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In the tumultuous history of the Sugababes—a band with a rotating door policy that would make even the most seasoned HR manager dizzy—the Sweet 7 era remains the most controversial. By 2009, the group had swapped the gritty, harmonious soul of the original trio for a polished, high-gloss pop sound. While the final album is remembered for the dramatic exit of Keisha Buchanan, there is a fascinating artifact from that time that die-hard fans still discuss: the Sweet 7 album sampler.
Specifically, the version of the sampler containing the track credited as "Ke Better."
For those outside the circle of pop archaeology, "Ke Better" is not a quirky song title. It is, in fact, an early incarnation of the album’s lead single, "Get Sexy." However, the version found on early promotional samplers is distinct because it is widely rumored to feature uncredited vocals from American pop provocateur, Ke$ha.
By 2009, the Sugababes were exhausted. Following the relative underperformance of Catfights and Spotlights (2008), the group—then comprising Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range, and Amelle Berrabah—made a conscious decision to pivot. Abandoning the retro-soul of their previous album, they flew to Los Angeles to work with the crème de la crème of the Black Eyed Peas’ production stable: The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars’ early team), RedOne (Lady Gaga’s The Fame), and most notably, Sean Kingston and Stargate.
The result was Sweet 7: a collection of Auto-Tuned, synth-bass-heavy, club-ready anthems designed to break the US market. Before the physical album hit shelves, promotional samplers were pressed. These are not your standard retail CDs. These are "For Promotional Use Only" relics—often distributed to DJs, radio programmers, and magazine editors. sugababes sweet 7 album sampler featuring ke better
The Sweet 7 sampler featuring Keisha Buchanan is the Holy Grail because it contains the original vocal takes: Keisha’s signature sharp, raspy lower register cutting through the glossy production, untouched by the later controversy.
By 2009, the Sugababes were exhausted. Following the departure of Mutya Buena in 2005 and the brief tenure of Amelle Berrabah, Keisha had become the group’s matriarch. The team at Island Records, desperate for a US breakthrough, enlisted hitmaker RedOne (Lady Gaga’s producer) to craft a glossy, Auto-Tune-heavy, dance-pop juggernaut. Keisha recorded the entirety of Sweet 7 alongside Heidi and Amelle.
Then came the explosion. In September 2009, just as promotional samplers were being dispatched to DJs and critics, Keisha was dramatically ousted. The official line cited “irreconcilable differences.” Suddenly, the original recordings were deemed unusable. Amelle re-recorded Keisha’s leads and verses, Jade Ewen was brought in, and history was rewritten.
But the Keisha Buchanan Sweet 7 sampler survived.
Best for quick engagement and sharing snippets. Lost Archives: Revisiting the ‘Sweet 7’ Album Sampler
Caption: 🚨 Throwback Alert: The Sweet 7 Sampler 🚨
Did you know the Sweet 7 sessions had tracks that never got the single treatment? 💿
Before the album dropped in 2010, a promo sampler circulated featuring the Heidi, Amelle, and Jade lineup. Among the tracks was the high-energy "Get Better" (often searched as "Ke Better").
While Sweet 7 was a turning point for the group, the sampler proves they were serving pure 2009 dance-pop perfection. 👠✨
Question for the fans: Do you think the Jade Ewen era gets too much hate? Let us know in the comments! 👇 What the Sampler Reveals Listening to that promo
#Sugababes #Sweet7 #PopMusic #Throwback #JadeEwen #HeidiRange #AmelleBerrabah #2000sPop #MusicTrivia
Listening to that promo disc today is an exercise in “what if.” Tracks like “About a Girl” and “Wear My Kiss” are sonically identical to the final 2010 release—same thumping bass, same robotic Europop sheen. But Keisha’s presence changes everything.
In 2010, the Jade-Ewen-fronted Sweet 7 was released to dismal sales (the lowest of the band’s career) and scathing reviews. Critics noted the "soulless" re-recordings. The band disbanded a year later.
Meanwhile, Keisha Buchanan went on to form the original lineup (Mutya, Keisha, Siobhan) – now officially known as Sugababes 1.0 – after a lengthy legal battle over the name, which they won in 2019.
Today, the original Sweet 7 sessions are viewed with bittersweet nostalgia. While not the band’s finest artistic moment, the Keisha Buchanan sampler represents the final breath of an era—the last time the Sugababes operated as a continuous, evolving entity before fracturing into legal history.