Angels with Dirty Faces

## Singles from '**Angels with Dirty Faces'**

1. "Freak Like Me"
Released: 15 March 2002

2. "Round Round"
Released: 20 June 2002

3. "Stronger"/"Angels with Dirty Faces"
Released: 4 November 2002

4. "Shape"
Released: 21 February 2003

***Angels with Dirty Faces*** is the second studio album by British girl group Sugababes. It was released by Island Records in the UK on 26 August 2002 and in most European territories by September 2002. The album marked the band's debut on the Island label following their split with London Records in 2001 and was their first regular release to be recorded under the second line-up, including new member Heidi Range, who replaced founding member Siobhán Donaghy.

The album features production from Lucas Secon and Xenomania and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, achieving triple platinum status. It was the first record for the band to regain their commercial success.

## Background

Shortly after the release of the final single from the band's debut album, One Touch, group member and co-founder Siobhán Donaghy left the band because of personal differences within the band. She was officially replaced by new member, Heidi Range during 2001. After being dropped by their former label, London Records, the band began to search for a new record label. Having already started writing material for the band's second studio album, they eventually signed with Island Records.

### Release and Reception

The album was eventually released domestically on 26 August 2002, to much anticipation, following the success of the first two singles to be lifted from the album "Freak Like Me" and "Round Round", both of which peaked at number 1 in the UK. The album received favourable reviews from critics, with AllMusic awarding it a 3.5/5 stars. Almost a month after the album's UK release, it was released across Europe and in New Zealand in September 2002, where it gained considerable success.

### Performance

*Angels with Dirty Faces* performed better than the group's previous album *One Touch* with the highest position in the UK Albums Chart of number two; it stayed in the charts for forty weeks. It garnered the band their first two consecutive No. 1s and three top 10s in the UK Singles chart. The album received a Platinum Europe Award by the IFPI in recognition of European sales in excess of one million copies.

## Singles

### Freak Like Me

    "Freak Like Me" is the lead single of the album released on March 15nd 2002. Produced by Richard X, it contains an interpolation from "Are Friends Electric?" performed by Tubeway Army and a cover song of the same name by Adina Howard. With this odd mashup hit, it has given the band their first number 1 in the UK Singles chart and is certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry through selling and streaming over 400,000 copies.

### Round Round

    "Round Round" is the second single of the album released on June 20th 2002. The song is produced by Xenomania and contains a sample from "Tango Forte" by German production team Dublex Inc., which itself is based around an unaccredited sample of "Whatever Lola Wants", performed by Les Baxter. It is the band's second consecutive number 1 hitting the UK Singles chart, was the first single to chart in the United States, peaking at number 7 in the Billboard Dance Singles chart in 2003, and is certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry selling 277,000 copies in UK. The song also gathered great commercial success across Europe. "Round Round" is one of the songs that has been credited in reshaping British pop music for the 2000s.

### Stronger/Angels with Dirty Faces

"Stronger"/"Angels with Dirty Faces" are the third singles from the album released as double A-sides on November 11th 2002. "Stronger" was conceived about then-newest member Heidi Range's experience of being separated from her family and friends. For "Angels with Dirty Faces", it was a single notably featured through Cartoon Network's animated television series *The Powerpuff Girls*. The former received mixed reviews from critics who were ambivalent towards its composition while the latter received generally positive reviews from critics, remarking that it was better track from the double A-side. The double A-side single reached number 7 in the UK Singles chart and entered top 10 in Netherlands and Norway.

### Shape

    "Shape" is the final single of the album released in February 21th 2003. The R&B ballad samples from "Shape of My Heart" performed by Sting, whose vocals are featured in the chorus. It received mixed reviews from critics, who were ambivalent towards the sample of "Shape of My Heart". "Shape" debuted at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart on 22 March 2003. It became the first single from Angels with Dirty Faces to not reach the top ten.

## Gallery

* UK CD Special Edition
* Japan CDs

CoverBack coverSugababes liner. Group photoMutya artKeisha artHeidi artLiner. Messages from the Sugababes

Japan CD coverAlbum Sampler CD cover
*Images provided from Discogs. Photography by Corinne Day.*

## References

1. ↑ Angels with Dirty Faces (UK Edition). Last FM. https://www.last.fm/music/Sugababes/Angels+With+Dirty+Faces+(UK+edition)
2. ↑ Angels with Dirty Faces - UK Special Edition. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/444031-Sugababes-Angels-With-Dirty-Faces
3. ↑ Angels with Dirty Faces - Japan Album Sampler. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/9050071-Sugababes-Angels-With-Dirty-Faces

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