Formed in 1998 by Ron Tom, the manager of All Saints, Sugababes released their debut album, One Touch, through London Records in November 2000.

Siobhán Donaghy and Mutya Buena, both aged just 13, had been signed as solo artists, but decided to work together after performing at the same showcase.

She stated initially that she wanted to pursue a fashion career,[11] but was eventually diagnosed with clinical depression amid reports of in-fighting amongst the group's members.

[16] In the UK, the third single from the album, a ballad titled "Stronger", gained the girls their third consecutive top ten hit in their native country.

The track was released as a double-A side with "Angels with Dirty Faces" in the UK, the latter song chosen as the theme tune to The Powerpuff Girls Movie.

[18] Follow-up single "Too Lost in You" appeared on the soundtrack to the film Love Actually and went top ten in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK.

[19] Around this time, the group's perceived "moodiness",[20] alleged backstage catfights,[21] and press junket tantrums were tabloid fodder in Britain.

[26] After a hiatus, during which Buena gave birth to her daughter Thalia, the Sugababes released their thirteenth single, "Push the Button" in October 2005.

[35] Prior to Buena's departure, the group recorded the track "Spiral" from the William Orbit album, Hello Waveforms, which was released in February 2006.

[43] In the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, "About You Now" was listed as the "first track by a British pop act to top the singles chart solely on downloads".

[46] It was reported that producer Timbaland had approached the Sugababes to work on their sixth album, but due to time restrictions, a collaboration did not occur.

[49][50] In April 2009, the Sugababes signed a contract with Jay-Z's label Roc Nation,[51] resulting in working with high profile producers.

It was also rumored that Jade Ewen, the UK's 2009 Eurovision Song Contest entrant, would be joining the group and replacing Berrabah.

[54] On 21 September, it was revealed that Buchanan, the sole remaining original member of the group, had departed from the Sugababes and replaced by Ewen.

Sometimes a breakdown in communication and lack of trust can result in many different things.Critics and fans reacted very negatively to the news, and British broadsheet The Guardian ran an article named "Why the Sugababes' show can't go on without Keisha".

[58] Digital Spy ran an article titled "Keisha Buchanan, We Salute You" in which they thanked her for her contribution to "incredible pop songs".

[61] The new member, Ewen, was flown to the United States to film the music video for single "About a Girl" mere days after Buchanan had left the group.

[62] "About a Girl" reached number 8 in the UK,[63] during a truncated promotion schedule due to Berrabah flying to Austria for treatment for nervous exhaustion resulting from the line-up change.

[66] "Wear My Kiss" debuted and peaked at number 7 in the UK,[67] making Sweet 7 the Sugababes' first album since Taller in More Ways to contain at least three top ten hits.

The album debuted and peaked at number 14 in the UK but was critically panned due to the loss of an identifiable sound, soul and originality stemming from Buchanan's departure.

The application was submitted amid the controversy of Buchanan's departure, in which Buena insisted that "the Sugababes have ended" without a founding member still in the group.

[93] However, she later admitted in a June 2020 interview that the group had conceded in 2011 that it would not be fair for them to continue further due to the controversy and their declining popularity after Buchanan's departure.

[98][99][100] both Buena and Buchanan tweeted in January 2012 that they were in the studio with "two other females" and British rapper Professor Green, fuelling further speculation that the group would reunite were sparked.

[101] Despite this, Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé confirmed to MTV UK that she had written new songs for Buena, Buchanan and Donaghy.

[105] The group attended the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony on 27 July 2012 and posted pictures on their official Instagram page, marking the trio's first public appearance together in eleven years.

[122] Later that year, the group appeared with DJ Spoony on his album Garage Classical, covering the 2000 song "Flowers" by Sweet Female Attitude.

[125] Following their performance on Graham Norton's show, the group revealed that they were working on new music and a special project for the 20th anniversary of One Touch;[126] however, plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[135] Sugababes announced their 17-date headlining tour, their first in 9 years, on 23 June 2022, starting on 16 October 2022 in Bristol and concluding on 7 November 2022 in Glasgow.

[143] In a statement online the group stated: "We wrote this album almost 8 years ago and for various reasons it didn't get an official release, so it's with great pride that The Lost Tapes is available now on all streaming platforms".

[159] On 30 August 2024, the group released the single "Situation", a collaboration with A Little Sound which uses the chorus from "Overload", alongside new lyrics for the verses.