Mis-Teeq were a British R&B Girl Group active from 1999-2005. Members included Sabrina Washington, Alesha Dixon and Su-Elise Nash. The original four-piece lineup included Zena McNally - who left after the first single to attempt a solo career.
The group was first formed by Sabrina and Alesha, named Face 2 Face. They were joined by Tina Barrett for a while, but she left too and became a member of Simon Fuller's music project S Club 7. Two new members Zena and Sue-Elise replaced her, they changed their name to Mis-Teeq and were signed by Telstar Records. Their debut single "Why?" was a mid-tempo R&B track and later became a hit when it was remixed by UK garage DJ Jam Lamount. Zena left shortly after this, and the group continued as a trio.
Their debut album Lickin' On Both Sides was certified platinum, and the girls gained some chart success in Australia, New Zealand and Denmark. Their second Eye Candy did not match the same sales (only reaching gold) but it did contain their highest charting single - "Scandalous" - which was their only song to chart in the US. It was also used in the film Catwoman (2004). Unfortunately for them, Telstar went bankrupt in 2005 and they announced a split.
Nash has stayed out of the public eye since the split and Washington appeared on I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and has been pursuing a solo career, whilst Dixon has had the most success, having been a TV presenter on Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent, as well as the 2023 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.
Tropes:
- All Just a Dream: The "All I Want" video is Su-Elise imagining them all sucked into a mirror universe.
- Alternate Company Equivalent: They were often thought to be the British version of Destiny's Child - as a female R&B trio who were all black, had a dark-skinned blonde as a lead singer (Beyonce, Sabrina), one member who was something of a Lesser Star (Michelle, Su-Elise) and some videos that were remarkably similar ("Bootylicious", "One Night Stand").
- Amazing Technicolor World: The video for "One Night Stand" was known for its dazzling colours.
- Beach Episode: The video for "B With Me" has a beach party theme.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Sabrina as the fashionista lead singer was the Beauty, Alesha as the aggressive rapper was the Brawn and behind the scenes they said that Su-Elise was the one with a real business sense and organisational skills - making her the Brains.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: The video for "One Night Stand" has Sabrina with blonde hair, Su-Elise with dyed red highlights and Alesha keeping her hair naturally dark.
- Break Up Song: "Can't Get It Back" is about a relationship that's hit the rocks, due to the other partner being inattentive. The video depicts the man being unfaithful.
- Double Entendre: "One Night Stand" is referring to a night in the club and that the respective men are only there as partners for one dance.
- Forgot Flanders Could Do That: Su-Elise gets a verse in "Roll On".
- Greatest Hits Album: They released one after their label went bankrupt.
- Hollywood California: The video for "Roll On" takes place in the South Central section. Lots of basketball, low riders and short shorts.
- Hotter and Sexier: An alternate version of the "One Night Stand" video was released for the United States - featuring the girls dancing on a catwalk, intercut with very Fanservicey shots of their bodies.
- "I Want" Song: The appropriately titled "All I Want". In this case what they want is "to be with you"."Hear the sound of the DJ playing our jam/Crash down, grab a man..."
- Kangaroo Court: The video for "Can't Get It Back" takes place in one as Sabrina is trying to divorce an unfaithful husband.
- Lesser Star: Su-Elise rarely got more than low harmonies and was mainly there as the choreographer behind the scenes.
- Light Feminine and Dark Feminine:
- The video for "Roll On" features a dance where Sabrina is light brown-haired and dressed in pink (Light Feminine) while the other two are dark-haired and dressed in black.
- The other way around in the US video for "One Night Stand", where Sabrina is in black and the other two are in red.
- Lighter and Softer: The first release of "Why?" was a slow, sad ballad and the video had dark lighting, and the girls in black clothes. The garage remix was more upbeat, the video was colourful and took place in broad daylight.
- Navel-Deep Neckline:
- Sabrina wears a dress with a plunging neckline down to her waist in the "Scandalous" video.
- Downplayed with Alesha in the video for "Roll On" where her hoodie is unzipped to the top of her stomach.
- Older Than They Look: Alesha certainly does not look like she's nearly forty years old.
- Precision F-Strike: Given their family-friendly stance, saying "nice ass" in "One Night Stand" counts.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "All. I. Want. Is to be with you!"
- Relationship Upgrade: "Why?" is about two people who have been best friends but could potentially become a couple.
- The Three Faces of Eve: With the line-up of three it went: Child (Sue-Elise), Wife (Sabrina) and Seductress (Alesha). Funnily enough the video for "Can't Get It Back" features Sabrina in the role of the Wife, but Su-Elise plays the other woman and Alesha the detective.
- A Wild Rapper Appears!:
- A few singles would feature Alesha going into a spontaneous rap verse.
- "Roll On"'s video segues into Montell Jordan doing a cover of "This Is How We Do It". They were released as a double-A side together.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: "B With Me" features this.
