Angels with Dirty Faces is the second studio album by British girl group Sugababes. Released by Island Records on 26 August 2002 in the United Kingdom and across most European territories the following month, it was the group's first album for the label following their departure from London Records and their first full studio album recorded with Heidi Range, who replaced founding member Siobhán Donaghy. Influenced by the new wave, dance, and pop music of the 1980s, production on Angels with Dirty Faces was handled by a range of collaborators, including Lucas Secon, Bloodshy & Avant, Fredro, Richard X, Xenomania, Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby, and others.
| Angels with Dirty Faces | ||||
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| Released | 26 August 2002 | |||
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| Length | 41:30 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
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| Sugababes chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Angels with Dirty Faces | ||||
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The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its darker, more mature sound and regarded it as a strong follow-up that largely fulfilled the promise of its hit singles. Commercially, it marked the Sugababes' breakthrough, substantially outperforming their debut album One Touch by peaking at number two on the UK Albums Chart and reaching the top 20 in several European markets, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. It achieved 3× Platinum certification in the United Kingdom, sold approximately 929,000 units there by 2020, and earned a Platinum Europe Award for sales exceeding one million copies across Europe.
The album's singles significantly outperformed those from previous album One Touch, establishing the Sugababes as a major commercial force. Both "Freak Like Me" and "Round Round" reached number one in the UK, while the double-A single "Stronger"/"Angels with Dirty Faces" and "Shape" also achieved top-20 UK positions. In further promotion of the album, Sugababes embarked on the Angels with Dirty Faces Tour in 2003, serving as the group's first major headline tour and featuring dates across the United Kingdom and Europe. The album won Best Album at the 2002 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party and was nominated for British Album of the Year at the 2003 BRIT Awards.[1]
Background
editIn November 2000, London Records released Sugababes' debut album One Touch. The album was critically acclaimed for its mature songwriting and its blend of R&B, pop, and soul delivered by the young group members, and it produced the international top-ten single and breakthrough hit "Overload."[2] Initial UK sales were modest however,[3] and though it later reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart and earned a Gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI),[4] it enjoyed a stronger performance in New Zealand and other parts of Europe, particularly in German-speaking Europe, where it reached the top ten in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.[5] Despite also generating two further top-20 singles, "New Year" and "Run for Cover," and BRIT Award nomination for "Overload," One Touch ultimately fell short of London Records' commercial expectations.[5]
Shortly after the release of the album's final single, "Soul Sound," group member and co-founder Siobhán Donaghy left Sugababes, citing personal differences within the group and her desire to pursue a different career path, although she later revealed that she had experienced clinical depression during this period and that the group's internal dynamics had shifted significantly.[6] Although London Records had indicated that the group's contract termination was being considered, remaining members Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan opted to continue the group. Auditions were subsequently held to find a replacement, and former Atomic Kitten member Heidi Range was ultimately selected to join.[5] Shortly thereafter, London Records announced that it would drop the band. Following their departure, Sugababes began seeking a new record deal while already developing material for their second studio album. They were approached by A&R manager Darcus Beese, who offered them a recording contract with Universal Island, which they ultimately accepted.[7][8]
Promotion
edit"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.[7] "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).
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| Drowned in Sound | 10/10[10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| laut.de | [12] |
| MTV Asia | 7/10[13] |
| NME | [14] |
| Yahoo! Music | 8/10[15] |
AllMusic editor Andy Kellman called Angels with Dirty Faces "one of the best pop albums of 2002" and "an assured and durable follow-up to 2001's formative One Touch," praising it as a "thoroughly convincing amalgamation" of influences grounded in contemporary trends, noting that it "does not lose steam”" across its first half and remains "a pop album that offers much more depth and excitement beyond the singles."[9] David Merryweather of Drowned in Sound framed the album as a form of subversive modern pop, arguing that energy once associated with guitar-based punk had shifted into "inner-city, multi-cultural, female, no guitars" pop. He called it an "utterly brilliant pop album," highlighting its UK garage and R&B identity and singles like "Freak Like Me" and "Round Round" as defiant, "sulkily dallying behind the beat" statements.[10] MTV Asia critic Lennat Mak called the album a "winning mix of smooth R&B, dirty garage beats and irresistible hooks." He praised its urban garage direction, catchy familiarity, and darker moments like "Virgin Sexy," concluding it was a consistent, well-produced set driven by attitude, edge, and strong singles.[13]
Yahoo! Music's Andy described the record as a "far darker set than One Touch" and a more focused second album, even if it came "at a price," noting a loss of some of the debut's experimentation while still predicting it would be a bigger commercial hit and calling it "good work girls."[15] NME critic Alex Needham took a more mixed stance, arguing that "about half" of the album lived up to its two strong lead singles. While criticizing "Shape" and other "bog-standard R&B" moments, he still described the record as a "triumph."[14] Hot Press editor Phil Udell felt that only the standout single "Freak Like Me" fully carried the album, writing that much of it "falls so far short of matching its undoubted highpoint," with only songs like "Round Round" and "Stronger" offering relief from an otherwise "disappointing spiral" of uniform production, despite praising the group’s vocals and harmonies.[16] German magazine Stern was more critical of the album's glossy production, describing it as a highly synthetic R&B/soul-pop record influenced by artists like Madonna and Destiny's Child, but ultimately "overproduced and polished," with "a bit too much Britney Spears, a bit too much cotton candy," suggesting its early promise was not fully sustained.[17] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis was the most negative, arguing that the album often feels like a reaction to the success of "Freak Like Me" without clear direction, calling it "one great single propping up a dull album, written by committee, devoid of emotion or spark."[11]
