Seen #TheGirlsAloudShow tonight and I honestly think it might be the best concert I’ve ever been to. The tributes to Sarah had be bawling @GirlsAloud you were unbelievable pic.twitter.com/CfMVHdCXmh

— Kathy (@KathyWasHere_) May 18, 2024

The group rose to fame in the early 2000s after competing on the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals and went onto sell 5 million albums in the UK as well as gaining the Guinness World Record for their 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles, a record they still hold today. They originally split in 2013 after wrapping up their third tour for their inaugural greatest hits album – The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits. For their 20th anniversary in 2022, the girls were in conversation regarding a reunion tour however it was postponed following Harding’s death. The four remaining members; Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Tweedy (formerly Cole), decided to go ahead with the tour in memoriam of Harding. From the beginning till the end of the performance, Harding could be seen in archive footage on the large screen behind the girls as they sung on stage.

In March of this year Cheryl told the Independent that she hopes the tour will transport fans back to the 2000s. Speaking to the OfficialCharts, the band noted that their main aim for the shows is to do ‘Sarah justice and give us and our fans that moment to celebrate her. I think they need it, I think we all need it’. The recently group reissued their 2004 album ‘What Will the Neighbours Say’ which included unheard vocals from Harding and they have continued to honour her through the reunion tour. They even payed tribute to the star via a performance of ‘I’ll Stand By You’ which included the late singer’s vocals. The 2004 hit was an emotional commemoration of the artist as well as many of the sets performed during the show. You can watch footage from the performance here.

Some other fan favourites that made the cut from the group’s jam packed, chart topping discography included ‘Sound Of The Underground’, ‘Love Machine’ and ‘Whole Lotta History’. This week the girls will play two Belfast shows before heading to the AO Arena in Manchester in the second half of the week. The tour will continue all throughout May and June, wrapping up in Liverpool on the 30th of June in Liverpool. If you are feeling nostalgic and want to go along to reminisce with the girls, there are still tickets available for a number of dates across various places in the UK which you can check out here after the group added further dates due to unprecedented demand.

The northern lasses, who rose to fame during the 2002 show Popstars: The Rivals have many accolades including twenty consecutive top-ten UK singles and being nominated for five BRIT awards, winning one for the 2008 song “The Promise” off album Out of Control. 

In 2009, The singers of the popular track ‘Can’t Speak French’  took a hiatus from their musical endeavours, only to make a comeback to celebrate their decade anniversary as a band. This exciting and momentous occasion marked the commencement of their Ten: The Hits Tour.

A year later, the group officially split to work on separate solo projects and individual career goals. This included Nadine Coyle taking part in the hit ITV show ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ and Cheryl Cole becoming a familiar judge on X-Factor and pursuing a solo career.

During this time, former band member, Sarah Harding developed breast cancer and endured a long struggle with the disease until her passing, aged 39 in October 2021. She wrote about her journey from working with Girls Aloud, to her illness in her book ‘Hear Me Out’, which was one of the group’s first releases in 2004.  Buy the book here

Cheryl, of the group said “We all started talking about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Aloud’s 20-year anniversary a few years ago. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing that we would celebrate.” However, due to Sarah being unwell at the time, the group decided it wasn’t the right time. Cheryl continued “She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didn’t feel right, it felt too soon.” 

The group have now explained they feel enough time has passed that they feel ready to celebrate the life of their late friend and band member, Sarah Harding. Cheryl elucidated“There is an energy that does make it feel right. It’s the right time to celebrate Sarah, it’s the right time to celebrate the band and the right time to celebrate the fact we can still do this 21 years later. That’s a big honour in lots of ways.”

There were rumours of new music, possibly a new album. The singers have shut this down early, stating “Making new music without Sarah would be odd but celebrating what we made together? Fabulous.” Nicola Roberts exclaimed, “We’re going to do our absolute utmost to celebrate her in the most enormous, magical way.” 

Girls Aloud has announced that the cities they will be performing in are Manchester, Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leeds, Birmingham, London and Liverpool. The tickets officially go on sale on the 1st of December although you don’t want to miss out! Pre-sale release starts at 9 am, Wednesday 29th November.

