Ten is the second greatest hits and final album released by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, released in commemoration of the group's tenth anniversary. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2012 through Polydor Records.[1][2] The album consists of fourteen of Girls Aloud's singles, including the number-one singles "Sound of the Underground", "I'll Stand by You" and "The Promise", and four new tracks.
| Ten | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 26 November 2012 | |||
| Recorded | November 2002 – May 2012 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 61:01 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Girls Aloud chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ten | ||||
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The album was praised by contemporary music critics, who noted songwriting and production team Xenomania's creativity and Girls Aloud's strong collection of hit singles. The album was promoted with Girls Aloud's final singles, "Something New" and "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me", as well as Ten: The Hits Tour (2013).[3]
Background
editTen was the first album released by the group since their fifth and final studio album Out of Control (2008). After signing a three-album deal with Fascination Records in February 2009, the group announced in July of that year that they would be taking a year-long hiatus to pursue solo projects, and returning in 2010 with a new studio album, which didn't happen. In August 2012, Cheryl Cole confirmed Girls Aloud's reunion would occur in November.[4] A few days later on 31 August, Cole confirmed to BBC Radio 1 and Capital FM that the girls' new single would be released in November, teasing the lyrics "I just wanna dance". Prior to the album's announcement the group's official website, a countdown appeared a week beforehand, fuelling speculation started by Cole in August.[5] The album was officially announced on 19 October 2012, with all five members appearing at a press conference announcing the single to the public.[6]
Material
editEight tracks from Girls Aloud's first greatest hits album, The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006) are included on Ten, namely "Sound of the Underground", "No Good Advice", "Jump", "The Show", "Love Machine", "I'll Stand by You", "Biology" and "Something Kinda Ooooh". The singles after the group's first and before their second greatest hits album such as "Sexy! No No No...", "Call the Shots", "Can't Speak French", "The Promise", "The Loving Kind" and "Untouchable" made the track listing of Ten. The only singles after their first greatest hits album that weren't included on the group's second greatest hits album are "Walk This Way" and "I Think We're Alone Now". The track listing of the deluxe edition's bonus disc was decided by the fans, voting for their choices on Girls Aloud's official website.[7]
Four new songs appear on the album. Girls Aloud's longtime collaborator, songwriting and production team Xenomania wrote "Something New" and "Every Now and Then". Girls Aloud member, Nicola Roberts co-wrote the track "On the Metro" alongside Jason Pebworth, George Astasio, Jon Shave and Dan Stein, and Rachel Moulden wrote the track, "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me". The inclusion of these two tracks makes Ten the first album since their debut, Sound of the Underground, not to be produced exclusively by Xenomania.
Release
editTen was released in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2012.[8] The album is available in three editions. The standard edition features one disc containing eighteen tracks, including four new songs.[9] The deluxe edition features a bonus disc with a track listing voted by the group's fans.[7] The HMV release of the deluxe edition included exclusive badges.[10] A limited edition box set was made available on Girls Aloud's official website. The set is packaged inside a collector's box and includes the deluxe edition of the album with a gatefold cover, the never-before-released The Passions of Girls Aloud on a two-disc set, six exclusive art prints, and a golden ticket to win one of ten prizes.[11]
Promotion
editIn addition to performances of "Something New" on Children in Need 2012 and Strictly Come Dancing, Girls Aloud performed their 2008 single "The Promise" at the 2012 Royal Variety Performance in London in November 2012.[12] It was televised on 3 December 2012 to over eight million viewers.[13] They performed a headlining set at Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball, performing five songs – "Something Kinda Ooooh", "The Promise", "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me", "Call the Shots", and Something New".[14] On 14 December, Girls Aloud appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, performing their 2004 single "Love Machine" and a mash-up of Labrinth and Emeli Sandé's "Beneath Your Beautiful" with their song "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me".[15] On the same date, Girls Aloud performed "Love Machine" on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One.[16]
A documentary special entitled Girls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top aired on ITV on 15 December 2012.[17][18] The documentary explored the band's history, their individual successes, and their tenth anniversary reunion, also featuring behind-the-scenes access to their comeback preparations, culminating in their performance at the Royal Variety.[18] The documentary attracted 2.5 million viewers on ITV.[19]
On 21 February 2013, the group embarked on Ten: The Hits Tour. The tour was the group's first tour in four years and their first tour since they returned from their three-year hiatus.[20][21] It ended on 20 March 2013, with their final performance at Echo Arena Liverpool, which was followed by the official disbandment of Girls Aloud.
