Atomic Kitten

Just as The Spice Girls were starting to splinter in the late ‘90s, along came another fierce female force in the form of Atomic Kitten. Powered by the hook-laden songwriting of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, the Liverpool-born pop trio brought silky smooth harmonies, bright dance beats and plenty of tabloid-fuelled drama straight to the charts—practically overnight. Singers Liz McClarnon, Kerry Katona and Natasha Hamilton flaunted their pipes and (girl) power from the get-go, landing multiple top 10 singles, including the No. 1 ballad “Whole Again” and “Right Now”, the flashy, flirty disco title track to their 2000 debut album. Even after Jenny Frost replaced Katona in 2001, Atomic Kitten continued to dominate over the next three years, churning out shimmering dance-pop originals, feel-good covers and an electrifying collaboration with Kool & The Gang for “Ladies Night”. Over 15 years would pass without a release, but their return to the studio in 2021 couldn’t have been more British: the trio transformed “Whole Again” into “Southgate You’re the One (Football’s Coming Home Again)” to cheer on England at the UEFA Euro Football Championship.