Girls Aloud were one of the biggest girl groups of the early noughties. Their first studio album song, Sound of the Underground, was released twenty years ago as of November 2022. It seems only fitting to go back through their catalogue of hits and remember just how good they really were.
Band member, Kimberly Walsh, posted a message on Instagram about the band’s anniversary. She wrote that she is ‘Proud of what [they] achieved’ and that ‘there is a huge hole in my heart that Sarah [Harding] isn’t here to celebrate this with us.’
Harding, one of the bands members, passed away in September 2021, aged only 39, after a battle with cancer.
Sound of the Underground, 2002
Coming straight off the back of winning a singing competition, Girls Aloud needed to get their first single out. Instead of going down the usual ballad or pop-cover like other talent show winners, the band came right out the gates with this fizzing drum and bass song.
It clearly worked, as the tune stayed in the number one spot for four consecutive weeks and earned a platinum certification in March 2003.
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Can’t Speak French
Can’t Speak French is a single from Girls Aloud’s fourth studio album. The jazzy and upbeat classic was written by Miranda Cooper and Brian Higgins from Xenomania, a renowned English production company.
The song received widespread praise and made it to the top ten in the UK Singles Charts, which continued their now five-year streak of having a top ten hit.
During the time that this song was released, Girls Aloud were in their element. They performed this song live on several popular TV shows including Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, The Paul O’Grady Show and The Friday Night Project.
Biology, 2005
Biology was released during a dry spot for the band. Their previous single, Long Hot Summer, peaked only at number seven in the UK charts and was subject to criticism. Biology was then released and shot to number five, making it the band’s tenth top ten hit.
Despite the slightly weird music video, seeing the girls change outfits while dancing with quite lacklustre energy, the song itself showed that Girls Aloud were not just another pop group. The song goes into electropop vibes which were perfect for the early noughties.
The Guardian labelled the song as ‘the best pop single of the past 20 years.’
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