For pre-sale ticket access click here

Tour dates

18/05/24 – 3Arena, Dublin
20/05 – SSE Arena, Belfast
23/05 – AO Arena, Manchester
24/05 – AO Arena, Manchester
27/05 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
31/05 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
01/06 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
04/06 – P&J Live, Aberdeen
08/06 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
12/06 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
15/06 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
18/06 – Birmingham Resorts World Arena
22/06 – The O2, London
23/06 – The O2, London
29/06 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

The group have reportedly already filmed the music video for the new track, with an inside source sharing that they are dressed as “superhero characters complete with Wonder Woman-style costumes and capes.” The video is said to have been shot at a North London studio, with the band secretly reuniting to complete the project.

Following the passing of Sarah Harding, the remaining Girls Aloud members are keen to honour her memory. The group, made up of the now mononymous Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicole Roberts and Kimberly Walsh, are said to be excited by their new upcoming chapter, teasing many new plans.

An inside source shared, “The girls really came back together as friends to rally around when Sarah died, and it repaired some of the old rifts and put things into perspective. Suddenly the reunion which had seemed totally impossible for so long just felt a totally natural thing to do – in Sarah’s honour.”

They also shared, “this has been one of the best-kept secrets in pop, but it’s actually happening now,” with a possible upcoming album and tour being hinted at too. The newly reunited Girls Aloud are said to be “very excited to be back working together, even if there is a bittersweet element to it,” promising that there will “always be nods to Sarah’s contribution to the group” as they move forwards.

The news of the new single has sparked rumours surrounding Girls Aloud as a headlining act at Glastonbury 2024. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, however bets are already being placed on their place in the lineup, with Alex Apati of Ladbrokes Live saying that they have “sent the British pop world into complete meltdown this morning with the announcement of a new single… and given the reception they’ve had, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them take centre stage at Glastonbury next year.”

Throughout their career, Girls Aloud achieved 21 top 10 UK singles with this including 5 no.1 songs, as well as amassing 5 Brit Award nominations.

Their comeback is already being celebrated on social media, with one fan writing “I am not joking when I say the last girls aloud comeback changed the trajectory of my life.”

I am not joking when I say the last girls aloud comeback changed the trajectory of my life, we are so readyyy https://t.co/9EzQXpzIB6 pic.twitter.com/Gq41ehNwAf

— (@scottgayham) November 8, 2023

girls aloud my queens i’m so happy to hear about news of new music possibly coming even if it’s not confirmed yet it’ll never be the same without sarah but i’m still so excited to possibly experience a girls aloud era for the first time ever pic.twitter.com/OkF8V2IyTl

—

The group disbanded in 2013 following their ten year anniversary tour, with this being the first new material for their fans in a decade.

Taking to Twitter, the group shared that the 20th anniversary reissue “brings together rarities, remixes and B-sides, plus brand new sleeve notes.”

Celebrating 20 years of Sound of the Underground, Girls Aloud’s debut album #SOTU20

This 20th anniversary edition brings together rarities, remixes and B-sides, plus brand new sleeve notes.

Out June 16 2023 https://t.co/hJGFRgX9ye pic.twitter.com/6ueD5vz8G4

— Girls Aloud (@GirlsAloud) April 27, 2023

Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh spoke to the Daily Mail on the group’s plans to honour this anniversary, saying, “We’ve got some fun alternative versions of songs lying around and little re-releases just to kind of mark that because, you know, it’s a big deal. 20 years is a long time and the love that we still feel for Sound Of The Underground and some of the songs from the first album are still huge.”

Walsh went on to discuss the group’s plans to have a fully fledged reunion, saying, “We’re not really doing anything together as a group for obvious reasons.” Walsh is referencing the tragic passing of their fellow band member Sarah Harding here, who lost her battle with breast cancer at just 39 years old in September 2021.

The group chose to mark this anniversary in a low-key way as they’re still grieving their friend and bandmate, with Walsh saying, “I think there’s already been one re-release of Sound Of The Underground with different girls singing different lyrics, which is quite fun. I mean, if you’re a fan, it’s fun. I’m not sure how much fun it is if you’re not really into Girls Aloud. But yeah, just things like that.”

To kickstart the 20th anniversary celebrations, the “Sound of the Underground” music video has been remastered in 4K and is available to watch here:

An alternative vocal mix of the album’s titular single has also been released, complete with different music video that is said to feature “unseen footage from the GA vaults.”  

