Change (song)

## **Change**Single by Sugababes

**Change** is the second single, and the fifth track of the Sugababes' fifth album of the same name. The song was written by the group's members in collaboration with Niara Scarlett and its producers, the Danish production duo Deekay.

The song was released as the album's second international and third overall single on 20 November 2007 with an accompanying B-side titled "I Can't Take It No More". "Change" is a midtempo pop ballad composed of anthemic harmonies, guitars, keys and sweeping effects and "Time Lapse" from the Apple iLife for Mac royalty free samples.

## Background

"Change"is the title track of the group's fifth studio album, which is the first to feature Berrabah, following the departure of Mutya Buena in December 2005. The group's vocals on "Change" were recorded at the Electric Lady Studios in New York City. A soulful track, it follows the group's conventional style of balladry, although is more uptempo than their other ballads. Group member Berrabah sings the lead vocals on the song. It contains anthemic melodies backed by a powerful 1980s guitar lick, and incorporates the group's harmonies into keys and sweeping effects. The song's lyrics are about the experiences of change after the departure of a close friend and ultimately never being the same again, but the need to remain strong in the process.

### Reception

The song received mixed reviews from critics. Sunday Mail critic Mickey McMonagle called "Change" the album's best track and "a definite chart topper". Alex Fletcher from Digital Spy and the BBC Chart Blog's Fraser McAlphine rated the song four out of five stars; the former regarded it as a "sophisticated pop ballad" and highlighted the Sugababes' vocal abilities, while the latter described the chorus as "anthemic". According to Dave Kelly of the Birmingham Mail, "Change" allows the Sugababes "to show that they have matured without surrendering their pop smarts".

In contrast, a writer from The Scotsman considered it "vapid", while a critic for Manchester Evening News felt that the group's vocals were average. Yahoo! Music's Emily Mackay criticised the song as "a limper retread" of the group's 2002 single "Stronger". Tom Young of BBC Music wrote that "Change" "only flirts with credibility" due to the group's "irrepressible and watertight harmonies". Writing for The Independent, Andy Gill regarded it as "colourless".

### Release

"Change" served as the second single from the album of the same name; its release was confirmed in October 2007. The song was made available in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 10 December, while the CD single was made available a week later on 17 December 2007. "Change" was also released as a CD single in Germany on 8 February 2008. The single's accompanying B-side is titled "I Can't Take It No More", and was composed by the Sugababes, Jeremy Shaw and Jony Rockstar.

### Performance

"Change" failed to duplicate the success of its predecessor "About You Now". It entered the Irish Singles Chart in the issue dated 13 December 2007 at number 47, and peaked at number 21 the following week. The single debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 1 December 2007 at number 85, based on digital downloads from the album. It was considered a contender for the chart's 2007 Christmas number one, but only managed to reach number 13 in the issue dated 29 December 2007. Consequently, it marked the first time since 2000 where the second single from their album failed to reach the top ten. "Change" spent 14 weeks on the chart, and had sold 95,000 copies in the UK by April 2010, making it their 15th highest-selling single in the country.

"Change" peaked at number 31 on the Netherlands' Dutch Top 40 chart, number 32 on the German Singles Chart, and number 36 on the Romanian Top 100 chart. The song debuted on the Slovakian Singles Chart at number 69, and reached number 15 nine weeks later. In total, it spent 16 weeks on the chart. The single appeared on the European Hot 100 Singles chart at number 45.

## Track listing

Digital download
1. Change - 3:40
2. Change (Wideboys Remix) - 6:41

Digital download - B-side bundle
1. Change - 3:37
2. I Can't Take It No More - 4:07

CD
1. Change - 3:40
2. Change (Wideboys Remix) - 6:41
3. I Can't Take It No More - 4:02
4. About You Now (Radio One Live Lounge) - 2:48

## Personnel

* Engineer [Vocals Engineered By] – Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young, Kurt, Tim
* Guitar – Josh (6)
* Instruments [All Instruments Except Guitar By] – Lars H. Jensen, Martin M. Larsson
* Management [Deekay Are Managed By] – Asylum Artists UK
* Mixed By – Martin M. Larsson
* Percussion [Additional Percussion By] – Dicky Daniel Klein, Tim McEwan
* Producer [Vocal Production By] – Lars H. Jensen
* Producer, Arranged By – Deekay
* Programmed By [All Programming By] – Martin M. Larsson
* Recorded By [Vocals Recorded By] – Johannes Joergensen, Lars H. Jensen
* Vocals – Sugababes
* Written-By – Amelle Berrabah, Heidi Range, Keisha Buchanan, Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson, Niara Scarlett

## Music video

The music video for "Change" was directed by Fatima Robinson. Pictures from the set of the shot in 10-12 November 2007, and the video made its premiere on 16 November 2007 on Channel 4.[citation needed] The concept focusses on the Sugababes represented as the four seasons of the year. It opens with a scene of Buchanan, who depicts the season of spring. She is featured with blue decoration in her hair and pink flowers around her eyes. It then cuts to Berrabah, who is shown with long eyelashes and large red and yellow blooms in her hair, to represent summer.

The Sugababes are shown standing together in the next scene, where they are presented in a dark environment and covered in glitter. Range is represented as the season of autumn. The subsequent clip depicts Berrabah in a winter environment. The group is shown together for a second time, although in a natural environment. The next scenes depict Buchanan in the centre of a large purple flower, and leaves blowing past Range. Towards the end of the video, the Sugababes are shown in the same dark and natural environments and eventually in their solo settings, before concluding with a shot of them in their natural environment behind a waterfall. Mickey McMonagle from the Sunday Mail praised the group's seasonal outfits in the video.

## Remixes

A remix from Wideboys is the only released remix for "Change".

## References

1. ↑ iTunes. Archive
2. ↑ iTunes Discogs. Archive.
3. ↑ Cassette - Change. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1345828-Sugababes-Change
4. ↑ Change. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1208389-Sugababes-Change

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