Official Charts Flashback 2007: Sugababes - About You Now
Jokes about Sugababes' revolving door line-up aside, the trio in whatever incarnation they were in always delivered a killer album lead single, didn't they?
Overload (2000), Freak Like Me (2002), Hole in the Head (2003) and Push the Button (2005) were all notable pop moments of the early Noughties, with three out of four topping the Official Singles Chart.
When it came to their fifth album header, it seemed the only option was to go big, teaming up with hit songwriter Cathy Dennis (Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue) on About You Now; a slick piece of electro-rock-pop that presented the group in a new light. Fitting, given that they were in the early stages of their third lineup change after the recent appointment of Amelle Berrabah to replace Mutya Buena.
MORE: See where every Sugababes song and album has charted in the UK
The track was a huge hit, charging to Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart on its second week when it was made available to download, selling 34,000 copies. It had debuted at 35 the previous week on physical sales alone, common practice at the time for single releases during the handover in formats.
About You Now spent four weeks at the summit, something no other girl group has managed to achieve since, though Little Mix have come close on two occasions: Black Magic and Shout Out to My Ex have both managed three weeks at the top spot.
To date, About You Now has notched up 1.25 million UK chart units, split between 480,000 downloads, 78,000 physical sales and 77 million streams.
About You Now was to be the last Number 1 for Sugababes - the closest they would come again was in 2009 with (the distinctly less timeless) Get Sexy, the group's final single with the only founding member left Keisha Buchanan, who was ousted in time for their next single, About A Girl with replacement Jade Ewen.
Elsewhere in the Top 40 this week in 2007, Shayne Ward landed the week's highest new entry with double (bop) A-side No U Hang Up/If That's OK With You, Ida Corr and Fedde Le Grand's electro-house banger Let Me Think About It zoomed to Number 5, and Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse's cover of The Zutons' Valerie was in the middle of its chart ascent, up from 41 to 12 (it would eventually peak at 2).
Join the conversation by joining the Official Charts community and dropping comment.
Already registered?
Log in
No account?
Register
Jay1988
The #35 entry happened because of a remix. The Spencer & Hill remix was released digitally on Wednesday 19th September 2007, and sold enough for About You Now to chart at #35 on Sunday 23rd September (week ending Saturday 29th September).
The Radio Edit (normal version) of About You Now was released as a download on Monday 24th September, resulting in its climb to #1 on Sunday 30th September (week ending Saturday 6th October).
The physical CD singles were released on Monday 1st October, contributing to About You Now's second week at #1 on Sunday 7th October (week ending Saturday 13th October).
In 2007 it was normally the case that a song would be released digitally before it was released physically.
https://chart-watch.uk/archives/2007/week-ending-september-29th-2007 - "As far as future hits are concerned, watch out for About You Now from the Sugababes which enters at what might appear a lowly Number 35 but which is here a fortnight before physical release."
https://chart-watch.uk/archives/2007/week-ending-october-6th-2007 - "The new Sugababes single About You Now appeared on the singles chart last week at a suspiciously lowly Number 35. This rather understated chart appearance came thanks to the early release, not of the single itself but the "Spencer And Hill Remix" which appeared on iTunes two weeks ago. Last Monday the patience of fans was rewarded and the proper single version was made available online. Such was the demand for the first Sugababes single proper in almost a year that the download single has stormed to the top of the charts, thus climbing 35-1 in the space of a week."
https://chart-watch.uk/archives/2007/week-ending-october-13th-2007 - "The physical release of About You Now sends its sales soaring still further and ensuring that nothing was ever going to come between the girls and a second week at the top of the chart."