Mutya Buena is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame as a member of the successful girl group Sugababes. She was an original member of the group along with Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy, joining in 1998 when they were just teenagers. Over the years, Sugababes became one of the most successful British girl groups of the 2000s, achieving multiple top ten singles and albums.
Mutya was born on May 21, 1985 in Kingsbury, London. This means that as of today, Sunday, October 15, 2023, Mutya Buena is 38 years old. She is currently at an age where many pop stars start transitioning out of the mainstream and focus on other projects. However, Mutya is still actively making music as a solo artist and collaborating with various artists in the industry.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Mutya Buena was born to a Filipino mother and an Irish-Italian father. She grew up in Kingsbury, North West London alongside her two younger sisters. Mutya got involved in the performing arts at a young age, training at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and appearing in various stage musicals as a child.
When she was only 13 years old in 1998, Mutya responded to an advertisement placed by manager Tom Beahon searching for singers to form a girl group. She was selected along with Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy to become the original members of Sugababes. The name “Sugababes” was chosen as an ironic contrast to the members’ young ages at the time.
Early Sugababes Career
Sugababes released their debut single “Overload” in 2000 when Mutya was just 15 years old. The song was a hit, peaking at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. It ushered in the teen pop era of Sugababes throughout the early 2000s. Their debut album “One Touch” followed in November 2000 and reached the top 30 on the UK Albums Chart.
The group experienced lineup changes over the years, with Siobhán leaving in 2001 and replacements joining for Mutya and Keisha. However, the core duo of Mutya and Keisha maintained the original essence of Sugababes. They achieved their first UK number one single in 2002 with “Freak like Me” at ages 17 and 16 respectively. Subsequent top ten hits like “Round Round” and “Hole in the Head” cemented them as a leading British pop group.
Later Sugababes Years and Solo Work
By the mid 2000s, Mutya was in her late teens and early 20s, performing in Sugababes as they dominated the British charts. Their 2003 album “Three” reached number 3 in the UK and went platinum. They began gaining more international recognition, especially when the album’s lead single “Hole in the Head” crossed over to U.S. pop radio in 2004.
In April 2005, Sugababes released their fourth studio album “Taller in More Ways”. It became their first UK number one album. Around this time, Mutya co-wrote the hit Sugababes single “Ugly”, reflecting her growth as a songwriter. However, tensions were rising in the group and in December 2005, it was announced that Mutya was leaving Sugababes to pursue a solo career.
Solo Work and Sporadic Performances
Mutya released her debut solo single “Real Girl” in June 2006 at the age of 21. Her solo album “Real Girl” came out later that year, reaching the top 30 on the UK Albums Chart. Additional singles “Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)” and “Just a Little Bit” achieved modest success.
After her solo album release, Mutya took a step back from music to focus on raising her daughter Tahlia. She made occasional guest vocal appearances on songs by artists like George Michael and Groove Armada between 2007 and 2011. But it wasn’t until 2012 that Mutya fully returned to music.
Comeback and Recent Years
In 2012, Mutya reunited with her original Sugababes group members Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy to record music and tour as Mutya Keisha Siobhan. They released the singles “Flatline” in 2012 and “Boy” in 2013, but their reunion album was never officially released due to complications with their old record label.
Since then, Mutya has continued sporadic musical activities, though not quite at the same level of fame she had with Sugababes in the 2000s. She has dropped a few solo singles like “Boyfriend Material” in 2017 and “Kings and Queens” in 2021.
In 2022 at age 37, Mutya appeared as a contestant on the celebrity version of The Voice UK. She competed on Team Tom Jones before being eliminated in the battle rounds. This shows she is still actively pursuing music and performance even as she advances deeper into her 30s.
Personal Life
In her personal life, Mutya gave birth to her daughter Tahlia in 2005 when she was age 20. Tahlia’s father is Jay Barrymore, Mutya’s partner at the time. Mutya has been raising Tahlia as a single mother since their split.
In 2011 at age 26, Mutya became engaged to American music producer Jay Strother. However, they ended the engagement the following year in 2012. Mutya has kept the details of her romantic life private in recent years.
Outside of music, Mutya was awarded a honorary fellowship from the University of East London in 2016 in recognition of her contributions to the music industry. She continues to be involved in various philanthropic endeavors as well.
Mutya Buena Now at Age 38
So in summary, Mutya Buena is currently 38 years old as of October 15, 2023. She was born on May 21, 1985. Some key facts about her current life at age 38:
– She is still releasing occasional new music and performing, though not at the same level as her Sugababes fame. Her most recent single “Kings and Queens” came out in 2021.
– She remains focused on raising her 18-year-old daughter Tahlia, who she gave birth to in 2005 at age 20.
– Romantic relationships have been kept private in recent years after called off engagements in the early 2010s.
– She participates in various philanthropic endeavors and received an honorary fellowship in 2016 for her contributions to music.
– Her appearance on The Voice UK in 2022 showed she still has aspirations to be musically active even as she nears 40.
– While not currently pursuing a full “comeback”, she is still involved in music by collaborating with other artists on songs.
– She maintains her connection to loyal Sugababes fans through occasional performances and interviews about her time in the group.
Overall, even as she advances towards 40, Mutya is still creatively active both in and out of the studio. She works hard to balance music with motherhood and philanthropy. Though her pop star days are behind her, she retains her passion for singing and songwriting. Her days as a teenage Sugababe feel like a lifetime ago now that Mutya is a 38-year-old woman still chasing her artistic dreams.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mutya Buena is currently 38 years old, having been born on May 21, 1985. She first rose to fame as a founding member of the British girl group Sugababes as a teenager in the late 1990s. After achieving great success with Sugababes throughout the 2000s, she departed the group in 2005 at age 20 to pursue a solo career. Following sporadic musical activities over the years, Mutya continues to release new music and perform occasionally today at age 38, though not at the same mainstream level as her Sugababes days. She balances her ongoing music career with raising her teenage daughter and philanthropic endeavors. Fans of Mutya and Sugababes enjoy seeing her still occasionally in the spotlight today, staying connected to her artistry that first emerged when she was just a 13-year-old aspiring singer.