And it just kind of makes it the perfect song to chant along to.

'It's got that very catchy, simple melody. 'No, but you only have to hear it once to know the melody,' says Hamilton. 'I didn't think it would be in football fans' minds, though,' McClarnon chimes in. It increased its sales every week over the four weeks, it was number one in 19 countries worldwide. 'I think it was more the fact that it was a really catchy song and it was such a successful song 20 years ago. Has Atomic Kitten's love song struck an unlikely chord with football fans because we're all longing for Gareth? 'I don't think there was much thought into the origins of the song,' says Hamilton. Image: 'One, two, three, four: looking back on when we first met.' Whole Again has become a declaration of love for the England manager

Now he has gone one step further and is, according to a viral Twitter thread, the 'ultimate middle-aged crush'. This is the man who took England to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, for the first time since Italia '90, and inspired a soar in sales of waistcoats. 'Southgate you're the one, you still turn me on, football's coming home again.' 'Looking back on when we first met, I cannot escape and I cannot forget,' fans now sing. But now it has become Football's Coming Home again, and an ode to the man in charge. Whole Again is a ballad, a song about pining for someone after a break-up. 'They might have something more important on their minds. 'I mean, they've probably heard it but I think they're focusing on other things,' says McClarnon. Singing for England: The songs you need to know (and some you don't) for the finalĬlearly, the fans have taken the song to their hearts, but Hamilton and McClarnon aren't sure what the reaction is from the England camp. We just thought we'd release it and a couple of people would buy it and it would be nice to do. we wanted to be a part of it and we had loads of messages to say, 'please release it, please release it', after the Box Park video went viral, and we were just like, oh, okay. So we're just making the most of it now.' really intense but this is a special moment in time and this time next week it won't be here. We've been getting sleep but our working schedule has taken us right back, like, 20 years. I think we did a 20-hour day the other day, so that was quite intense. 'It's been absolutely chaotic,' says Hamilton. Both are in car passenger seats they're even working during their travel time.

McClarnon is also on Zoom, but from a different location. She's joined by McClarnon, who affirms for the record that football is 'definitely coming home on Sunday'. But is football? 'Hell, yes!' says Hamilton, speaking to Sky News on Zoom. Keep your Nessun Dorma, Italy we're gonna sing about Gareth Southgate turning us on! There are even rumours they will be performing at Wembley on the day itself. Atomic Kitten are now a part of English football history. The adoption of Whole Again, the platinum-selling chart-topper that propelled the girl band to fame, actually first did the rounds during the World Cup in 2018, to a lesser extent in 2021 it is now the unofficial soundtrack to England's first final in an international men's football tournament since they won it that time in 1966. In light of this gift, and ahead of England’s semi-final (and because we can’t guarantee they’ll play again in this tournament), here’s five times pop hits became football bangers.Image: The band - (L-R) Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon and Jenny Frost - have re-recorded Whole Again, now an unnoffical England anthem. That’s right, the 00s girl group has finally released “Southgate You’re The One (Football’s Coming Home Again)”. That is, until today, when Atomic Kitten turned a scene from England’s 2018 World Cup loss to Croatia into an official smash hit. The track lives alongside New Order’s “ World In Motion” and Fat Les’s “ Vindaloo” as one of the greatest pieces of music ever created. The refrain, chanted incessantly for a month every two years (guilty!), is from England’s most famous football song, “ Three Lions” – a 1996 banger by Baddiel, Skinner, & Lightning Seeds. Whether you’re watching at home or at the pub, whether we go to penalties or crash out before we even get to extra time, whether Southgate is wearing a vest or a jacket, one thing is for certain: somebody will tell you that “it’s coming home”. It’s the most important moment in Southgate’s life, too, isn’t it, fellas? He’s got to make up for missing the final penalty in the Euros 96 semi-final against Germany, doesn’t he, lads? It’s our Euros 2020 semi-final baby!!!Īs we speak, Gareth Southgate’s team is preparing to play Denmark in the most important game England has ever played. Football fans, get ready to be football crazy, chocolate mad – tonight (July 7), England is playing football.

Atomic kitten gareth southgate