Former Sugababes star Mutya Buena has made shocking revelations about her mental health struggles and the music industry's demanding schedule that forced her back to work just two weeks after giving birth to her daughter.
The Impossible Choice: Career Versus Motherhood
In her first-ever podcast interview on Not My Baggs this Tuesday, the 40-year-old English singer-songwriter disclosed that she was forced to return to recording sessions merely two weeks after welcoming her daughter Tahlia-May in 2005. Mutya, who rose to fame in 1998 at just 13 years old as part of the original Sugababes lineup with Siobhán Donaghy and Keisha Buchanan, described this period as particularly challenging.
"When I left was actually at the height of our career," Mutya confessed during the emotional interview. "It was a very hard decision but at the same time, I think mentally I was suffering."
A Month Could Have Changed Everything
The singer revealed that her departure might never have happened if the record label had shown more flexibility. "If they had just given me a month off, I probably would have stayed," she stated emphatically. "I would have stayed if they'd given me a month off. But I gave birth and two weeks later went straight back into the studio and then doing the video for Push The Button."
Mutya described working through serious health complications during this period, including kidney infections that worsened after childbirth. "I was ill when I did that," she recalled with a laugh. "I lost the most weight ever, but I was so ill."
The relentless schedule saw her breastfeeding at 5am before heading to the studio and filming music videos while still recovering. The band immediately followed the Push The Button video shoot with a flight to New York to record Ugly, creating what Mutya described as a "continuous" workload without adequate recovery time.
The Final Straw and Lasting Impact
Beyond the physical and mental strain of her premature return to work, Mutya admitted she had grown dissatisfied with the band's musical direction. The breaking point came when she learned their next single would be Red Dress, a song she strongly disliked.
"That bothered me because I was like 'What are we even talking about in this song?'" she explained. "I was like this is it, I'm not doing this no more."
In interviews promoting her forthcoming autobiography, Real Girl, Mutya has also discussed how becoming a mother forced her to confront her struggles with drugs and alcohol during the peak of her fame. She described having to "pull myself together" for her daughter's sake, noting: "I don't want my daughter to see me as a drunk, taking drugs. I want to be someone that she can turn to at all times, and be proud of."
The original Sugababes members have since reunited in 2019, achieving remarkable success with sold-out shows at The O2, acclaimed Glastonbury performances, and record-breaking crowds at European concerts.
