Yesterday, I received a press release about The Saturdays. The email began with the following:
The UK’s hottest and most buzzed-about girl group since The Spice Girls, The Saturdays…
I had to stop and giggle. I love me some Saturdays–but no. Not even close.
If there’s any girl group that could actually carry the glittery torch held by the Spice Girls, aside from the Sugababes and their revolving door roster of core members, it’s the group that opened the door for The Saturdays and about a half dozen other troupes trying to achieve their reign: Girls Aloud.
Nearly ten years ago (December 16, 2002, to be exact), the girls released their debut single: “Sound of the Underground,” a Xenomania-produced explosion of swinging ’60’s surf guitar and endlessly catchy hooks that sounds as forward-thinking today as it did an entire decade ago. It shot straight to #1 in the UK–their first of 20 consecutive singles to go Top 10.
Following the release of one of the greatest songs of their entire discography, “Untouchable”–their first single to chart just under the Top 10–the girls announced a hiatus in 2009, and life as we knew it quickly grew cold.
In the time since, the members have carried on with solo endeavors of their own: Cheryl Cole became a X Factor UK judge, released an astonishing 3 solo records and became a national superstar, Nicola Roberts blossomed from baby of the group into a fashion-forward indie-pop darling with her phenomenal solo record Cinderella’s Eyes, Queen Nadine Coyle released Insatiable and dabbled stateside (including a performance at MuuMuse’s first-ever showcase!), Kimberley Walsh forayed into TV and theater, and Sarah Harding got back on the horse.
Mercifully, the hiatus wouldn’t last forever.
Back in April, their manager confirmed to MTV UK that the girls would be returning in 2012 to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Xenomania confirmed that the girls were preparing new material in May. Last night, @GirlsAloud joined Twitter.
And earlier this morning–3 years since they first announced their hiatus–their official website refreshed to reveal this:
TEN.
Our dreams that glitter are finally coming true: Girls Aloud is officially coming back–with something–in just ten days.
Now, as we all shake, cry and clutch our Girls Aloud Singles Collection box sets close to our hearts for the next week and a half, here are just a few reasons our bodies remain ready for the return of the Almighty Aloud.
