Jade Ewen, 22, is the latest addition to the ever-changing Sugababes line-up. She represented Britain in last year's Eurovision Song Contest, coming fifth, and launched a brief solo career before replacing Sugababe Keisha Buchanan. New album Sweet 7 is released today.
..You’ve had a busy year. Have you taken it all in?
Not until the album launch party, I was just so busy working. It didn’t really sink in until I saw the posters and the hard copy of the album with my picture on it. It was a weird feeling.
Was giving up your solo career a difficult decision?
It was in that I believed in my music but joining the Sugababes was like winning the Lottery. I’m sure if I want to go solo again in the future I’ll be able to but I wanted to join the Sugababes – it’s better than I could have done on my own. I’d recorded 90 per cent of my album and my single came out two days after I joined the group so the solo stuff was well under way. Never mind.
Are you happy with your new saucy image?
I wasn’t overly keen to begin with but I’m used to it now. I needed to get away from that Eurovision look, which wasn’t me anyway, but you can’t sing an Andrew Lloyd Webber ballad in a miniskirt. I’ve always been really skinny and no one’s ever said I’m sexy, so to be told: ‘We’re going to make you sexy and get your legs out,’ was an adjustment.
Any outfits you weren’t keen on?
I was very nervous about the outfit I wore at the cervical cancer charity show. It looked fine from the front because it had a lot of detail – but I didn’t realise how revealing it was until I saw the pictures in the papers.
Why did you want to be a singer?
My dad’s blind and my mum’s partially sighted, so a lot of entertainment in our house was music, we didn’t watch much TV. I’ve sung for as long as I can remember. I was a massive fan of Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey when I was a child.
Are you really going to lose the rights to the Sugababes name to the original line-up?
As far as I know the label owns the name, it’s not down to us or the previous line-up.My experience ofthe last year shows you shouldn’t worry about things until they happen.
Will the day come when you will all sing together as a sixpiece?
Ha! I doubt it. Who knows, they might all say: ‘Let’s reunite!’ It’d be interesting to see it happen.
What’s been your worst moment on stage?
When I first joined we did a show in Leeds. Amelle was in Austria so it was just me and Heidi. I was terrified about how the fans would react. They turned out to be really nice. I thought they’d shout abuse but they didn’t. Heidi did a little speech about the line-up change and why Amelle couldn’t be there and she suddenly started crying. I didn’t know her that well at this point and didn’t know what to do, if I should just stand there and keep smiling. I went over, hugged her and said: ‘It’ll all be all right.’ No matter what’s happened, Heidi and Keisha had eight years together in the group so it was like a break-up, it was still quite raw.
How long do you think the Sugababes have got left?
I didn’t join for it to be over in five minutes. As long as we keep putting out good music I don’t see why it couldn’t last for another five or ten years.
Are you a feminist?
Yes, I’d say so. There’s always this thing that girls are quick to turn on each other, I feel guys stick together more, so I encourage that sisterhood vibe among my friends.
Have you ever been attacked by an animal?
I did a children’s wildlife TV programme when I was 14. I was holding a cockatoo and it went absolutely mental and started pecking huge chunks of flesh out of my hand. I’m not a fan of birds now.
