[quote=Makson;53146631]Great post and ITA.
What the babes should have done after the Keisha debacle was stay low for a year or so and put careful planning in how best to relaunch themselves. The whole Sweet 7 era should have been ditched too.
To be honest the whole situation at the time could not have been handled any worse than it was with Keisha being ousted, Jade being snatched in, AAG video being shot all within the space of a few days. It was a complete debacle and showed huge disrespect to the group and their fans by moving things along so quickly. Just shows how money hungry their record label/management are and I'm glad it backfired on them.
They have themselves to blame for damaging the babes' credibility beyond repair. You cannot just oust a key member like that and expect all fans to immediately accept the changes. It was handled terribly.
On top of that we still don't know the real reason Keisha was kicked out. That doesn't help their cause as it still leaves a bitter taste. If she was a complete b*tch they should just say so. Their fans deserve to know.[/QUOTE]

Thank you Makson - and I see what you mean. Some fans seem to be happy to move on with the 4th line up but I agree with you fans deserve to know why Keisha ended up being shown the door...And I think that's also the reason why they don't appeal to the general public or the media anymore. I remember how strongly the media reacted to Keisha's departure and it really showed how well regarded they were by the press. They also didn't play their cards well when Heidi & Amelle implied they had nothing to do with the decision over Keisha's departure. It really made them look bad at every levels. Then, they kept reacting to Mutya's decision to try to get some ownership of the name. Once again, that must have not bowed well in people's mind. It definitely didn't bow well in mine! So, as you said, they have themselves to blame for damaging the band's credibility.

I think they have lost any trace of relevancy with this 4th line-up and new image. What made the babes, apart from their music and vocal talent, was the edge they had as a band because of their personalities and their attitude towards the industry. With this new line up, it's a complete different dynamic. They get on well and vocally they seem to be very strong as a band but, if anything, it merely takes the band any further. Personally, I think a change of name, image and musical direction will do them good. As robertaloud30 pointed out, it might not be enough for the public to 'forgive' them but it would give them back some credibility for re-inventing themselves and daring to leave the Sugababes past behind instead of clinging on a name which is not theirs.

The fact that they are not particularly successful doesn't mean that they are irrelevant.HUGE difference.Don't get it confused They may not be the most relevant and current act right now, but they are still on TV, still talked about and people are actually checking for them so they have maintained some relevancy.

When it comes to the different dynamic, I completely agree and I kind of miss the "unbothered" Sugababes that looked rough and edgy, but don't forget that Keisha was the one who put the last nail in the coffin regarding this image by doing a watered down album like 'Catfights' and a bubblegum urban pop album like 'Sweet 7', which was her concept.However, she thought that she could keep going with the edgy attitude without the music reflecting that and that behaviour got them blacklisted from the Brit Awards once

Anyway, as I've already said, 4.0 are not the Sugababes right now but they are growing and evolving towards that direction.They are the Sugababes in the making and that's exciting for me since the real Sugababes let me down musically and in terms of visuals.This is a breath of fresh air and I needed it after how disastrous 3.0. was.They are starting over and for me this is the most exciting thing to happen in the Sugababes brand since their 4th era.

Okay guys, I have been reading lots of comments about the Sugababes and I haven't logged on since July but I'm gonna give my thoughts

I honestly don't think the Sugababes should change thier name. There is really no point. Sweet 7 has been done and put to bed. If 4.0 re-launched with a new name when Keisha left then fair enough. But all they can do now is continue. Why do people give 3.0 such a hard time? I loved this line-up and although "Catfights" didn't do well in terms of sales, there was very little promotion to support it. It was a great album, and overall a good strong bunch of songs. Plus 3.0 gave us "About You Now, Change, Denial, & Never Gonna Dance Again" which are great pop songs.

If I was the man in charge of 4.0, I'd steer them away from the trying to become mainstream and give them their edge back. What this group need is a new "Freak Like Me" to push them back into the charts. Sweet 7 era was embrassing for the band pubicly, but if they gave the public a good song and a great album, they will succeed! Music wise, Katy-B type style would really suit them! Since I heard Katy B's album it made me realise that they were so ahead of thier time with "One Touch". The Supremes had chart success with no original members, but lets be honest Heidi does deserve to be classed as one!

With Amelle's husky vocals, Jade being the power house and Heidi being seductive, they really can bring the Sugababes name back to the top. All they need is a gritty, edgy new sound, and they would be flying.

That's exactly what I meant. I don't base their relevancy, or lack of even, on their success. These are two different things. Would you say Susan Boyle is relevant? And yet she's highly successful! All I'm saying is that as a band who was known for their edge in their music and image, they are not relevant anymore in that sense and actually you seem to agree. So I'm not sure why we're arguing on this particular point?

I beg to disagree on this one Nickyyyboi, original member Mary Wilson remained in the Supremes til they called it a day in 1977

I dont like the new line up. I only like Jade as she seems genuine and lovely.

does anyone know how many free downloads this has "sold" so far (dont know what the correct word is)?...has any official statement/explanation been brought out about this?

No idea but I looked the day it first was available to download on amazon and it was number 3 on the free download chart.