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The talented trio returned to the live stage with founding members Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy, after several line-up changes the group have officially re-formed with all three original band members. With four platinum albums under their belt, the band have become known as one of the UK’s most successful girl groups. The Brit award winning group treated ticketholders to a large collection of their hits including “Too Lost In You”, “Overload”, “Round Round” and “Push The Button”.

During their show stopping set, Buchanan said to the crowd, “This is our first show in so long. The last couple of years have been tough on all of us . . . But I’d like to think we’re way more resilient than people think. We’re all here today, right?”

The very special concert comes weeks before the group’s appearance at this year’s Glastonbury festival, the “Freak Like Me” singers will perform on the Field of Avalon stage on 24th June 2022. Buchanan spoke with The Sun newspaper last month concerning their upcoming set, “This is going to be something special for our fans. We can’t wait.”

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The original band members initially reformed in 2012 under the name Mutya Keisha Siobhan, after confirming their reunion the group then began to tease new music. During the winter of 2012, the trio performed an intimate concert, after fan made videos of the set went viral the reunion was further established. Following several releases, Buchanan achieved ownership of the Sugababes name and trademark, in 2019 the trio reclaimed their former band name.

The group had originally planned their comeback for 2020 but due to the rise of COVID-19 and subsequent challenges the reunion was put on hold, the band scheduled their return to align with their anniversary. Buchanan took to Instagram live to discuss the group’s derailed schedule,  “We had so many plans for last year. 2020 was our anniversary year, we built it up to do so many things but it didn’t happen, so we have to restructure. We just have to be motivated to do it and passionate about it and once we are actually in the studio it flows really easily for us. But it’s about getting us all on the same page on the same date and the pandemic makes it really tricky. It just has to be organic and be on the same page as far as our schedules are concerned.”

Donaghy has also discussed the group’s plans, last year the singer stated that they have been working on new material, “There’s nothing concrete at the moment, but we are working on stuff all the time and definitely new music. We love making music together and that’s something we’re going to continue to do. And hopefully it won’t be too long now, now that we can be in the studio together again.“

“I used to think that racism was when someone directly looked at you and called you a racist word,” shes says. “I didn’t realise that there was so many different ways that a person and that people can be racist or prejudiced.” Buchanan reflects elsewhere that the interviews would be framed in such a way as to label her as a “bully,” demonstrating “aggressive” characteristics in such a way as to portray her as the stereotypical “angry black woman.”

Just a teenager when she joined the Sugababes in the late ’90s, Buchanan outlines that the media, “who were leading the wolf pack” at that time, “did severe damage to my confidence… When you feel that much scrutiny over your life, it then leads to depression.”

Exposing the falsity of her representation in popular media, Buchanan announced, “I want people to see me for me, thoughts and all, shadiness and all, bossiness and all. I want people to see me for me and then make a judgement on that, and not … upon the colour of my skin.”

In order to make real change we need to use our influence for GOOD when we are in “those” circles.
I’ve been silent for too long & I’ve seen a lot in my over 20 years in the music industry… My receipts are very long but I won’t name & shame those people… pic.twitter.com/kd6CoMgcU6

— Keisha Buchanan (@keisha_buchanan) June 2, 2020

Responding the recent #BlackLivesMatter protests, Buchanan has also been involved in exposing the racism inherent within the music industry. Having reset her profile picture as the Black Power salute, the singer-songwriter’s official Twitter page, @keisha_buchanan, rallies the battle cry that, “In order to make real change we need to use our influence for GOOD.”

Amen to that.