The Saturdays Album: “Headlines!”

I read other reviews before saying that this album was a dissapointment because it features tracks from the previous album. That's true, they tend to do that a lot and they need to stop. But this album is not horrible. This is my rating for each song:

1. Missing you- I didn't like it when I first heard it but its pretty good, its a powerful ballad with an upbeat tempo, so therefore great to sing and dance to. Una has no vocals on this but if you have an ear for music, you can tell that her voice doesn't fit in there, her voice is very soulful and acoustic and doesn't fit with the vibe of of the song. 5/5

2. Ego, the first time I heard this song, I was hooked. All of the girls sound great on it, it may be a repeat but it belongs on this album.5/5

3. Higher-Another great track, sounds a bit like ego, too much autotune. Mollie has no solo in this but she would have fit great on this track, great danceable track with memorable lyrics and chorus.5/5

4.Forever is Over- Another repeat off of "Wordshaker". I understand why they jumped on this track when they first heard it. THe harmonies are great, the song sounds great but this is not a "Sats" sound. This song was gonna go to Pink or Kelly clarkson. I think either of these ladies would have sang it way better. Kelly might have overdone it and Pink would have rock& rolled it too much, but who knows. The sats did what they could with the song, in my opinion, only Una, Vanessa, and Rochelle sound good on this good. In reality, Vanessa sounds great in the chorus but Una could have carried the song by herself in a different key because she has a great acoustic voice. 3/5

5. Died in your eyes- Great ballad, remake but I'm suprised at how good they sounded on this song, especially Rochelle singing out of her comfort zone and she killed it!!! I'm not too fond of this song but they did a great job on this, so to be fair 4/5

6. Karma- Another great song and well structured, awesome harmonies, you can hear Rochelle and Una's harmonies really well at the bottom and Frankie on the melody. This sounds a lot like an american songs and Vanessa ends the song really well. 5/5

7. Puppet- Intro sounds very much like a song Britney Spears would have sang back in 2001. It's saturdays style but at the same time very sexy. Rochelle's vocals in the beginning make the song what it is and the autotune on Vanessa's vocals give the song seducing edge. Frankie really pushes on this song and she sounds good, she should be less fearful to sing. I love the bridge when Una sings and the talking bits make the songs all the more powerful. The only parts that I found annoying are the La la la's sung by Mollie. 4.5/5

8. One shot- The third repeat of "wordshaker" and the last track of this EP. I loved the song when I first heard it and I love it still. I like the tweeking that they did. I believe this should have been their first single off of "wordshaker" then the album would have done much better because it is a great album. 5/5

Upside- Great dance/ techno/pop/rock album and I got an autographed album which was really cool, I've never gotten anything autographed before.

Downside- songs tend to sound a little bit alike and I was really dissappointed to find out that as a US buyer, I could not access the extra features which was a real blow and Polydor needs to fix that if they hope for the sats to break into the US. Americans won't want to be interested if they can't find out much about the girls. Think about this Polydor!!!

The CD arrived before it's scheduled time and it was packaged just as described by the seller. thank you! :-)

"Headlines" EP

Are you feening for some good, old fashion, pop girl group music? Then look no further than U.K. girl group The Saturdays and their upcoming release, `Headlines'. Their new album may only be an EP with 8 tracks, a few short of a proper album, but this package of music really packs a punch. I confess - I had never listened to or heard a song from this group until I stumbled on "Missing You", one of the tracks featured on this EP. If you were to describe them to someone outside of the U.K., you could say they have catchy pop comparable to that of The Pussycat Dolls except more than one member of the group gets her time on the vocals and in the spotlight. They definitely are too pop and clean to qualify as Destiny's Child but they have the same happy, catchy, addictive sing-along qualities that have skyrocketed Lady GaGa, Britney Spears and other pop starlets in America to the top of the charts.

The Good: Unlike many artists who release an EP (extended play for those unaware), the group really doesn't waste any space on the album for weak tracks. Every track on `Headlines' could really stand to be a single, which is rare for any artist these days. Yes, some of these tracks appeared on their last release but 'Headlines' feels like a good refresher course for fans who may have lost track of the group or for the purpose of attracting a new audience all together. The summer smash "Missing You" is definitely the best track on the album; it's a pop synthy ballad that drips of angst and yearning. "Higher" is an uptempo track very reminiscent of a Pussycat Doll track - it's all about empowerment and overcoming the wrong doings (and treatment) by a guy who is undeserving of your love and time. "Ego" comes equipped with hand claps, synths, a catchy chorus with the girls singing a warning that the guy needs to have a sit down with his ego and that they aren't allowing the guy to go solo and walk away from the relationship so easily. The other tracks are just as addictive and worth a listen as well.

The Bad: With it being such a short album, it could have used one or two more original tracks. To those who've been aware and listening to the group before this release, "Headlines" probably doesn't feel all that special - you already have heard a lot of the tracks and then there's a remix to top things off. There's also a cover of a song released from Kristina DeBarge's first album, which definitely makes "Headlines" feel more like a collection of past singles than a real EP. Still, to someone who hasn't been listening to the group any, it's a good collection of songs from the group and makes a good case for following them to their next full-release.

In all, `Headlines' is a solid album. I can't compare it to their past albums or work since this is my first encounter with the group but I feel the music on this EP is definitely very good, well-produced pop music. It's nothing entirely deep, the lyrics won't call for you to sit back and think much at all, but the music is fun, frivolous and covers a span of emotions from carefree dancefloor hits to the sadder, pop ballads to mellow things out. Definitely worth checking out on August 16 when it's released in stores.

Listen To These: "Missing You", "Died in Your Eyes", "Ego", "Higher"

I purchased the original release, but had to order the revised edition with the extra tracks...they do not disappoint! Cannot wait to get their new album coming out soon!