VBirds
{{Short description|British animated girl group}}
{{Distinguish|V Bird}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=October 2019}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=October 2019}}}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = VBirds
| image =
| background = group_or_band
| origin = United Kingdom
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = {{Start date|2002}}–2003
| label = Cartoon Network Music
EMI
Liberty Records
Mattel
| past_members = Wow
Boom
D:Lin
Bling
}}
VBirds were a British virtual girl group, created in 2002 by a team of designers, producers and musicians. An animated television series of the same name, consisting of six one-minute episodes, aired on Cartoon Network between long-form programming. The band's only single, "Virtuality", was released on Liberty Records and reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart in early 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/471/vbirds/|title=V-BIRDS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=2020-06-24}} A spin-off series of dance tutorials, VBirds: Perfect,{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/rkilgarriff/status/641514944387772416 |title=Richard Kilgarriff on Twitter: "@PencilPerson Yes i did. I produced it." |website=twitter.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313231224/https://twitter.com/rkilgarriff/status/641514944387772416 |archive-date=13 March 2019 |url-status=dead}} aired in 2003. Despite its success as a promotional tool to keep young viewers watching during ad breaks,{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} no further singles were released.
The band's backstory revolved around them being exiled from their home planet of Planet V by its ruler, King He:Lin, for refusing to participate in the dance farms on their planet. They were shrunk down in size and put into a dance machine which was launched from the planet down to Earth, so the humans could play with them as long as they wanted. The story concluded with He:Lin's echoing words "Enjoy yourselves while you can, VBirds. For you will never escape your dance machine prison!"
The VBirds were interviewed on SMTV Live. In the interview, Bling and Wow compare their music to that of fellow girl groups Destiny's Child, Mis-Teeq and the Sugababes.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucqagy1cn1k#t=02m50s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/Ucqagy1cn1k |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=SMTV Live {VBirds Interview Episode} Excerpt|date=3 April 2016 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=2020-06-24}}{{cbignore}}
Members
- Boom is perhaps the most witty and energetic member of the group, although she can also be very bad tempered. Boom is able to create and throw pulsating balls of colour by blowing a kiss into her hand. This gives her a knack for decoration.
- Wow is the most mature VBird. Her powers calm those around her, allowing her to keep most arguments under control.
- Bling is the most fashionable of the girls and can easily show it by using her powers to create new costumes for the group in an instant. Although this ability comes in handy for the group during performances, she prefers to use it in her free time to annoy the other girls.
- D:Lin is the youngest in the group, and with green skin she stands out more than the other VBirds. D:Lin loves nothing more than DJing whenever the group is not performing, and she also uses records as throwing weapons whenever the situation calls for it.
Single
{{Infobox song
| name = Virtuality
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = VBirds
| album =
| B-side = Dance With Me
| released = {{start date|df=yes|2003}}
| recorded =
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}}
"Virtuality" is the group's only single. It includes the B-side "Dance With Me", which samples the Woo! Yeah! portion of "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins and vocals from "Virtuality". A [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfj2xLr-mVp0 music video] for "Virtuality" was also released and included in select versions of the CD single.
{{Track listing
| headline = UK CD
| extra_column =
| total_length =
| title1 = Virtuality (Radio Edit)
| length1 = 3:40
| title2 = Virtuality (Extended Video Edit)
| length2 =
| title3 = Dance With Me
| length3 = 3:41
| title4 = Virtuality (Slim Redz Planet V Mix)
| length4 = 3:43
}}
Legacy
"Virtuality" is featured in Dancing Stage Fever.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=1454054}}
Category:Musical groups established in 2002
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003
Category:2002 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:2003 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Category:2002 British television series debuts
Category:2002 British television series endings
Category:2000s British animated television series
Category:2000s British children's television series
Category:2000s British music television series
Category:2000s British science fiction television series
Category:British children's animated musical television series
Category:British children's animated science fiction television series
Category:Cartoon Network original programming
Category:Animated musical groups
Category:British electronic music groups
Category:British women in electronic music
Category:British funk musical groups
Category:British pop girl groups
Category:British soul musical groups