Singles
editThe lead single from the album, "Something New" was released on 16 November 2012. The song premiered on Capital FM on 16 October 2012. The song received generally positive views from critics, praising its unusual structure as well as the production.[22] The song was also the official single for Children in Need and it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[23]
The second single, "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me", premiered on BBC Radio 2 on 13 November 2012, while the digital release took place on 17 December 2012.[24] It was also sent to mainstream radio in the United Kingdom.[25] Lyrically, the song was compared to Sugababes' "Ugly", TLC's "Unpretty" and Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper", while musically it was compared to the Spice Girls' "Too Much".[26][27]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[28] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [29] |
| Daily Express | 4/5[30] |
| Digital Spy | [31] |
| Drowned in Sound | 7/10[32] |
| Pitchfork | 7.0/10[33] |
| So So Gay |  [34] |
| State | [35] |
| The Times | [36] |
Ten received positive reviews from music critics.[28] Ian Wade of BBC Music hailed it as "incredible proof of how perfect pop can be in the right hands", placed it "up there with Gold, Substance and Discography in terms of greatest-hits sets" and concluded by stating that "if it's the last long-player Girls Aloud put their name to, their legacy is assured."[37] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy awarded the album five stars out of five, praised the inclusion of the songs "Black Jacks" and "Memory of You" in the bonus disc tracklist and called Ten "a carefully-balanced collection that should please both casual and dedicated fans."[31] Simon Gage of the Daily Express wrote that Girls Aloud are "celebrating their decade with an album that includes greatest hits [...] and [...] a number of new tracks that are in the main pumped-up crowd-pleasing pop" and noted that "you’d have to be mad not to go with it."[30] Lee Williscroft-Ferris of So So Gay noticed that "Girls Aloud's success lies in having stuck with a winning formula to carve out a distinctive, instantly recognisable sound for themselves, while never becoming tedious or predictable", called Ten "an essential addition to anyone's music collection" and described it as "a true testament to Girls Aloud's prowess as a manufactured girlband, who have stood the test of time through a combination of clever marketing, wise adherence to a successful musical direction and the chemistry which binds the five individuals together as an act."[34]
David Edwards of Drowned in Sound praised the band's production team, Xenomania, for crafting "wondrous and weird, dirty and daunting, sexy and sublime songs" and noticed that Girls Aloud "for most of their career, [...] delivered blindingly good pop music." However, he criticised the choice of singles included in the album as well as the covers, while praising songs like "Call the Shots", which he described as "an impeccable piece of melodic layering and dynamic majesty" and "Biology", which he hailed as "their absolute masterpiece, [...] a beautiful Frankenstein's monster of modern pop." He eventually called Girls Aloud "the greatest British pop band of the past ten years."[32] Douglas Wolk of Pitchfork compared them to The Supremes and described them as "a group whose presence is all about charm and restraint, and whose behind-the-scenes powerhouse is a brilliantly original writing and production team." He highly commended the complexity of the songs "Biology" and "Love Machine", but felt that the covers and the new tracks, particularly "Beautiful Cause You Love Me", "just drag the album down." He went on to suggest that "they may have a second wave in them" and concluded by writing that "the virtue of Girls Aloud's best songs [...] is that the next part is always even better than the one you're listening to until, suddenly, they're over."[33] Commenting on the new tracks, Phil Udell of State felt that "they have managed to maintain the quality" and noted that the singles "Love Machine", "The Show" and "Biology" "still prove the highlight of their career so far, fizzing with an excitement and joy that's hard to beat."[35] Si Hawkins of The National wrote that Girls Aloud were "a breath of fresh air [...] back in 2002 [...] and have remained a guilty pleasure ever since", highlighted "On the Metro" as the standout new track and called Ten "a fine body of work."[38] In his review of the album, Andy Kellman of AllMusic noticed that "despite the amount of new material, some of which is not up to par with the earlier smashes and certain album cuts, this is a handy sampling of Girls Aloud's biggest moments."[29] Jon O'Brien of omg! praised the band's ability "to cram more hooks into each song than most of their rivals could manage in their entire career" and although he criticised all of the new tracks except "Something New", he eventually called Ten a "triumphant retrospective".[39]
