From Cheryl to Jesy: The best and worst of girlband members’ solo singles

There comes a time in every girlband’s lifespan where a member gets itchy feet. The inner burning desire to prove themselves independently from the group they made their name with. Naturally, this leads to mixed results. Some of the girls going solo has given the world of pop music some of the greatest songs and solo artists of all time, whereas some flops have ended careers faster than Jesy Nelson’s Jingle Bell Ball performance. As Leigh-Anne Pinnock releases her pretty great solo debut Don’t Say Love, come with me now on a journey through the best and the worst of girlband members solo singles.

Some of the best…

Beyoncé – Crazy in Love

I don’t think I could go much further without talking about what is surely the greatest and most earth-shattering solo single from any girl group member in history. Crazy in Love is decade defining, a song that instantly took an artist already a superstar into a new league of outstanding. It’s so arresting, so irresistible. A timeless classic. You know when some songs sound so huge you can’t always comprehend how great and impactful they are? That’s Crazy in Love.

Cheryl – Fight For This Love

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Say what you want about ar Cheryl’s vocals, but no one can take away from her the star power and pop excellence that radiates out of her in spade loads. She is such a force of nature when she performs that even when her vocals lack her charisma and commitment to putting on a show just made her solo career instantly legendary. She’s the first British female artist to have five number one UK singles! A phenomenon really. She’s always who I think of first when I think about girlband members solo singles being a huge success. I need a Cheryl renaissance that doesn’t involve Jenny from 2:22.

Mel C – I Turn To You

Did Mel C rob the entire Ray of Light era Madonna sound blind for this? Yes, she did! But if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and this is one of the most chic and elevated girlband members solo singles ever released I fear. Trance production and amazing lyrics mean even Mel’s annoying voice doesn’t get in the way! Although catch me streaming the Cornelia Jakobs version since Eurovision 2023.

Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same

Say what you want about The Cabello, but I fear she does bring the hits. Never Be The Same has slowly climbed its way into my favourite songs of all time. Her nasal vocals aren’t for everyone, but no one can deny the former Fifth Harmony girlypop has staying power and knows how to release a smash hit banger. She’s got three albums worth of rammers, and I hate to say it.

Kelly Rowland – Commander

Whilst her solo career does often get outshone by her *slightly* more famous Destiny’s Child bandmate, if you needed any proof of how amazing Kelly Rowland’s solo career is you only needed to be in the crowd for her headline slot at Mighty Hoopla in 2023. The David Guetta produced Commander is the pinnacle of the early 2010s pop EDM sound and it goes harder than it has any right to.

Emma Bunton – Maybe

Genuinely inspired by the soundtrack to some 1970s German porn, Maybe is absurd. Emma Bunton is the most iced vanilla latte an a Margherita pizza of all the Spice Girls, and here comes Maybe like an adventurous and weird little slap in the face. Impossibly chic, amazing music video and a delicate little vocal doing the most. Just brilliant.

Normani – Motivation

Just forget the mess of a career that follows it. Close your eyes and remember how you felt the first time you watched this music video. Stay in that moment. Phenomenal.

Nicola Roberts – Beat Of My Drum

The thinking man’s favourite Girls Aloud member, Nicola Roberts was ahead of her time with Beat Of My Drum – a bizarre, Diplo produced banger that goes from Xenomanian sounding verses to a waily pre chorus to a Charli XCX tinged shouty chorus? Okay, madame! Deserves a huge second album right now. Justice for ar lilcola!

Mutya Buena – Song4Mutya (with Groove Armada)

I am not being hyperbolic, which I very often am, but this is one of the best songs ever. Like, ever. The GA production and Mutya’s inimitable vocals that set her apart from every other girl on this list, Song4Mutya is a call to arms that is unmatched. It could raise me from my coffin.

Leigh-Anne – Don’t Say Love

An absolutely astounding debut from Little Mix’s most underrated member. Exactly the kind of music Leigh-Anne should be making – fresh, chic, effortlessly cool. A force to be reckoned with, and this is only the start.

And some of the worst…

Jesy Nelson – Boyz

Just a masterclass in everything not to do. I bet the whole time the record label were screaming into a pillow. A momentous car crash and astonishing fall from grace for someone everyone once really wanted to root for. A proper shame.

Kimberly Walsh – Like U Like (with Aggro Santos)

Erm, what the hell happened here? Ar Kimbo is hardly the vocalist of a generation but this is truly one of the most unintentionally funny features you could ever hope to hear. She sounds like she recorded it in three minutes. Stick to Shrek the Musical, luv.

Nadine Coyle – Fool For Love

Nadine’s solo career never quite took flight like Cheryl’s, despite the fact she has one of the best voices in the band. Nadine does have some bangers (Go To Work, for example) but I cannot forgive Fool For Love, a song that sounds so tinny and low quality you’d be forgiven for thinking she recorded it on her iPhone in the back of a car.

Mollie King – Hair Down

Mollie King would love you to forget this monstrosity ever existed. She’s tried her hardest to make it so, deleting it from streaming and YouTube. But Molly, we can not and will not ever forget. “Pleased to meet you barbershop quartet” is ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as the entire music video where she flips her hair in slow motion and does the most chorus girl choreo imaginable. Of all the girlband members’ solo singles here, this one will always be the funniest flop.

@harrisonjbrock

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