Sugababes star Amelle Berrabah has become the first member of pop's sweetest trip to launch her solo career as the 'Get Sexy' band take some time out from topping the charts to pursue their own projects, with Amelle releasing her new single 'Love Is All We Need' this week.
And we have to admit, we're loving the babe's debut dance floor anthem, promising a corker of an album set for the beginning of next year.
Amelle Berrabah chats to EntWise about her new single 'Love Is All We Need' (WENN)
Sugababes have become one of the biggest girl bands in Britain but now Amelle is flying the nest, although she insists it's only for a while despite her bandmate Jade Ewen claiming the band were through just weeks ago.
As part of one of the most dramatic pop groups of recent years and with the founding members of the band, Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan reforming as MKS, we had a lot to chat about with Amelle such as what she really thinks of her rivals' new single and just what exactly is going on with Sugababes?
You recently unveiled your new dance inspired track 'Love Is All We Need.' What's the single about?
I wrote it about when you have that instant attraction or love at first sight or whatever I wrote it about that when you can’t take your eyes off someone and you’re like magnets and you grow together. You know that feeling like you just want to be with that person 24/7 and you’re in your own little bubble that was kind of the head space I was in when I wrote it. It’s just a nice song, everyone likes being in love and it makes you want to dance and smile. But because the bass line was so hard I didn’t want to go too hard with the melodies or the vocals so I wanted to it to contrast. I think it fits in quite nicely so I think it fits in well so yeah I’m happy with the result definitely.
Is it a good representation from what we can expect to hear on the album?
It’s definitely different I mean on the album there’s definitely a couple of dancey tracks with a hard core bass line because I love a bass line. But I wouldn’t say it’s a direct impression from the album but for me it’s quite random because I’ve got quite a big imagination and I’ve definitely had reflective times with this album writing about day to day life, things I find funny, random stuff. There’s a couple of quirky ones on there like there’s one called ‘Wrigley’s Extra’.
I mean it’s not even about that but when you listen to it you’re like ‘ah ok’! There’s a bit of an accent on that song it’s a bit of a character and then there’s another song I wrote which is one of my favourites from the album called ‘Come On’ which is a mid tempo ballad, quite stripped back at the beginning and just builds and builds and builds. I wrote that about someone else as well and that’s a very close song to my heart. And then you’ve got the dancey tracks and the quirky ones but it kind of depends what mood I’m in when I’m in the studio.
You've teamed up with Adam J and Nightcrashers for the single – are there any other collaborations lined up?
There’s one more which we’re just finalising at the moment and then I go onto my first solo single from the album so I’m just really excited obviously it’s a whole new thing for me. When I was going into the studio for the first couple of weeks it was normally with Heidi or Jade and they could tell me if they didn’t like it straight but when you’re in a room with people you don’t even know it’s quite intimidating at the start like ‘Oh are they going to like my idea?’
Then you have to get over that and think you know what, what will be will be but if they don’t you can’t be precious about certain things, you have to move on. It’s been a real amazing experience for me, been almost like tunnel vision just focusing, working my a**e off and I’m really happy with the end result. It’s completely different it’s my own stuff so if I hear something two weeks later like ‘I don’t like that guitar anymore’, I can change a few things over and I just want it to be perfect, I don’t want to release anything that I don’t absolutely love.
How are you finding it without the other two girls?
It’s good, they regularly keep asking how it’s going. Heidi’s listened to a few things as well and given her opinion, I like listening to her opinion. But yeah they’re cool, they’re always in contact. Heidi’s going to do a bit of theatre and her presenting and Jade’s doing some presenting also. But they’re really happy and I think they’re happy for me.
You said you've been in talks with Dr Luke – have you started working with him yet?
We’ve done a couple of Skype stuff and at the moment it’s still talking through some ideas because he works quite differently to what I’m used to but he’s just building something at the moment so I’m just waiting to hear what he has for me because I’ve heard a couple of little snippets but I’m looking forward to hearing the end result.
When do you think we'll be able to hear the album?
So after this next collab that wasn’t expected until later on in the year I’ll go two or three singles in and then release so hopefully I reckon now because of this next collab that wasn’t expected until later on in the year it will push back my stuff. But it’s looking either the very end of this year or the beginning of next year so I can do the tour in March/April time.
Do you know what the next single's going to be yet?