Commercial performance
editTen entered the UK Albums Chart at number nine on 2 December 2012.[40] The following week, the album dropped seventeen spots to number twenty-six. It spent a total of fifteen weeks on the official UK Albums Chart.[41] As of 21 March 2013, Ten has sold 156,000 copies in the United Kingdom, according to the Official Charts Company (OCC).[42] Following the untimely death of Sarah Harding, the album saw a resurgence in popularity in September 2021 with chart sales increasing by 320% and the album entered the top 100 at 61 on 16 September 2021 (week ending).[43]
Track listing
edit- All tracks produced by Brian Higgins and Xenomania, except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something New" (new recording, 2012) | Higgins | 3:20 | |
| 2. | "The Promise" (radio edit) (from Out of Control, 2008) |
| 3:43 | |
| 3. | "The Loving Kind" (radio mix) (from Out of Control) |
| 3:59 | |
| 4. | "Untouchable" (radio mix) (from Out of Control) |
| 3:48 | |
| 5. | "Sexy! No No No..." (from Tangled Up, 2007) |
| 3:18 | |
| 6. | "Call the Shots" (from Tangled Up) |
| 3:43 | |
| 7. | "Can't Speak French" (Jeremy Wheatley radio edit) (from Tangled Up) |
| 3:19 | |
| 8. | "Something Kinda Ooooh" (from The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits, 2006) |
| 3:20 | |
| 9. | "Biology" (from Chemistry, 2005) |
| 3:35 | |
| 10. | "The Show" (from What Will the Neighbours Say?, 2004) |
| 3:36 | |
| 11. | "Love Machine" (from What Will the Neighbours Say?) |
| 3:25 | |
| 12. | "I'll Stand by You" (from What Will the Neighbours Say?) | 3:43 | ||
| 13. | "Jump" (from Sound of the Underground, 2003 (reissue) and What Will the Neighbours Say?) |
| 3:39 | |
| 14. | "No Good Advice" (from Sound of the Underground) |
| 3:47 | |
| 15. | "Sound of the Underground" (from Sound of the Underground) |
| 3:41 | |
| 16. | "On the Metro" (new recording, 2012) |
| 3:12 | |
| 17. | "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me" (new recording, 2012) | Rachel Moulden | Jim Eliot | 3:28 |
| 18. | "Every Now and Then" (new recording, 2012) |
| Higgins | 4:25 |
| Total length: | 61:01 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Graffiti My Soul" (from What Will the Neighbours Say?) |
| 3:14 |
| 2. | "Wake Me Up" (performance edit) (from What Will the Neighbours Say?) |
| 3:10 |
| 3. | "Wild Horses" (from Chemistry) |
| 3:23 |
| 4. | "Swinging London Town" (from Chemistry) |
| 4:02 |
| 5. | "Whole Lotta History" (original Ash Howes mix) (from Chemistry) |
| 3:47 |
| 6. | "Crazy Fool" (B-side to "Whole Lotta History") |
| 3:34 |
| 7. | "Girl Overboard" (from Tangled Up) |
| 4:09 |
| 8. | "Black Jacks" (from Tangled Up) |
| 4:20 |
| 9. | "Hoxton Heroes" (B-side to "Can't Speak French") |
| 3:00 |
| 10. | "Memory of You" (B-side to "The Loving Kind") |
| 3:48 |
| Total length: | 35:07 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Passions of Girls Aloud: Sarah" | 46:01 |
| 2. | "The Passions of Girls Aloud: Cheryl" | 47:30 |
| Total length: | 93:31 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Passions of Girls Aloud: Kimberley" | 48:13 |
| 2. | "The Passions of Girls Aloud: Nicola" | 45:46 |
| Total length: | 93:59 | |
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[51] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Girls Aloud to make comeback". CBS News. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.[dead link]
- ^ Savage, Mark (19 October 2012). "Girls Aloud reveal reunion plans". BBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "GIRLS ALOUD". Official Charts Company. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ "Cheryl Cole confirms Girls Aloud Reunion will be in November 2012". Music Eyz. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012.
