The 90s was a great time for girl bands. Eternal dominated the early part of the decade in the UK, while TLC were breaking records and pushing boundaries in the US. In 1996 Spice Girls launched and became a global phenomenon within weeks of releasing their debut single ‘Wannabe’. Their huge international success paved the way for more girl groups and one that emerged from Dublin, Ireland was B*Witched. The foursome – made up of twins Edele and Keavy Lynch (sisters of Boyzone’s Shane Lynch), Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O’Carroll – launched in 1998 with their debut single ‘C’est La Vie’, which went straight to the top of the UK charts.
‘C’est La Vie’ was the start of a stellar streak as the band scored four consecutive number one hits from their debut self-titled album. ‘B*Witched’ sold over 600,000 copies in the UK and the album was a hit in the US too, peaking at number 12 and selling more than 1 million copies. As the album approaches its 30th anniversary, which will arrive in 2028, it’s just had a re-release from Music On Vinyl. Limited to 1,000 copies, the album has been pressed on 180-gram pink vinyl and the reissue features the original artwork along with a 4-page colour booklet featuring lyrics and album credits.
The main draw of this album is the four number one singles – ‘C’est La Vie’, ‘Rollercoaster’, ‘To You I Belong’ and ‘Blame It On The Weatherman’. Those four songs are perfect examples of just how good pop music was back in the 90s. ‘C’est La Vie’ has a cheesy charm that plays into the group’s Irish roots (complete with an instrumental for a bit of Irish dancing), while the more playful ‘Rollercoaster’ is a sugar rush of a pop song with catchy melodies and a sing-a-long chorus. ‘To You I Belong’ was the group’s first ballad and it showcases a different side to the group, allowing their harmonies to shine over intricate Irish touches on the instrumentation. ‘Blame It On The Weatherman’ is the most mature track on the album, and honestly my favourite B*Witched song, pairing the group with acoustic guitar so their harmonies really soar.
The rest of the tracks on the album try hard to separate B*Witched from the other girl groups at the time. “Let’s Go (The B*Witched Jig)’ opens the record, and it’s an instrumental track that randomly combines drum’n’bass and fiddle. ‘Rev It Up’, a song that should have been the fifth single from the album, is like a distant cousin to ‘C’est La Vie’ thanks to its upbeat, positive feel-good vibe. In the middle of the album ‘We Four Girls’ sees the group make a light foray into rock as they try something a little more adult, and the dreamy ‘Castles in the Air’ is another chance to hear the harmonies from the group really shine.
As the album enters its final stretch, B*Witched takes inspiration from Spice Girls on the funky attitude-laden ‘Freak Out’, slows things down on the ballad ‘Like The Rose’ and embraces the poppier side of their sound on ‘Never Giving Up’. ‘Oh Mr. Postman’ brings the album to a close, opening with soaring strings and delivering a luscious end to an album packed with pop bangers.
It’s easy to forget just how big B*Witched were when they first burst onto the scene. It’s fair to say their popularity waned following the release of their debut but the fact that the group is still together, performing and releasing music shows that the hits they had have endured. Cheesier than the Spice Girls and All Saints, but with enough charm to win over kids and adults, B*Witched delivered a solid debut album. This Music On Vinyl re-release is a chance to revisit the group’s best work and just lose yourself in nearly 40-minutes of near-perfect pop.
Track list: 1. Let’s Go (The B*Witched Jig) 2. C’est La Vie 3. Rev It Up 4. To You I Belong 5. Rollercoaster 6. Blame It On The Weatherman 7. We Four Girls 8. Castles in the Air 9. Freak Out 10. Like The Rose 11. Never Giving Up 12. Oh Mister Postman Record label: Music On Vinyl Release date: 3rd April 2026 Buy B*Witched – ‘B*Witched’ now
