Across the pond, Western girl group Say Now has been blowing up. If you haven’t heard of them, you’d have to be living under a rock because they have been going viral for their animated-like choreography to their song “Supermarket.” Whether it’s their choreography or their gorgeous vocals, Say Now has been developing a following for the past couple of years. Read below to find out why they are the next girl group to take over the world.
Say Now Origins
Back in 2021, Ysabelle Angeli was entering her sophomore year at a music college in Birmingham, living with her dad, brother, and sister. Amelia Onourah was just about to enroll at the London College of Fashion to take a fashion public relations course, as she had just finished college in Luton. Both of the future band members were mutuals on Instagram before they actually met. They both attended performing arts schools. It was a manager who scouted them both online with the idea of forming a girl band. Amelia moved in with Ysabelle, and the search for a third member was on.
Maddie Haynes was a child stage star, starring in West End productions of Les Mis, Matilda, and Annie at the Birmingham Hippodrome. When Maddie got a DM from Amelia (a year after the duo formed), she was attending a drama school, ArtsEd in London. Amelia asked if she could sing, and Maddie sent her a video showcasing her talent. The rest is history.
Coming Up With An Identity
Say Now ditched the typical girl group formula. Instead of developing behind the scenes and waiting for the perfect time to debut, the group has been documenting their journey from the very beginning. From Soundcloud covers, to candid TikTok videos, to their temporary moniker “needanamebro,” the group built up a loyal fanbase of Saylors, showing their authenticity. “We’re very outspoken and slightly more rough-cut. Less polished,” Maddie told NME.
When rebranding their group name, Amelia, Maddie, and Ysabelle wanted to consider what they stood for, their musical genre, and what they write about. There were some strong choices in the running: ‘Love Always’, ‘Truth Say’, ‘GIRL’ (Girls In Real Life). Maddie came up with Say Now after saying ‘Say That’ and ‘Say Truth.’ The girls got over 500 submissions from fans, but the next day Amelia said Say Now should be their name. The group officially rebranded as Say Now in July 2023.”[Say Now] just reflects how we are as a band. Communication, saying the truth, being honest with people and yourself. We reflect that a lot in our lyrics and our journey,” Ysabelle said to NME.
The girl group already had a defined sense of style: Maddie is more girly, whereas Ysabelle is more boyish. Amelia leans more on the edgy side.
While some fans will definitely look up to them for fashion inspiration, their ultimate goal is to be the “cool older cousin” for young girls that they can tell their secrets to. They are trying to be the pop stars who are with their fans through breakups, parties, and taxi rides. “We know a lot of people watching us are younger girls – and to be honest, we have our fair share of teenage straight boys. We’re just trying to bring them all in,” Amelia shared in a previous interview.
What sets Say Now apart from other girl bands is that they are diverse. Amelia told Glamour, “When I look back at all the other bands, diversity was almost not there, really. We’re all from different backgrounds, different cultures. Now, people can see themselves in us and be like, ‘Wait, I look like Amelia,’ ‘I look like Yssy’, or ‘I look like Maddie.’”
Early Success
Signed to Atlantic Records and managed by Modest! Management, the group released their debut three-song EP in 2023 under the title needanamebro. The songs were “Better Love,” “Not a Lot Left to Say,” and “Netflix (Better Now Without You).” Say Now’s song “Brick by Brick” was reposted by SZA.
In 2024, they supported Kylie Minogue at the BST Hyde Park. The group was the winner of the 2024 Samsung Rising Star award at Glamour’s Women of the Year Award.
Finding Their Sound
Say Now’s sound has gone through a trial-and-error process. According to Amelia, they have always wanted to be vocal-driven. The group grew up listening to Mary J. Blige, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, and the Spice Girls. Say Now gives praise to Little Mix, often calling them “mothers.” When it comes to girl groups, Say Now praised the vocals of Girls Aloud on their 2024 reunion tour. Nadine Coyle makes a cameo in Say Now’s “Trouble” music video. Destiny’s Child is where the group gets inspiration in terms of vocals and riffs. When it comes to dancing and the type of music they want to make, Britney Spears is what Say Now emulates.
Their first single as Say Now was “S.I.N.G.L.E.,” released in 2023. The midtempo track is reminiscent of Little Mix’s sound. Say Now’s 2024 offerings ranged from ballads (“Five Years”) to club hits (“Trouble”). Trouble samples EMF’s “Unbelievable.” Amelia told NME, “At the beginning, we were definitely pulling influences from early Sugababes in terms of sonics and, like, Spice Girls in terms of [that] fun, cheeky vibe we had with ‘Trouble’,” Haynes says. “We’ve kind of tested out different influences from different girl bands and different genres.”
In 2025, Say Now produced songs like “Don’t Text Don’t Call”, “Can’t Keep A Beat”, “Brick by Brick”, and the infamous “Supermarket.”
The group describes their sound as a pop and R&B fusion. Dancing is also integral to their brand, as K-pop influences them and saw a need for Western girl groups to have choreography in their songs again.
Most recently, Say Now released the single “Millions,” earlier this year, which is about knowing your worth and not settling for the bare minimum. It keeps the momentum going for the girl group.
Have you listened to Say Now? Let us know in the comments.
