Keisha Buchanan (born Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan on 30 September 1984 in Westminster, London) is an English singer-songwriter and was the longest-standing founding member of the Brit Award-winning girl group Sugababes. With the band, Buchanan had seven number one singles, and two number one studio albums, making Sugababes the most successful female act of the 21st century.

Music Career

Sugababes (1998-2009)

Keisha Buchanan met Mutya Buena while at primary school in Kingsbury. At the age of thirteen the pair met Siobhán Donaghy at a music studio. The three formed a girl group called the Sugababies but then changes to Sugababes. In 1998, the Sugababes were offered a record deal with Island Records and had their first break-through hit in 2000 with "Overload" from their debut album One Touch. Donaghy left the group in September 2001 to be replaced by Heidi Range, and Buena departed in December 2005, replaced by Amelle Berrabah, leaving Buchanan as the only founding member still in the Sugababes between 2005 to 2009. Sugababes had seven number-one singles, "Freak Like Me", "Round Round", "Hole In The Head", "Do They Know Its Christmas?" (with Band Aid 20), "Push The Button", "Walk This Way" and "About You Now". They have also had several top-three hits including "Ugly", "Girls" and Buchanan's final release with the group, "Get Sexy". The group has also had six top-ten albums, two of which, Taller In More Ways and Change, went to number one in the UK and were certified triple platinum. In terms of record sales, Sugababes are the most successful female act of the century, and have had number one singles in fifteen other countries in Europe and Asia — "Hole In The Head" also went to number one on the U.S. Billboard dance chart.

On 21 September 2009, it was officially announced that Buchanan had exited the group, resulting in Sugababes retaining none of its original members. Buchanan, who will pursue a solo career with Island Records, was replaced by former-Eurovision entrant Jade Ewen. Buchanan revealed on Twitter that it was not her decision to leave, resulting in some journalists described her as having been "sacked".

Rumours following the announcement suggested that Heidi Range, who was herself a replacement for Siobhán Donaghy in 2001, was responsible for the change and that she "pushed Keisha out" due to conflicts between Buchanan and Amelle Berrabah. Former member Mutya Buena, who left in 2005 and was replaced by Berrabah, declared that the group, without any of its original members, no longer has the right to be known as Sugababes. She eulogised the group by stating "it all started so innocently ... a love for music and a dream ... look what it's become", and slammed Range for not supporting Buchanan. Buena also expressed interest in reforming the original line-up with Buchanan and Donaghy.

Critics reacted negatively to the news. British broadsheet The Guardian ran an article named "Why the Sugababes' show can't go on without Keisha". It argued that the group had suffered "one lineup change too many, and moves the group from a clever shape-shifting pop force into a total laughing stock". Whilst praising the Sugababes music history as being soulful and highly original, the article argued that its need to be a "brand" resulted in a "rather miserable, undignified end to a band who fell together at school... and achieved what they did with a rare class".

Johnny Dee, also of The Guardian, agreed that "entirely consisting of substitutes, one would imagine that the Sugababes could no longer seriously exist". He also suggested the "ever-changing lineups... reveals them for what they are... a business, a brand". Pop Justice stated bluntly: "Sugababes as a band is now dead. Pick a new name or spend the rest of your time in this band as a total laughing stock". In a separate article, the website alluded to the group's current form as "Amelle Heidi & Jade" before discussing "the Sugababes (Mutya, Siobhan and Keisha)" separately. Similarly, entertainment news service Digital Spy began referring to the band as "Sugababes" with quotation marks. Pop Justice created a eulogy webpage entitled "Sugababes Forever 1998-2009", whilst Digital Spy ran an article called "Keisha Buchanan, we salute you" in which they thanked her for her contribution to "incredible pop songs".

Pop Justice, in reviewing photographs of the new line-up wearing sexy outfits, commented on the possible reaction of Sugababes' management team: "It's hard to look at those photographs and not wonder what the people who were instrumental in Sugababes' early days think of the pictures... All those people who did such a brilliant job of making sure the Sugababes had a little bit more class than the others. Is this what they had in mind?". Some critics have suggested that the latest line-up change "may be more difficult for fans to take".

Collaborations

In 2007, Buchanan featured on Big-Z's A New Big-Inning album on the short track "Can't Bring me Down". In 2008, she featured on Don-E's Natural album on the song "Writing's on the Wall". That same year, she collaborated with James Morrison on his latest single "Broken Strings" in an exclusive performance for BBC Children in Need, and again at the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball. She's also collaborated with London rapper Crazy Titch on the undergound hit "Gully" in 2004, as well as featuring on So Solid Crew member Asher D's album on the track "Give It Up". She has also recently collaborated with "Down" hitmaker and British singer Jay Sean on his 3rd album All or Nothing on it's UK version on the track "Far Away" which they both co-written.

Solo Artist (2009 - Present)

Despite being dropped from the Sugababes, as part of the agreement, Island Records signed Keisha to a contract that would make her a solo artist for the label.

Personal life

Buchanan is the cousin of Blue singer Simon Webbe.

She appeared on All Star Mr. and Mrs in June 2009 with her boyfriend, musical performer, Dean Thomas for ITV.

Discography

• 2010 - Little Thing's Can Be Big

I'm Ex-Babe

References

1. gm.tv
2. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a178484/keisha-buchanan-leaves-sugababes.html
3. Keisha Buchanan on Twitter
4. Michaels, Sean, " Sugababes' Keisha sacked from band", The Guardian, September 22, 2009
5. Nissim, Mayer, " Heidi 'pushed Keisha out of Sugababes', Digital Spy, September 23, 2009
6. Michaels, Sean, " Mutya Buena wades into Sugababes lineup row", The Guardian, September 23, 2009
7. Kilkelly, Daniel, " Mutya: 'Jade will front Sugababes'", Digital Spy, September 23, 2009
8. Fletcher, Alex, " Mutya hints at original Sugababes reunion", Digital Spy, September 23, 2009
9. Robinson, Peter, "[Why the Sugababes' show can't go on without Keisha]", The Guardian, September 22, 2009
10. Dee, Johnny, " Sugababes: so do they still exist or not?", The Guardian, September 22, 2009
11. Staff, " Sugababes: 1998-2009", Pop Justice, September 21, 2009
12. Staff, " Well done everybody", Pop Justice, September 23, 2009
13. Levine, Nick, " Update: Shakira, Sugababes, Taylor Swift", Digital Spy, September 23, 2009
14. Sugababes Forever 1998-2009 (Pop Justice)
15. Levine, Nick, " Keisha Buchanan, we salute you", September 21, 2009
16. Staff, " When is a band not a band?", The Guardian, September 22, 2009

External links

• Sugababes Official Website