A bidding war has been sparked to snap up iconic girl group the Sugababes - after the original members reformed and stunned fans by unleashing a secret ‘lost’ album.
The chart topping band first burst onto the music scene back in 2000 when they released their debut album, Overload.
The band was originally fronted by Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy before the group adapted something of a revolving door approach to their line-up as members were replaced over the years until they split in 2011.
But original members Mutya, 37, Keisha, 38 and Siobhán, 38, regrouped in 2013 under the name MKS before later regaining the name ‘Sugababes’.
An album had been planned under the MKS moniker but was never released - until last week when the group shocked fans by unleashing the album, branded The Lost Tapes, just in time for Christmas.
The album rocketed up the iTunes Charts to reach the Number 2 slot hours after being released - and now The Sun reports a bidding war is under way to secure the original trio and release further records.
A source told the publication: “There are lots of Nineties and Noughties acts which reunite and it’s a bit cheesy and full of nostalgia, but the original Sugababes are actually cool, credible artists.
“The reaction from fans proves they are really a viable act to have huge success with new music.
“They have some great ideas for songs and reckon they can win over a whole new generation of Sugababes fans.
“The hope is that they will sign to a label at the beginning of the year and have new music out at some point in the next 12 months.”
Over the past year, the group have also enjoyed success by headlining music festivals in the UK, had a slot at Glastonbury, and enjoyed a UK-wide tour.
They are tipped to hit the road in 2023 with dates in Australia and a headline gig at London’s O2 Arena scheduled for September.
Taking to social media on Boxing Day, the ladies celebrated the surprise success of their album and teased fans with more plans to be announced very soon.
Sharing a snap of themselves posing beside a Christmas Tree, the group wrote on Instagram : “We hope you’re enjoying The Lost Tapes - Let us know your favourite tracks below.
“Also, Santa might have a few more tricks up his sleeve before the years up so watch this space. Love Mutya, Keisha & Siobhan.”
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The post quickly racked up thousands of 'likes' and fans flocked to the comments to express how spoiled they felt by the surprise release at the festive season.
One fan commented that the excitement was almost too much to handle, writing: "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK THIS CHRISTMAS."
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