Chart performance
editAngels with Dirty Faces served as a commercial breakthrough for the group, and majorly outperformed their previous album One Touch (2000).[18] Released on 26 August 2002 in the United Kingdom, it debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, behind Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head with first week sales of 65,000 copies,[19] selling more copies in seven days than One Touch in its first seven weeks.[19] The album remained within the top 100 for forty weeks and was eventually certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 26 August 2002.[20] It has since reached 3× Platinum in the United Kingdom.[21] By August 2020, Angels with Dirty Faces had sold 929,000 units, domestically.[18]
Almost a month after the album's UK release, Angels with Dirty Faces was also released across Europe and in New Zealand, where it gained considerable success. The album received a Platinum Europe Award by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in recognition of European sales in excess of one million copies.[22]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Freak Like Me" |
| 3:17 | |
| 2. | "Blue" |
|
| 3:56 |
| 3. | "Round Round" |
|
| 3:57 |
| 4. | "Stronger" |
| Jony Rockstar | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Supernatural" |
| Bloodshy & Avant | 3:37 |
| 6. | "Angels with Dirty Faces" |
|
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "Virgin Sexy" |
| Secon | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Shape" |
| 4:14 | |
| 9. | "Just Don't Need This" (UK & Japan bonus track) |
| Rockstar | 3:32 |
| 10. | "No Man No Cry" (UK & Japan bonus track) |
| Dodds | 3:34 |
| 11. | "Switch" |
| Fredro | 3:37 |
| 12. | "More Than a Million Miles" |
| Secon | 3:24 |
| 13. | "Breathe Easy" (acoustic jam) |
| Dodds | 3:59 |
| 14. | "Round Round" (alternative mix) (UK & Japan bonus track) |
|
| 6:07 |
Notes and sample credits
- ^[a] denotes additional producer
- "Freak like Me" contains an interpolation from "Are Friends Electric?" performed by Tubeway Army and a cover song of the same name by Adina Howard.
- "Round Round" contains a sample from "Tango Forte" by German production team Dublex Inc., which itself is based around an unaccredited sample of "Whatever Lola Wants", performed by Les Baxter.[23]
- "Shape" samples from "Shape of My Heart" performed by Sting.
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands (NVPI)[44] | Gold | 40,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[45] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | 3× Platinum | 929,000[18] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[22] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
editReferences
edit- ↑ "The Brit Awards 2003 nominations in full". BBC. 13 January 2003. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
- ↑ Kimmitt, James. "One Touch by Sugababes on London Records". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 31 March 2004. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ "AC/DC make it nine in a row for groups atop the albums chart". Music Week. Intent Media. 27 October 2008. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ Griffiths, George (8 October 2021). "The Script claim sixth UK Number 1 with Greatest Hits album: "This really, really means a lot"". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Cragg, Michael (16 September 2023). "Interview: 'We had to reclaim what was rightfully ours' – the triumphant return of the Sugababes". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Colourful Past Of Pop's Sugababes". BBC.co.uk. 21 December 2005. Retrieved 16 November 2006.
- 1 2 Roberts, James (27 April 2002). "Everything In Place To Complete Comeback" (PDF). Music Week. p. 10. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ Robinson, Peter (19 October 2003). "Top Of The Pops". The Observer. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- 1 2 Angels with Dirty Faces at AllMusic
- 1 2 Merryweather, David (26 August 2002). "Sugababes - Angels With Dirty Faces". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (23 August 2002). "The Guardian review". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ↑ Schuh, Michael. "Hypnotische Disco-Kopfnicker und hemmungsloses Schnulz-Gekeife". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- 1 2 Mak, Lennat. "Angels with Dirty Faces, Sugababes". MTV Asia. Archived from the original on 4 February 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- 1 2 Needham, Alex (30 August 2002). "NME review". NME. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- 1 2 Strickland, Andy (29 August 2002). "Yahoo! Music review". Yahoo! Music LAUNCH. Archived from the original on 17 April 2004. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ↑ Udell, Phil (20 September 2002). "Angels With Dirty Faces". Hot Press. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ "SUGABABES: Angels With Dirty Faces". Stern (in German). 12 September 2002. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Myers, Justin (21 August 2020). "Official Charts Flashback 2002: Sugababes - Round Round". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- 1 2 Jones, Alan (7 September 2002). "Albums Commentary" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Official Albums Chart on 1/9/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- 1 2 "British album certifications – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Angels with Dirty Faces Sugababes in the "Search:" field.
- 1 2 "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2003". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
- ↑ "Dublex Inc.'s 'Tango Forte' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.
- ↑ "Sugababes ARIA Chart History (Albums) complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 20 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Sugababes: Angels with Dirty Faces" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 35, 2002". GfK Chart-Track. IRMA. Archived from the original. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Sugababes - Angels With Dirty Faces". Oricon. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 1/9/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 20, no. 38. 14 September 2002. p. 16. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2002". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ↑ "2002 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2003". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ↑ "2003 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Angels with Dirty Faces in the "Artiest of titel" box.
- ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Angels with Dirty Faces')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Angels with Dirty Faces CD". 25 August 2002. Retrieved 17 September 2023 – via Discgos.
- ↑ "Angels With Dirty Faces - Transparent Yellow Vinyl (National Album Day 2024)". Retrieved 17 September 2024 – via HMV Store (UK).