Featuring unseen footage from the GA vaults…

The video for Sound of the Underground (Alternative Vocal Mix) is out now #SOTU20

Watch now: https://t.co/kwzPFq9qtZ pic.twitter.com/0TkgVnZGim

— Girls Aloud (@GirlsAloud) May 5, 2023

In the description of the new video, Chris Fox shares, “You never know what you might find when you dig into the raw footage from a music video and we were amazed to find that director Phil Griffin had recorded each of the girls singing every line of the song… In total, the band recorded about four hours of footage and there were so many beautiful moments to squeeze into the video.”

“I wanted to give each section of the shoot its moment to shine: the performance, the slow motion, the glitter drop. There are fewer fast-paced cuts so we can soak up every moment and bask in the glory of Girls Aloud. The film negatives were rescanned in true 4K – giving fans a crystal-clear look into the past – and the final edit was colour graded to closely match the original music video.”

The 20th Anniversary reissue of Sound of the Underground will be released 16th June 2023, and is available to preorder here. The album will also be released on vinyl for the first time, with details below:

Pre-order any Sound Of The Underground 20th Anniversary Edition vinyl format from the Girls Aloud official Store before 9am BST on Tuesday 9th May to get a free double-sided 12×12 inch #SOTU20 art print https://t.co/1cnujlY7mZ pic.twitter.com/vz9KFTwfej

— Girls Aloud (@GirlsAloud) April 28, 2023

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Harding (@sarahnicoleharding)

Following the announcement tributes for the Girls Aloud singer came pouring in from her bandmates and those who knew her. The singer rose to fame when she won the final place in Girls Aloud on the talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

The singer joined Chery Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh to make up the band lineup. The band achieved success with four number 1 singles and twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK. The band’s debut single “Sound of The Underground” remained at the top of the UK charts for four consecutive weeks. The single also went on to achieve Platinum status in March 2003.

The band’s debut album of the same name reached number two in the UK Official Albums Chart and was also certified Platinum. The band went on to release memorable singles “No Good Advice” (May 2003), “Life Got Cold” (August 2003), “Jump” (November 2003), “Love Machine” (September 2004), “Long Hot Summer” (August 2005) and “Biology” (November 2005) to name but a few.         

The band disbanded on March 20th 2013 during their Ten: The Hits Tour and pursued solo projects. Harding released her solo EP Threads on August 7th 2015 and was also known for her acting, modelling, philanthropy and appearances on reality TV. The singer went on to win the twentieth series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 and met ex-partner Carl Johnson on the series.

The singer bravely announced her Breast Cancer battle on August 26th 2020 and felt that she should inform the public of her illness. The singer later announced on October 20th that the disease had sadly spread to other parts of her body.

The singer then released her book Hear Me Out on March 20 detailing her Breast Cancer battle. The title of the book comes from the single of the same name released from the band’s album What Will The Neighbours Say released on November 29th 2004.

The singer also released a single “Wear It Like A Crown” written 10 years ago on March 24th for The Christie NHS Foundation which topped the downloading and streaming charts. The singer moved in with her mother in March before sadly losing her fight to the disease on September 5th.

The singer’s bandmates announced that the singer was to join them for a tour next year and have been paying tributes to their bandmate. Coyle and Roberts expressed their absolute devastation of the singers sad passing, Walsh stated that her heart was broken and Tweedy expressed her condolences by stating that the singer would forever be in our hearts.    

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cheryl (@cherylofficial)

Pete Waterman a judge on Popstars: The Rivals described the singer as “A lovely, lovely person” and “a delightful young kid”, adding: “She was great – enthusiasm, full of life. This is a tragedy.”

Louis Walsh who co-created and managed the band said, he would remember the singer with great fondness. Chad Johnson who briefly dated the singer, when they met whilst in the Big Brother House in 2017 expressed his condolences and revealed that the singer had a wish to be a mother. The singer herself also expressed her regret in her book about not becoming a mother.

Johnson also revealed that he kept in touch with the singer and that their plans to meet up proved difficult due to their work schedules. Johnson expressed that he was unaware of how ill the singer was and believed that they would reunite.

