Sugababes’ founding member Mutya Buena has described weekend media reaction to her criticism of leading pop artists as “slander“. Press outlets were reporting on a recent Instagram Live Q&A with fans where the singer gave her forthright opinions on the vocal qualities of a number of leading songstresses, including Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez, Ellie Goulding and Lady Gaga. During the live session, Buena controversially said of Kylie: “I don’t think she’s a singer. She’s a great entertainer, she’s amazing at what she does, but singing is not for her”, whilst also claiming that Jennifer Lopez “can’t sing” despite being an “an amazing performer“.
Buena said that press criticism of her comments was “bullying“, singling out The Sun newspaper in particular for its’ stinging depiction of the vocalist as “washed-out“. In the first of two Instagram posts yesterday, the Sugababes star defended her comments, saying “…all those who hate me cos I said a few artists can’t sing great but are amazing performers entertainers have to know I was being questioned by my fans talking about which artists inspire me…I respect all artists especially the great ones…Imma make this clear there are different types of artist. I sing but my entertainments not that great. Some have great entertainment and not the best vocals.”.
The North Londoner, who launched her own YouTube channel last month with a soulful cover of H.E.R. track Damage and a collaboration with British production duo Electric Pineapple on Black Valentine, added “I just had an opinion which is perfectly fine…Trying to tarnish my name isn’t cool but imma be the bigger person and keep it moving I got MUSIC TO MAKE.”
Buena has been no stranger to controversy this year. In a bizarre turn of events (even by 2020 standards) the Sugababe was one of a minority of celebrities to publicly endorse ‘QAnon’ conspiracy theories associated with the far-right on her social media accounts in the summer. The Metro newspaper reported on the singer having shared some of the most surreal and disturbing suppositions put forward by the movement, including the debunked ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy.
Fans will hope that Buena, once boldly hailed by acclaimed producer and songwriter Brian Higgins in a Guardian interview as “as the finest female singer this country has produced in years“, will fully revert her attention to harnessing her undoubted music talents from hereon in. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic there had been hints that Sugababes – now restored to their original line-up of Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy – would be recording new material to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album One Touch and its celebrated lead single Overload, which Clash recently described as “…perhaps the most definitive opening statement of any British girl group, give or take a ‘Wannabe’”
The group reformed last year (having reclaimed the right to use their original name from subsequent Suga-alumnas Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen); laying down down a cover of Sweet Female Attitude’s 2000 garage hit Flowers with DJ Spoony. Following that release, Keisha Buchanan told The Graham Norton Show audience that: “We’re actually working on music and we plan to put something special together for our fans.” It now seems likely that fans will need to wait till 2021 to hear the fruits of these endeavours.
Buchanan has spoken openly this year about her experiences of racism during her time in the music industry, releasing a heartfelt video on YouTube detailing her difficulties in dealing with a hostile press which targeted her – rather than her white bandmates – for the use of outdated tropes relating to perceived ‘anger’ and ‘aggression’. In the video, Buchanan says: “I used to think racism was when someone directly looked at you and called you a racist word. I didn’t realise that there are so many different ways that a person or people can be racist or prejudice.”