- ^ "Something New: Girls Aloud unveil comeback track". The Independent. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ Ellie (19 October 2012). "Girls Aloud announce tour and unveil Something New video, we faint from excitement". uk.omg.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ a b c "Girls Aloud 'Ten' fan-voted CD Two tracklisting confirmed – Music News". Digital Spy. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ Jonze, Tim (19 October 2012). "Girls Aloud announce comeback tour and album". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud: Ten (2012)". HMV. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud Ten: 2cd: Deluxe Edition: Hmv Exclusive: Includes Badges (2012)". HMV. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud TEN Greatest Hits Deluxe Box Set". Universal Music. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud and One Direction at Royal Variety Show". BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ Deans, Jason (4 December 2012). "ITV1's Royal Variety Performance takes ratings crown". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud kick off day two of Jingle Bell Ball 2012 with explosive performance". Capital FM. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "WATCH: Girls Aloud stun in Radio 1 Live Lounge with Labrinth and Emeli Sande Mash-Up". Entertainmentwise. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Girls Aloud Perform "Love Machine" on The Graham Norton Show
- ^ "10 Years of Girls Aloud". ITV Media. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Girls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top". ITV Press Centre. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ Celebrity 'Take Me Out' pulls in 3.8m viewers
- ^ "Girls Aloud 2013 Tour Dates". girlsaloud.com. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud Announce 2013 Tour Dates & Greatest Hits". MTV UK. 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ Susana Novo Vázquez (16 October 2012). "Girls Aloud Are Back With Something New". HuffPost. UK. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ Taylor, Francis (12 November 2012). "Girls Aloud to debut new song 'Beautiful Cause You Love Me' on Tuesday". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ "New Releases – UK Forthcoming Singles". Radio1 Greece. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud – 'Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me'". NME. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ Amy Sciarretto. "Girls Aloud, 'Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me'". PopCrush. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Ten – Girls Aloud". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy (December 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ^ a b Gage, Simon (23 November 2012). "CD REVIEW: GIRLS ALOUD: TEN". Daily Express. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ a b Copsey, Robert (23 November 2012). "Ten – Girls Aloud". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ a b Edwards, David (28 November 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ a b Wolk, Douglas (7 December 2012). "Girls Aloud: Ten". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ a b Williscroft-Ferris, Lee (26 November 2012). "Album review: Girls Aloud – Ten". So So Gay. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ a b Udell, Phil (30 November 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten". State. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (23 November 2012). "Girls Aloud: Ten". The Times. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ Wade, Ian (23 November 2012). "Girls Aloud Ten Review". BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^ Hawkins, Si (4 December 2012). "Girls Aloud: Ten". The National. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ O'Brien, Jon (25 November 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten review". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ "Olly Murs scores a chart double, Girls Aloud beaten to the top spot yet again". Yahoo! OMG UK. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ "Girls Aloud | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (21 March 2013). "Girls Aloud: A Whole Lotta Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ "Sarah Harding: Sales and streams of Girls Aloud's back catalogue soar in tribute". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Girls Aloud TEN Greatest Hits Deluxe Box Set at Universal Music". 5 December 2012.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Girls Aloud". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Girls Aloud – Ten". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 May 2022.