One thing that was made clear when Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy took the stage of their sold-out Sugababes One Night Only performance at The O2 Arena. They have not missed a beat, and they 100% still have it. Entertaining the crowd for what felt like half an hour but was an hour and 45 minutes, they proved why they need to be protected at all costs and why they are an iconic piece of British music history. 

After teasing their comeback with the release of their rendition of Flowers with DJ Spoony in 2019, last year saw them return in the 20th-year celebration of their debut album One Touch. As well as several festival appearances and a headline tour, they wrapped up the year with the release of their album Lost Tapes, compiled of previously unreleased material, as well as the announcement of their Sugababes One Night Only show that would be taking place on September 15th 2023.

Fast forward to said date, which was also the day they decided to release their brand new single, When The Rain Comes. It was a night full of colour, classics and a celebration of one of the best girl groups to do it. 

From the moment Keisha, Siobhán and Mutya took the stage with the opening number of Push The Button, you were transported to a night of nostalgia and a journey through the discography of the Sugababes. With 6 number singles and five top-ten albums, the night was evidence of their everlasting impact on the British music space and how, even after all they have been through, they are, in fact, still those girls. 

All three ladies displayed still-intact vocals, harmonies beautifully blended, and moments that contained throwback footage of them in their teen years when the group first formed. There was a true display of growth and sisterhood for the three, who have overcome a lot throughout their journey as a group. 

Standout moments of the night included the fan moment, which appeared on screen through the performance of Ugly and featured fans who had been asked to submit selfies for a special project beforehand. Additionally, the throwback of the girl’s footage was peppered throughout the show, displaying just how long the three have been performing together, including a snippet of one of their first interviews and some of the earlier performances, which appeared throughout moments where they played tracks from their debut album. 

The staging and design matched the ever-changing moments of the show, which shifted between moments of the peak throwback moments as displayed from the opening segment before bringing the crowd down to more intimate moments like during Ugly and Shape, as well as the appearance of a second stage in the middle of the crowd allowing them to be closer to the crowd where they performed their rendition of Flowers, both Mutya and my personal favourite Too Lost In You and Stronger before returning to the main stage which at one point it felt like you were taking part in a rave complete with the strobe lights and green laser lights.

Overall, the show was a beautiful moment for the girls to get their flowers and for people to see how iconic they are. Their legacy has extended over time, and as they continue onto the next chapter with new music, hopefully around the corner, let us never forget that the Sugababes are and forever will be those girls.

When the Rain Comes is out now, follow via @sugababes

Words by Seneo Mwamba