B*Witching

One of my favorite girl groups when I was growing up was B*Witched. They were an Irish foursome know for rocking denim and singing bubblegum pop. 

I was poking around on iTunes when I discovered they'd released new music. I promptly downloaded in and started looking into what happened with the resurgence. It all started as part of a British TV show called The Big Reunion. Six of the top UK pop bands of the 90's and early 2000s will be reunited for one big concert and one dramatic reality show. I've been watching it on YouTube.

I knew about a few of these bands but these were the days of dial-up internet. If the marketing machine never made it state-side, there wasn't a lot I could find out. Atomic Kitten and Five made it stateside but they weren't as big as B*Witched.

When I fell in love with B*Witched I was 12 and media literacy existed in academic circles. With the rise of smartphones and constant communication, media literacy is a common topic of discussion. I often take apart the media I'm consuming now but I've never taken a look back at the media I consumed growing up.

It's so strange to hear about how the leads on songs were shared until one of their handlers decided they needed a lead singer. They weren't supposed to be seen outside without their 'uniform' of denim. Keavy had an extremely hard time adjusting to living in her twin's shadow. Lindsay felt like she didn't have a voice. When the band was abruptly dropped from their record label, Edele wanted to find another label and make it work. Sinead was ready to call it quits. She and Edele had become so close that she wanted to figure out who she was on her own. Both describe it like the end of a marriage. 

It was so bizarre to hear one of my favorite bubbly girl groups who are always delightful in interviews was dying inside. When Keavy had a minor breakdown on a family trip, their team was worried about the band, not the woman. Edele said "We were a product." 

Looking back at it, those kinds of issues were inevitable. In the Big Brother-esque world of media today, it's harder to hide those issues but it still happens. You can still see the media controlled corporate pop machines like One Direction. They seem like lovely lads but I assure you those boys are walking hormones.

I'll always loved B*Witched and have a soft spot for their music. You don't hear bubble gum pop like that these days. I have a new respect for these women and how hard it was to do what they did. I hope things in the new band are more balanced. I'd like to see them thrive again.

Music: Champagne or Guiness by B*Witched