Tributes continued with Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls, Michelle Heaton from Liberty X, the singer’s former partner Callum Best, Lady Victoria Hervey, Davina McCall who was the judge on Pop Stars: The Rivals, her friend Lizzy Cundy and Martin Kemp from Spandau Ballet all offering their condolences.

The song that has been played in remembrance of the singer is the band’s single “The Promise”, which was the band’s fourth number 1 single released on October 15th 2008. The singer sang in the chorus “Here I am, a walking Primrose Wondering when I’m gonna see you again” The lyric is viewed as poignant now.

The singer was said to have enjoyed life and in remembering the singer best, bandmate Roberts in her tweet called the singer Electric girl and further said “You gave it everything and still with a smile” 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nicola Maria Roberts (@lilcola)

The group took to their Instagram to share the news to their fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Little Mix (@littlemix)

Through the announcement of the Singles Chart, the ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ singers record-breaking achievement was revealed. The group have made UK chart records by having releases stay within the top 10 longer than any other girl group. The group’s single ‘Heartbreak Anthem’ which was released on 20th May 2021 remained within the top 10 this week when the song charted at number 7, the single’s position sees it chart within the top 10 for 100 weeks. The single saw the group collaborate with Swedish DJ duo, Galantis and French DJ and producer David Guetta and has been certified silver by the BPI.

Bandmember, Leigh- Anne Pinnock has spoken out in celebration of this record and thanks to the group’s fans for their support. “Wow! It’s amazing, and we wouldn’t have done this without you guys. You never fail to blow us away – you’re just incredible and we wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you.”

Despite the departure of their fourth member Jesy Nelson, this year has been a fruitful experience for Little Mix. The group have been breaking records and collecting accolades, their most recent award was at this year’s Brit awards for their 2021 studio album, ‘Confetti’. The band were the first girl group to win the Best British Group award, within their acceptance speech the group dedicated the award to ex-member Jesy Nelson and their creative and production teams, “Thank you to everyone who’s supported us over the last 10 years. Thank you to our incredible team, and everyone who worked with us on Confetti.” The trio, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, also thanked the efforts of the key workers within the current pandemic. “And of course, to the key workers who continue to work for the health of the nation”

The trio also addressed issues in which were important to them, “It’s not easy being a female in the UK pop industry. We’ve seen the white male dominance, misogyny, sexism, and lack of diversity. We’re proud of how we’ve stuck together, stood our ground, surrounded ourselves with strong women, and are now using our voices more than ever.” The hitmakers then continued to dedicate the award to the girl groups who came before them. “The fact that a girl band has never won this award really does speak volumes. So this award isn’t just for us, it’s for Spice Girls, Sugababes, All Saints, Girls Aloud, all of the incredible, incredible female bands … this one’s for you. So thank you BRITs, and we hope you have an amazing night.”

Previous girl bands who have come close to Little Mix’s achievement include Girls Aloud, the fivesome once spent 61 weeks within the charts. The group was made popular by the historic talent show ‘Popstars: The Rivals’ in 2002 and also spent a total of 8 weeks in the number one position. The next record is 59 weeks within the top 10, set by Motown icons The Supremes. The ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ singers are known to be one of America’s most successful girl groups and rivalled the Beatles popularity within the 1960s. The Sugababes take the bronze position with a total of 57 weeks within the top 10, despite the group’s many line-ups changes the ‘Overload’ singers have had four albums certified platinum and have won a Brit Award for Best British Dance Act in 2003. Lastly one of music’s most iconic girl groups, Spice Girls, take fourth place with 50 weeks within the charts. Responsible for popularizing the phrase ‘Girl Power’, Spice Girls have remained a favourite of any music fan and sparked Britain’s love for girl groups in the 1990s.

In other news, the group’s waxwork figures at Madame Tussauds have now been unveiled to the public. The band’s waxworks include ex-member Nelson and depict the group in the outfits and aesthetics featured in their music video for the 2019 single ‘Bounce Back’. The work on the group’s entry started in early 2020, which may account for the look chosen and inclusion of Nelson. Fans will be able to see the real thing live when the trio hit the road next year for their UK tour.

