Official Chart Flashback 2005: Sugababes Push The Button for a Number 1 hit with British pop classic
06.10.2022 - 10:29
/ officialcharts.com
Back in the Noughties, when it came to British girl groups, there were only two that mattered - Girls Aloud and Sugababes. There was room for both: Girls Aloud were neon-bright, quirky and reckless, while Sugababes offered something moodier, often R&B-tinged and killer harmonies.
However, the release of Push The Button marked a significant shift in the Sugababes brand. Their sullen attitude and deadpan delivery that had become the trio's signature style was still largely in tact, but the sound and image had undergone a significant primp and preen.
The song - written by the group about Keisha's failed flirting with another singer - was produced by US hitmaker Dallas Austin, who had turned out global hits for TLC, Pink and Janet Jackson. The result was a dancey, joyous singalong that immediately stood out for sparse electropop production, and even drew comparisons to ABBA.
Push The Button debuted at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart 14 years ago this week and spent three weeks at the summit, selling 78,000 copies in its opening week and earned the group their fourth chart-topper.
Its total chart sales to date (including physical, download and streaming equivalent sales) stand at over 850,000 charts units. This includes 194,000 physical sales, 294,000 digital downloads and upwards of 78 million streams.
All-time, Push The Button tracks as the babes' second-biggest song on the UK charts, trailing behind another Number 1 in the form of pop-rock anthem About You Now.
Listening to the song and watching its hi-gloss accompanying video, there was always something off about Mutya Buena shaking her "sexy ass" at a man who was obviously not her type and - gasp! - being ignored. Two months after its release she quit the band