Ten (Girls Aloud album)

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Ten
Greatest hits album by
Girls Aloud
Released26 November 2012
RecordedNovember 2002 – May 2012
GenrePop
Length61:01
LabelPolydor
Producer
Girls Aloud chronology
Out of Control
(2008) 		Ten
(2012)
Singles from Ten
  1. "Something New"
    Released: 18 November 2012
  2. "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me"
    Released: 17 December 2012

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.

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

Ten was the first album released by the group since their fifth and final studio album

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

Eight tracks from Girls Aloud's first greatest hits album,

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

Ten 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

In 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

Echo Arena Liverpool
, which was followed by the official disbandment of Girls Aloud.

Singles

The lead single from the album, "

UK Singles Chart.[23]

The second single, "

TLC's "Unpretty" and Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper", while musically it was compared to the Spice Girls' "Too Much".[26][27]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[29]
Daily Express4/5[30]
Digital Spy[31]
Drowned in Sound7/10[32]
Pitchfork7.0/10[33]
So So Gay[34]
State[35]
The Times[36]

Ten received positive reviews from music critics.

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

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

Ten 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

Ten – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."
Jump" (from Sound of the Underground, 2003 (reissue) and What Will the Neighbours Say?)
  • Marti Sharron
  • Gary Paul Skardina
  • Steve Mitchell
 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 MouldenJim Eliot3:28
18."Every Now and Then" (new recording, 2012)
  • Jaxon Bellina
  • Deal
  • Gray
    		• Higgins4:25
    Total length:61:01
    Ten – Deluxe edition (disc 2)[7]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Length
    1."Graffiti My Soul" (from What Will the Neighbours Say?)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Cowling
    • Peplab
    		3:14
    2."Wake Me Up" (performance edit) (from What Will the Neighbours Say?)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Cowling
    • Lee
    • Paul Woods
    • Yusra Maru'e
    		3:10
    3."Wild Horses" (from Chemistry)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Coler
    • Cowling
    • Boyle
    • Lee
    		3:23
    4."Swinging London Town" (from Chemistry)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Gray
    		4:02
    5."Whole Lotta History" (original Ash Howes mix) (from Chemistry)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Cowling
    • Sommervile
    • Larcombe
    		3:47
    6."Crazy Fool" (B-side to "Whole Lotta History")
    • Cole
    • Cooper
    • Coyle
    • Harding
    • Higgins
    • Roberts
    • Shave
    • Walsh
    		3:34
    7."Girl Overboard" (from Tangled Up)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Coler
    • Lei
    		4:09
    8."Black Jacks" (from Tangled Up)
    • Cooper
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Coler
    • Cowling
    		4:20
    9."Hoxton Heroes" (B-side to "Can't Speak French")
    • Cole
    • Cooper
    • Coyle
    • Harding
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Owen Parker
    • Roberts
    • Walsh
    		3:00
    10."Memory of You" (B-side to "The Loving Kind")
    • Cole
    • Cooper
    • Coyle
    • Harding
    • Higgins
    • Powell
    • Roberts
    • Sommerville
    • Walsh
    		3:48
    Total length:35:07
    Ten – Deluxe edition (disc 3)[44]
    No.TitleLength
    1."The Passions of Girls Aloud: Sarah"46:01
    2."The Passions of Girls Aloud: Cheryl"47:30
    Total length:93:31
    Ten – Deluxe edition (disc 4)[44]
    No.TitleLength
    1."The Passions of Girls Aloud: Kimberley"48:13
    2."The Passions of Girls Aloud: Nicola"45:46
    Total length:93:59

    Charts

    Certifications

    Certifications for Ten
    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    United Kingdom (BPI)[50] Platinum 300,000‡

    ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ "Girls Aloud to make comeback". CBS News. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
    2. ^ Savage, Mark (19 October 2012). "Girls Aloud reveal reunion plans". BBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
    3. ^ "GIRLS ALOUD". Official Charts Company. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
    4. ^ "Cheryl Cole confirms Girls Aloud Reunion will be in November 2012". Music Eyz. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012.
    5. ^ "Something New: Girls Aloud unveil comeback track". The Independent. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
    6. ^ 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.
    7. ^ a b c "Girls Aloud 'Ten' fan-voted CD Two tracklisting confirmed – Music News". Digital Spy. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
    8. ^ Jonze, Tim (19 October 2012). "Girls Aloud announce comeback tour and album". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    9. ^ "Girls Aloud: Ten (2012)". HMV. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    10. ^ "Girls Aloud Ten: 2cd: Deluxe Edition: Hmv Exclusive: Includes Badges (2012)". HMV. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    11. Universal Music
      . Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    12. ^ "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.
    13. ^ Deans, Jason (4 December 2012). "ITV1's Royal Variety Performance takes ratings crown". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    14. ^ "Girls Aloud kick off day two of Jingle Bell Ball 2012 with explosive performance". Capital FM. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    15. ^ "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.
    16. ^ Girls Aloud Perform "Love Machine" on The Graham Norton Show
    17. ^ "10 Years of Girls Aloud". ITV Media. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
    18. ^ a b "Girls Aloud: Ten Years At The Top". ITV Press Centre. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    19. ^ Celebrity 'Take Me Out' pulls in 3.8m viewers
    20. ^ "Girls Aloud 2013 Tour Dates". girlsaloud.com. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
    21. ^ "Girls Aloud Announce 2013 Tour Dates & Greatest Hits". MTV UK. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
    22. ^ Susana Novo Vázquez (16 October 2012). "Girls Aloud Are Back With Something New". huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
    23. ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
    24. ^ Taylor, Francis (12 November 2012). "Girls Aloud to debut new song 'Beautiful Cause You Love Me' on Tuesday". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
    25. ^ "New Releases - UK Forthcoming Singles". Radio1 Greece. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
    26. ^ "Girls Aloud – 'Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me'". NME. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    27. ^ Amy Sciarretto. "Girls Aloud, 'Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me'". PopCrush. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    28. ^ a b "Ten – Girls Aloud". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
    29. ^ a b Kellman, Andy (December 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
    30. ^ a b Gage, Simon (23 November 2012). "CD REVIEW: GIRLS ALOUD: TEN". Daily Express. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
    31. ^ a b Copsey, Robert (23 November 2012). "Ten – Girls Aloud". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
    32. ^ 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.
    33. ^ a b Wolk, Douglas (7 December 2012). "Girls Aloud: Ten". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
    34. ^ 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.
    35. ^ a b Udell, Phil (30 November 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten". State. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
    36. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (23 November 2012). "Girls Aloud: Ten". The Times. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
    37. ^ Wade, Ian (23 November 2012). "Girls Aloud Ten Review". BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
    38. ^ Hawkins, Si (4 December 2012). "Girls Aloud: Ten". The National. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
    39. ^ O'Brien, Jon (25 November 2012). "Girls Aloud – Ten review". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
    40. ^ "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.
    41. ^ "Girls Aloud | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
    42. ^ Caulfield, Keith (21 March 2013). "Girls Aloud: A Whole Lotta Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
    43. ^ "Sarah Harding: Sales and streams of Girls Aloud's back catalogue soar in tribute". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
    44. ^ a b "Girls Aloud TEN Greatest Hits Deluxe Box Set at Universal Music". 5 December 2012.
    45. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Girls Aloud". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
    46. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
    47. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
    48. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
    49. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
    50. ^ "British album certifications – Girls Aloud – Ten". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
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