz Ferdinand."[116]What Will the Neighbours Say? further explores different subgenres of pop, especiallyelectropop. Synthesizers are more prominent on the album, although the usage of guitar remains prominent in several songs. The backing track to "Love Machine", composed by Xenomania musiciansTim Powell and Nick Coler, was inspired byThe Smiths,[117] while "Wake Me Up" includes a guitar riff inspired bygarage rock.[102][105]
Chemistry takes influences from a wide variety of sources, including "everything from French chanson to piano-pounding blues to the clipped R&B of theSmall Faces".[103] Rapping in the same vein as artists likeBetty Boo andNeneh Cherry is prominent.[118][119]Yahoo! Music says "there's nary a 'formula' in sight. There are as many sudden tonal and tempo switches as the tricksiest Chicago art rock band. And all but one song here gives guitars a starring role."[118] The songs are noticeably less rooted inelectronic music, although "Swinging London Town" is "a dark, squiggly synth pop epic a laPet Shop Boys" and "It's Magic" is composed of "littleRöyksopp-like keyboard riffs".[120] Alternatively,Tangled Up features adancier, more electronic sound, inspired by the success of their 2006 single "Something Kinda Ooooh". "Call the Shots", "Close to Love", and "Girl Overboard" are all electropop numbers reminiscent of1980s music. However, "Control of the Knife" is more inspired byreggae andska,[121] while "Black Jacks" recalls "sixties psychedelica".[122]Out of Control features a number of songs inspired by 1980s electropop, while also exploring retro styles.[123][124] "The Promise" is a 1960sSpector-influenced number, while "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time" was compared to the works ofBurt Bacharach.[125]
Girls Aloud's debut single "Sound of the Underground" andSugababes' "Round Round", both of which were produced by Xenomania, have been called "two huge groundbreaking hits".[126] Emily MacKay ofNME deemed the two "a whole new kind of pop".[127][better source needed]The Telegraph placed the song at number 15 on a list of 100 songs that defined the 2000s, whileNME included it at number 39.[128][129]Spinner.com named "Sound of the Underground" the eighth best British song of the 2000s.[130] In 2009,The Times included 2007'sTangled Up at number 62 on a list of the decade's best pop albums.[131]MSN listed 2005'sChemistry as one of the decade's best albums.[132] Girls Aloud were one of the pop acts to achieve continued success and longevity throughout the mid-2000s while R&B and rock music became more popular. In a review for the group's 2008 Tangled Up Tour, David Pollock ofThe Independent noted that "Girls Aloud remain confidently the only pop show in town."[133]The Times stated, "Not sinceABBA and Michael Jackson has pure pop been so unanimously praised."[131]
Girls Aloud are notably one of the few British reality television acts to achieve continued success and longevity. According toThe Times, Girls Aloud are the highest-earning UK reality television stars, having amassed a fortune of £25 million by May 2009.[134] The figure was increased to £30 million the following year, following Cheryl's appearance onThe X Factor.[135] All five members were included in a 2010 list of Britain's richest stars under 30.[136] Reviews of Girls Aloud's debut album noted the high quality of the album compared to output from other reality show contestants.[114][137] In 2004, David Hooper of BBC Music exclaimed that "Girls Aloud are currently British pop royalty [...] in the ultra-fickle world of TV-generated pop, Girls Aloud have real staying power."[138] Andrew Lynch ofentertainment.ie said, "Girls Aloud really shouldn't have made it as far as a second album. [...] There's just one problem – the girls have a knack of coming up with utterly infectious pop songs".[139]
Bono has referred to himself as a fan of the group, saying: "I think Girls Aloud are at the cutting edge of pop music. They are a great band and they deserve to be centre stage."[140][141][142]Chris Martin also said that he is a fan of the group, referring to them as "the ultimate form of life,"[143] whileJulie Burchill has stated that Girls Aloud are "simply the most perfect pop group sinceThe Monkees."[144] In addition, Girls Aloud have had their music covered by artists as varied as Arctic Monkeys,Bloc Party, and Coldplay, among others.[145][146][147]
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)Other contenders include See the Day by Girls Aloud...
This year marks the 20th anniversary of our BBC @bbccin single 'I'll Stand By You'. To celebrate and honour our amazing Sarah, we're releasing a brand-new studio version of the track once again in support of BBC's @bbccin. 'I'll Stand By You (Sarah's Version)' features Sarah on lead vocal throughout using vocals we discovered in the Girls Aloud vault from the original recording sessions. The track played a key part in our 'The Girls Aloud Show' arena tour this summer and was an emotional moment for us all 🎙 Listen to @bbcradio2 for the first play of the new studio version this morning at 9.15am GMT 📻 Download from 15th November 2024 in support of Children in Need 🧸
Higgins: "Wicked Game" was for an album reissue. The album went double platinum, but they'd run out of stuff that they felt confident releasing after "Wake Me Up".
Produced by Brian Higgins and mixed by Manon Grandjean, 'Singapore' (Definitive Version) is now expanded with new sections including a gorgeous previously unheard pre-chorus from Sarah.
| Studio albums | |
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| Compilation albums | |
| Other albums | |
| Film and television | |
| Video releases | |
| Tours | |
| Related articles | |
| Sound of the Underground | |
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| What Will the Neighbours Say? | |
| Chemistry | |
| The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits | |
| Tangled Up | |
| Out of Control | |
| Ten | |
| Other songs | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
