Angels with Dirty Faces (Sugababes album) explained

Angels with Dirty Faces
Type:studio
Artist:Sugababes
Cover:Sugababes - Angels with Dirty Faces (Official Album Cover).png
Border:yes
Recorded:2001–2002
Label:Island
Chronology:Sugababes
Prev Title:One Touch
Prev Year:2000
Next Title:Three
Next Year: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.

Production and release

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.

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. The album received a Platinum Europe Award by the IFPI in recognition of European sales in excess of one million copies.

Chart performance

Angels with Dirty Faces served as a commercial breakthrough for the group, and majorly outperformed their previous album One Touch with the highest position in the UK Albums Chart of number two; it stayed in the charts for forty weeks. "Freak like Me", which samples Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends' Electric?", was the first released single and entered the UK Singles Chart at number one. "Round Round", produced by Xenomania, was the second released single and also debuted on the UK chart at number one. The third single released was a double A-side release of "Stronger" and "Angels with Dirty Faces", which reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The last single, "Shape", which samples Sting's single "Shape of My Heart", was the only one from the album not to achieve a position in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart; it entered at number eleven. The song, however, did reach the top ten in Poland (number one), Ireland (number nine) and the Netherlands (number ten).

Track listing

Notes and sample credits

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2002)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[2] 120
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[3] 178

Year-end charts

Chart (2002)!scope="col"
Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[4] 100
UK Albums (OCC)[5] 25
Chart (2003)!scope="col"
Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 50
UK Albums (OCC)[7] 54

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dublex Inc.'s 'Tango Forte' - Discover the Sample Source. WhoSampled.
  2. Web site: Sugababes ARIA Chart History (Albums) complete to 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. July 20, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  3. Web site: Sugababes - Angels With Dirty Faces. Oricon. 3 October 2012.
  4. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 2002. dutchcharts.nl. 3 August 2020.
  5. Web site: 2002 UK Albums Chart . ChartsPlus. 18 May 2015.
  6. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 2003. dutchcharts.nl. 3 August 2020.
  7. Web site: 2003 UK Albums Chart . ChartsPlus. 18 May 2015.