It’s really difficult to whip any kind of feeling verging on real emotion when you’re talking about the Saturdays. That’s because they’re just fine. They package decent pop songs quite nicely, without ever doing anything daring or interesting, never opting for singles that critics drool over, a‘la Girls Aloud. Opting for safe, mostly successful choices every time. A classic five girl line up, each member possessing with a voice indistinguishable from the others. Happy to do interviews till their tongues drop off, nearly all in relationships with high profile gentleman, it’s a record label’s dream. They’re also clearly happy to go along with whatever their superiors tell them to do, given their choice to release a new “mini album” this summer. Said album is just a repackaging of tracks that appeared on their 2009 album “Wordshaker” with one new track “Missing You” tagged on it to avoid trading standards getting in touch.
“Missing You” itself is a pretty drab track. It would desperately like to be written by Robyn or Annie, but lacks any real sentiment. It’s slick, it’s polished, but its instantly forgettable. Slower than the tracks that the Saturdays do best, especially last year’s James Bourne penned “Forever Is Over” which was a real zinger of a break up song. It seems to be more a case of put something out, anything, than really releasing something they love.
Why bother with all this mini album business? Their profile seems high enough as it is, but doubtless their record label felt that going a year without an album was too much of a risk and they sold the idea to the girls on the basis they’d be forgotten if they didn’t. You’d imagine the conversation went something like this:
Record Label: We’d like you to put out a new mini album, mainly with tracks from your last album.
The Saturdays: But that seems silly, surely people already own all the songs?
Record Label: Details. People won’t notice.
The Saturdays: They might.
Record Label: They won’t.
The Saturdays: What if they do?
Record Label: We’ve covered all the bases, we’ve given it a different name, something like….(picks up a newspaper) Headlines. That’ll do.
The Saturdays: We’re not sure about that.
Record Label: It’s better than Wordshaker.
The Saturdays: True.
Record Label: Right. I’m glad we’re all agreed, I’ll book the studio now.
The Saturdays: Can we at least record some new stuff?
Record Label: One track. That’s it. I’m pretty sure we’ve still got some tracks left over from the Pixie Lott sessions, we’ll use one of those.
The Saturdays: Can’t we make a new album?
Record Label: No, too expensive. Plus all the good songs written in the last year will be on Kylie/Sophie Ellis Bextor/Sugababes new albums.
The Saturdays: Then why can’t we just not release an album this year?
Record Label: Because the public will forget you.
The Saturdays: They won’t. Our fans love us.
Record Label: Your fans are mostly ten and under, that’s the second most forgetful demographic, after the over 70s, we can’t risk you being forgotten.
The Saturdays: I’m sure you’re wrong, people remember the bands they like.
Record Label: What? Like the Faders?
The Saturdays: Who?
Record Label: Exactly. Now get back to work.
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