Little Mix Uk Tour Dates

09/04/2022 – SSE Arena – Belfast
10/04 – SSE Arena – Belfast
12/04 – 3 Arena – Dublin
13/04 – 3 Arena – Dublin
15/04 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
16/04 – Utilita Arena (Matinee Show) – Newcastle
16/04 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
18/04 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
19/04 – Flydsa Arena – Sheffield
21/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
22/04 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
23/04 – Resorts World Arena (Matinee Show) – Newcastle
23/04 – Resorts World Arena – Newcastle
26/04 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
27/04 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
28/04 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
30/04 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
02/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
03/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
04/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
06/05 – AO Arena – Manchester
07/05 – AO Arena (Matinee Show) – Manchester
07/05 – AO Arena – Manchester
09/05- Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
10/05 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
12/05 – The O2 – London
13/05 – The O2 – London
14/05 – O2 Arena – London

Harding started writing the book following a breast cancer diagnosis. Sarah Harding was told by doctors that Christmas 2020 “would probably be my last” as she made the news public back in August, at which point the cancer had advanced to other parts of her body.

The book recounts Harding’s time in Girls Aloud and follows her struggles with drugs and addiction. Harding checked herself into rehab in South Africa in 2011 citing alcohol dependence and depression.  Harding, like other Girls Aloud members, has found success independently. She has had several acting roles and made numerous television appearances. In 2017 Harding won Big Brother.

In ‘Hear Me Out’ Harding catalogues her journey following her cancer diagnosis and living with the disease after finding out it was terminal. In the memoir, Harding reveals that she had sepsis during her treatment and was at one point put into an induced coma and placed on a ventilator.

Generally, the book provides an intimate look at Harding’s career, her struggles with illness, and how that has influenced her perspective on life. Harding remarks in Hear Me Out about “trying to live and enjoy every second of my life, however long it might be”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Harding (@sarahnicoleharding)

In response to the release of Hear Me Out, fans have rallied together to help the Girls Aloud song of the same name reach number one in the UK charts to show their support for Sarah.

Hear Me Out is out now.  

The 39-year-old singer made the tragic news that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last August, shortly after the members reconnected and subsequently decided to reunite. In an act of support, the group decided to put their reunion plans on hold for their fellow member. Harding and her fellow members, Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberly Walsh have emphasised the importance of Harding’s health on several platforms.

Nadine Coyle took to her Instagram live to speak of their priorities and the group’s decision to ensure Harding’s health before going ahead with the reunion.

”I would love to be like ”yes, this is what we are doing” – at the minute it is very much thinking about Sarah, very much being there for Sarah. ‘It is a really unfortunate time for her and the whole thing is like ‘come on, come on’ because that could be the priory talking about ‘shall we go do a tour’ or ‘should we do something’? Instead we are worried about Sarah, so we are focusing everything. That is the main priority.‘’

In August of last year, Harding posted on her Instagram page giving fans an update on her diagnosis as well as tragic news that cancer had spread.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Harding (@sarahnicoleharding)

The singer has also written a book entitled ‘Hear Me Out’ set to be published on 18th March and looks to be an amazing memoir from the star as well as a brave account of her illness. An abstract from the book has been published on The Times website, in the abstract Harding tells of her tragic news during a diagnosis. It is within this section that Harding tells of how her doctor told the star the shocking news that last Christmas could be her last. Harding goes on to bravely say that throughout the trauma and tragedy she wants to keep her priorities and at the moment her priorities lay in enjoying life.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Harding (@sarahnicoleharding)

Harding gained success as part of the girl group Girls Aloud, which were created through one of the first TV talent shows ‘Popstars: Rivals’ in 2002. Previous success stories of the show included the group Hear’Say and the show’s premise was a competition between a boyband and a girl group maintaining a battle of the sexes appeal. The competing boyband was One True Voice, and the winner would gain the UK Christmas number one of 2002, Girls aloud won with their single ‘Sound of the Underground.’. The single would spend three weeks at number one and in 2003 become platinum. After the huge success, the group decided to call it quits in 2013 after the completion of their ‘Ten: The Hits’ tour. Harding also ventured into acting, appearing in the British independent film ‘Bad Day ‘and ‘St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s gold’, as well as a brief stint in ‘Coronation Street‘ amongst other credits. Harding also went on to win ‘Celebrity Big Brother 20’ in 2017.

Click here to pre order ‘Hear Me Out’.