As a packed O2 Arena buzzed with excitement, the enormity of the moment at seeing their idols live in the flesh seemed to reach pitch for fans of the Sugababes (made up of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy), who this year celebrate their 25th anniversary!
Taking to the stage just a year and a half after they first headlined the iconic London venue, the show marked the second stop on their UK and European tour, and coincided with the surprise release of two new tracks – ‘Jungle’ and ‘Weeds’ – both of which are set to feature on the trios upcoming ninth studio album.
Appearing from behind a giant curtain, on a b-stage situated in the middle of the 20,000-capacity arena, the girls wasted no time in demonstrating their effortlessly cool, laid-back performance style, delivering a revved up version of their 2000 breakout hit ‘Overload’ (complete with original chair-ography) much to the delight of the hyped crowd.
Strutting along a slick black catwalk with undeniable swagger back to the venues main stage, the babes fired through a number of era defining pop bops – including ‘Hole In The Head’, ‘In The Middle’ and ‘Red Dress’ – before slowing down the pace to perform a touching rendition of 2005’s ‘Ugly’.
Perhaps the most heartfelt moment on the night comes as the ladies revisit the music they wrote and produced as young teens at the very start of their career.
Delivered with hints of nostalgia yet still sounding as timeless as ever, the classic instrumentation of standout ‘One Touch’ tracks ‘Run For Cover’ and ‘Lush Life’ are performed as vintage rehearsal footage of the girls as kids is projected on large video screens. Always keen to keep their act current, the girls end the throwback section of the show by performing their latest single ‘Weeds’ – a semi autobiographical, R&B slow jam, that celebrates their journey thus far.
After show-stopping performances of epic power ballads ‘Too Lost In You’ and ‘Stronger’, the trio were once again ready to party, turning the energy up to 100 with a cover of Sweet Female Attitude’s ‘Flowers’ before racing through chart-topping hits ‘Freak Like Me’, ‘Round Round’, ‘Push The Button’, and the final song of the night, ‘About You Now’.
At its core, the Sugababes 2025 tour presents as a spectacular and poignant celebration of their legacy, reminding audiences of their significant impact on the UK pop scene – their blend of classic hits and new material, combined with their vocal talents, solidifying their place in music history forever.
Fundamentally, the Sugababes 2025 tour is a magnificent and moving remembrance of their legacy, reminding fans (and perhaps some critics) of their enormous influence and impact on the UK pop scene. And with their incredible vocal prowess, and combination of new and classic hits already cementing their place in music history, we can’t wait to see what Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan do next…
Setlist: Sugababes, The O2, London
1. Overload
2. Hole In The Head
3. In The Middle
4. Red Dress
5. Ugly
6. No Regrets
7. Flatline
8. Shape
9. Run For Cover
10. Lush Life
11. One Touch
12. Weeds
13. Too Lost In You
14. Stronger
15. Flowers (Sweet Female Attitude cover)
16. Round Round
17. Jungle
18. Freak Like Me
19. Push The Button
20. About You Now
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