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Girls Aloud 'come to an end', but have they split up forever?
Their tenth anniversary gigs were hailed by critics, but Cheryl Cole and Co have decided to call it quits
GIRLS ALOUD, the manufactured pop group you had only just realised was back together, have split up. This time apparently for good.
The announcement came shortly before the end of last night's gig in Liverpool, the final date on their tenth anniversary tour.
"This tour has been an amazing experience and the perfect chance to say thank you for being on this journey with us through a decade," the band tweeted. "We have now come to the end of our incredible time together."
The group's announcement is significant, says the Daily Mail, because when they last parted ways in 2009, they insisted they were just going on "hiatus" to allow the five members to pursue solo careers. This time it's really over.
The Mail says fans will "understandably be upset" but suggests the writing was on the wall because the group's members were "reluctant" to confirm any projects together after the end of the 20-gig tour. One of those fans, Claire Cole, tweeted: "How to get over Girls Aloud: you can't, you won't, you don't."
The group's Ten tour was well received by critics, who marvelled that an outfit put together as part of a reality TV show in 2002 had become part of "the pop landscape".
Cheryl Cole has already established a successful solo career, but it is unclear what the future holds for the other members - Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding and Nadine Coyle.
The music website Popjustice offered grieving fans some comfort in an article titled: "Some pathetic glimmers of hope on a dark day for pop".
It points out that the group hasn't actually said the words "splitting up" and may still reform at some time in the future. "It is essential for most modern celebrities and performers to 'recharge' their fame every few years. Cheryl may well be exempt but for Sarah, Kimberley, Nadine and Nicola, it's possible that their passions away from the band – however creatively rewarding they might be – will require a bit of a jumpstart in the coming years."
In other words: stay tuned for the Girls Aloud Twenty tour. Or the Fifteen tour, if those solo careers don't pan out. ·