It’s either between two and they’re both completely different and we’ve had a few meetings but there’s definitely two in our head which is either funnily enough ‘Come On’ or ‘Wrigley’s Extra’. But I’ll be happy with either one of those to be the single, they’re completely different to each other so we’ll see where the label finally say will be the one to be released first.
The single's quite a different direction fro Sugababes – what inspired you to go down a more dance route?
Mostly because if I hear something and I like I’ll go with it. My musical taste is so random, it’s crazy and I just wanted to experiment. There was a couple of crazy ones I wrote and they were just too crazy not to be on the album. But it was more to experiment to see what I wanted to do and not have someone in my ear telling me what road to take. But some of it’s quite dancey and clubby and some of it’s completely different. But the bass line carries it for itself anyway and we put a melody that sticks in your head but it’s not just random stuff.
With this album I think if people hear it on the radio they won’t even recognise that it’s necessarily me and I kind of liked that. Just let people hear it for what it is and then be like ‘it’s me!’ So it’s definitely different from the girls stuff because it’s not as poppy but I’m more intrigued to hear ti because I’ve been so wrapped up in this bubble I can’t wait to hear what the whole album sounds like.
Does this mean we'll be waiting a while for new material from Sugababes?
Well we’re thinking we’re going to re group towards the end of next year and I’ve finished promo for the album, have a re group and see if we all want to release another album but right now we all love each other, we all love working with each other and we’re very close and we’re very honest with each other as well and I still have a few ideas for us as well which I’ve put aside but whether we’ll use because time passes, music changes very quickly but it will be nice anyway.
Heidi and Jade have been doing a spot of reality TV – are you tempted to go on any shows?
I’m not. It’s something I’ve been asked to do quite a few times and I’ve always said no. I love watching reality TV but it’s just not for me I’ve just been in my own little world, music’s been my number one. That’s all I want to concentrate on but never say never I wouldn’t rule it out at all but for me at the moment, not for me.
MKS recently unveiled their brand new single what did you make of it?
Yes I’ve heard the single, I had to listen to it a few times but now I really like it. But that happens with me a lot I have to listen to a track at least three times before I get it. But I really like it, I think they’ve got really lovely harmonies, each of their voices are beautiful in their individual way, the blend really well, their harmonies are really tight, the melody’s really good. I just think it’s a really nice song, I genuinely really like it.
Do you think it will do well?
I do! I hope so I’m always a big fan of any artist that has pure talent that hasn’t been manufactured and told what to do and with them I definitely hope it does well and I wish them all the best so yeah I hope it does well.
Have you met them since they've reformed?
I haven’t no, I haven’t even seen Keisha in like two years. I’ve never met Siobhan before and I’ve only met Mutya once and she came to wish me luck but yeah I know there work but I wish them all the best.
Are any of the other girls working on any solo material?
I know Heidi at some point wants to make an album and she’s a really talented singer, she’s very pure, so I’m looking forward to that as well but I don’t think that will be for another year before she starts writing and stuff but I’m really proud of her, I think she’ll do really well.
Now that Girls Aloud have split and Sugababes are taking a break which girl groups out there are you finding exciting at the moment?
I love Little Mix! You know they can sing, they can sing live, they can perform. There’s certain people who have star quality and for me they have that and they just seem, well I’ve met them a few times and they just seem really genuine, happy to be there which is how you should always be, you should never forget that this is a blessing that you’re living every day but I think they’ve done an amazing job. They’re taking over the planet by the looks of it so yeah I really really like those girls.
What did you make of Girl Aloud's split? Did you see it coming?
I kind of…well you hear things but you never know whether to believe it or not but I think they obviously felt they were at their absolute peak and it was time for them to go their own way or whatever. That’s their decision and you have to let them be for being a great girl band.
There's been quite a surge of groups recently does that make you nervous about returning with Sugababes?
It seems like it is but it always seems like that from year to year. Like five years ago there was a massive indie phase like literally the pop charts were taken over by indie music, then there were solo artists like Emeli Sande coming out but it doesn’t necessarily effect the outcome I think if people love the track and they love the music it’s cool basically. But yeah I’m all for it especially being a girl. All for women doing really well, whoever, anyone who’s musically talented and doing their thing I’m all for it.
Amelle's new single 'Love is All We Need' is out now.
