The Sugababes—Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy—recently delivered a standout performance in the inaugural BBC Radio 1 Anthems Live Lounge, offering a fresh and heartfelt take on Lorde’s latest single, “What Was That.” The trio transformed the minimalist, emotionally guarded original into a rich, harmony-laden ballad that foregrounded their distinctive vocal chemistry. Opening with a moody, chugging electric guitar and easing into shimmering a cappella harmonies, the performance gradually built into a layered arrangement of synths and percussion, adding warmth, urgency, and soul to the stripped-back source material.
It was a fitting showcase for the British girl group, whose reputation has been built on vocal precision, genre-fluid experimentation, and emotional depth. Over their decades-spanning career, the Sugababes have released eight studio albums and scored over twenty Top 40 singles in the UK. In addition to the Lorde cover, their Radio 1 set included a nod to their legacy with “Too Lost in You,” as well as a performance of their 2025 single “Jungle,” which marked their official return to the pop spotlight.
Their Live Lounge appearance also aligned with new momentum for the group, as they’ve been steadily rolling out new material and playing to packed crowds across Europe. “I don’t know how much we’re allowed to say, but there’s not going to be long gaps [between singles] because we have a good body of work waiting,” Buchanan teased in an interview with NME earlier this year. Their latest single, “Weeds,” released in April, continues to build anticipation for a full-length release. With their Lorde cover, the Sugababes paid tribute to one of pop’s most enigmatic voices and asserted their status as masters of reinvention. The performance reminded listeners of their legacy while pointing toward an exciting new chapter.
Read more about Dua Lipa’s soulful cover of another Lorde classic.
Odd that Clay Pigeons isn’t included.