Mutya Keisha Siobhan’s “Flatline”: Review Revue

Robbie Daw | July 5, 2013 9:03 am

At long last, the original Sugababes members — that would be Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy — have gifted the masses with “Flatline,” a synthy, handclappy, glorious pop gem that come just in time for the summer, and arrives 13 years after the trio last hit a studio together. A groundswell of goodwill seems to have formed around the girls, anxious for them to succeed.

So is “Flatline” any good? We’re obviously over the moon about the song. And below, you can read our roundup of reviews of MKS’ debut single, gathered from the far reaches of the Internet. The critics have spoken. Now, get to reading!

:: The Guardian feels the song is a grower: “Produced by Dev Hynes – the man behind Solange’s ‘Losing You’ and Sky Ferreira’s ‘Everything Is Embarrassing’ – it’s a song that doesn’t immediately jump up and smack you about the face on first listen, but, much like this line-up’s debut single as the Sugababes, ‘Overload’, there’s something indescribably captivating about it all.”

:: Sugarscape quip-raves, “Mutya Keisha Siobhan have taken so long with this whole bloody reunion thing we were starting to think they’d had another spat, replaced a member with our nan’s Toy Poodle and then drafted in Heidi Range to replace said Toy Poodle after an argument over hair straighteners. But guess what? Mutya (Buena), Keisha (Buchanan) and Siobhan (Donaghy) have *finally* unveiled their new single ‘Flatline’ – and it’s all a bit amazing.”

:: MuuMuse is smitten: “…it just keeps getting better, like a Christina Aguilera career retrospective: That soaring bridge is nothing short of a work of art, as the girls croon in unison above pounding drums, continuing to grow louder as the almighty male chants grow stronger (‘OOH-oh-oh!’) in one gorgeous crescendo.”

:: As is Chart Rigger: “I’m glad these broads are all back together, too. This is a proper jam — one that sounds like something whipped together in 1986 and then teleported to 2013 for our summer enjoyment.”

:: Pitchfork sticks to compliments, as well: “12 years removed from when we last heard them sing together, they sound melancholy but powerful, and entirely, boldly un-self-conscious of Dev Hynes’ immaculate production, which starts koto and ends with a crash, hitting somewhere between Solange and Annie, Foals and Dutch Uncles. It’s a song made for cawing in bathrooms with your lady pals, rather than climbing out of toilet windows to avoid them.”

:: ClickMusic adds this to the conversation: “The girls’ comeback single—their first together since 2001’s ‘Soul Sound’—is practically shimmering with all the optimistic soul of their debut album, while also saying a big f-you to some of the more soulless trends in the charts.

What are your own thoughts on Mutya Keisha Siobhan’s “Flatline”? Let us know below, or hit us up on Facebook and Twitter!