Three is the Magic Number

The third Sugababes album was imaginatively called Three. When you look at the greater scale of things, 3 is the lucky number for the Sugababes because they‘re a trio. They had three successful line-ups (4th line-up is still to this day disputed). Their third album called Three was made at the height of their success. When the original line-up got back together, their tour under called the Sacred Three. This album even debuted at #3 on the UK album chart.

I used to see a lot of Charmed captions being thrown as the Sugababes on YouTube with the second line-up. The power of three is often used and I’ve seen comparisons between Heidi and Siobhan and Prue and Paige. During the time when the fourth line-up of the Sugababes was about, some fans wanted to see all six members perform together. To be honest, I used to be one of those fans, but now it’s hard to see Sugababes as anything but a trio. Despite this, I still think the original line-up not gatecrashing a 4.0 line-up performance was a missed opportunity.

The album was released back in 2003. I remember when it first came out in the shops. This album was at the top of my Christmas wishlist for that year. I had not long started secondary school and we were singing Hole In The Head on the bus home from a school trip. Pop Idol and Fame Academy were also big topics back then. The first Pop Idol series felt like a huge political campaign with buses and confectionary telling you who to vote for. It was a sign that the music world was changing.

Three from the Sugababes offered something different, but also similar. At this point in their career, they’ve already proven their worth. Three went on to be one of their most successful and experimental albums. It’s one of the first and only Sugababes album that features a solo song from all three of the girls. This gives the album a personal feel that One Touch had and also the universal appeal that Angels With Dirty Faces had.

Whatever Makes You Happy, which is Keisha’s solo track feels really positive. Watching interviews with Keisha after sacking from the band, and her experiences with racism makes this song feels more poignant. There's a lot going on in this track such as seeing someone go crazy because they're not in control of somebody's life anymore. It's a liberating song that sings about choosing your own happiness over fame. Maya is a beautiful song. I love how personal and transgressive it is. It's dedicated to her late sister, Maya. Her daughter is named Tahlia Maya in memory of her. What I really like about this song is how it feels timeless. You never stop missing a loved one. I think it would fit well in modern radio stations even though it's been released ages ago. I really like the line: if the universe is really shrinking, we'll be together in time.

The ballads are wonderful as well. Heidi's solo Sometimes is great. I love the melody and the vocals behind it. The B-sides on this album are some of the best the band ever made. Disturbed and Colder in The Rain are two of my favourite tracks from the Sugababes and it would have been amazing to hear these songs live.

Also worth noting is that in 2003, Siobhan Donaghy also released her debut solo album. The album was Revolution in Me, and it was released with London Records, the label that had dropped them sometime after Siobhan's departure. In my opinion, Revolution in Me is one of the most underrated pop albums in existence.