The Sugababes are still apparently working out all the kinks from their lineup change a few weeks ago that saw original member Keisha Buchanan swapped out for UK Eurovision hopeful Jade Ewen. After canceling a few gigs in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the group was expected to debut tomorrow at a charity performance in Glasgow. But thanks to some “legal issues” not being resolved in time, the gig’s off. I wonder if there’s haggling over any sort of “don’t slag the band in public if you unexpectedly get kicked out” clause? More »
Following rumors that Amelle Berrabah had left the group surfacing on Friday, UK pop trio the Sugababes have released a statement about just where they’re headed, and, well, it’s sort of what was reported last week, but with one kind of big unexpected twist: “Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah will continue as the Sugababes and will be joined by new member [and Eurovision veteran] Jade Ewen…. Keisha Buchanan will continue to record for Island Records as a solo artist.” Buchanan was the last remnant of the girl group’s original lineup, which formed in 1998. Kind of weird, then, that they’re going to keep the Sugababes branding intact, don’t you think? More »
Norway–represented by the Belarusian-born, violin-wielding Alexander Rybak–ran away with the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night, with the song “Fairytale” receiving a record 387 points from the collected panel of European nations. The folky, joyous “Fairytale” sounded to these ears like it benefited greatly from voting by the contest’s participating Eastern European nations, which have been accused of acting like an Eastern Bloc of sorts, causing a massive number of votes to swing one song’s way in years past. Did Norway figure out the secret to charming the East? I asked UK pop expert Tom Ewing for his take. More »
