Blue (English group)

Blue
Company type	Vocal group
Industry	Music
Founded	2000
Founder	Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Antony Costa, Lee Ryan
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Studio albums, singles
Number of employees	4 (members)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Blue (English group), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025

Blue is a British male vocal group established in 2000, comprising members Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Antony Costa, and Lee Ryan. They produced three studio albums before entering a break in 2004. The band reunited in 2011 and represented the United Kingdom at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest held in Düsseldorf with the song "I Can," securing 11th place with 100 points. In 2013, Blue participated in The Big Reunion, joining forces again with other prominent acts such as Liberty X, Atomic Kitten, and 5ive, while also announcing their first headline tour in almost ten years.

Following the disappointing performance of their fifth album Colours, Sony ended their contract with Blue in April 2015. The group made a comeback in 2022, releasing singles "Haven't Found You Yet" and "Dance with Me" from their sixth studio album Heart & Soul, which was launched on 28 October 2022.

Globally, Blue has achieved sales totaling 15 million records. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has certified them for 3.6 million albums and 2.6 million singles sold within the UK.

1999–2001: Formation and All Rise

In May 1999, during auditions for a boy band on ITV's This Morning, Lee Ryan and Antony Costa crossed paths as part of Simon Cowell's group creation process. While Ryan was selected alongside Will Young, Costa did not make the cut. Despite the initial band's failure, Ryan and Costa maintained their friendship.

By 2000, Costa teamed up with Duncan James to form a band and invited Ryan to join them. Their manager, Daniel Glatman, recognized their potential. To complete the lineup, they included Ryan’s roommate, Simon Webbe.

Blue's debut single "All Rise" was released in May 2001 and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. Their following single "Too Close" reached the top position in August. During the shooting of the "If You Come Back" music video in New York City amid the September 11 attacks, Ryan made controversial comments that downplayed the tragedy, which led to significant media criticism, loss of their U.S. record deal, and internal discord within the band. Nevertheless, Blue secured a second UK number one with the ballad "If You Come Back" in November. Their debut album All Rise was released for Christmas, achieving number one on the UK Albums Chart and selling over 1.3 million copies domestically. It earned a 4× Platinum certification in the UK and remained on the UK top 75 Albums chart for 63 weeks. The last single from this album, "Fly By II", peaked at number six in March 2002.

The album received generally mixed to favorable critiques. Sharon Mawer from AllMusic awarded it three and a half stars, highlighting the emotive vocal performances that set Blue apart from other groups. Conversely, Andre Paine from NME gave it a five out of ten rating, acknowledging a blend of strong tracks alongside typical boy band ballads influenced by Backstreet Boys but recognizing Blue's commercial appeal.

2002–2004: One Love and Guilty

Blue's sophomore album, One Love, was released in October 2002 and immediately secured the top position on the UK Albums Chart, moving over 150,000 units. The record generated three hit singles: the title track "One Love" reached number three, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" featuring Elton John climbed to number one, and "U Make Me Wanna" peaked at number four. To boost their presence in South America and Spain, "Supersexual" was issued in those regions. By December 2003, the album had achieved 4× Platinum status in the UK. In June 2003, Blue became involved in a £5 million legal dispute with a Scottish band from the 1970s sharing the same name; this was resolved through an agreement permitting both bands to commercially use "Blue."

Their third studio effort, Guilty, released in autumn 2003, also debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 100,000 copies. It featured four singles: the lead "Guilty" reached number two; "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" with Stevie Wonder and Angie Stone peaked at number eleven; "Breathe Easy" climbed to number four; and "Bubblin'" attained number nine. The album surpassed one million sales within the UK market alone. To support its release in Japan, "The Gift" was issued as a promotional single.

"Guilty" was launched on 3 November 2003 in the UK and on 25 November in the US, debuting atop the UK Singles Chart and earning double platinum certification by December of that year. The album experienced robust commercial success across Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and especially the UK. Notably, "Guilty," co-written by Gary Barlow, stood out as their most commercially successful single.

2004–05: Best of Blue and hiatus

In November 2004, Blue unveiled Best of Blue, a compilation of their greatest hits including tracks such as "Curtain Falls" (which reached No. 4 in the UK), "Get Down on It", and "Only Words I Know" (which achieved No. 2 positions in both France and Italy). This collection peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum. Subsequently, band members Simon Webbe and Antony Costa curated an album featuring B-sides, remixes, and previously unreleased songs—some of which had only been available in Japan before. Released in July 2005 throughout Europe and parts of Asia, this project was not distributed in the UK. Later that year, Blue announced an indefinite break to pursue individual solo careers. Although a reunion was planned for 2009, it did not come to fruition at that time.

2011–2012: Return and Eurovision Song Contest

On 29 January 2011, Blue reunited to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with their entry "I Can," coinciding with their tenth anniversary as a group. A documentary titled Eurovision: Your Country Needs Blue aired in April showcasing their preparation process. This marked their third involvement with Eurovision-related activities, with members having contributed to previous UK entries and associated programming.

Blue became the first UK act since The Shadows (1975) to have multiple UK No.1 singles before participating in Eurovision and were also the first since Sonia (1993) to enter with a prior UK No.1 single. The song "I Can" premiered on The Graham Norton Show on 11 March 2011. Ultimately, they finished eleventh overall with 100 points; after the contest, they suggested that political voting influenced their placement despite ranking fifth according to public televoting.

During this timeframe, Blue disclosed plans for collaborations with American R&B singer Bruno Mars and producer RedOne, describing their forthcoming fourth studio album as their strongest work yet. Lee Ryan highlighted songwriting contributions from Ne-Yo, alongside his own compositions.

In February 2012, Blue toured Asia alongside boyband A1 and singer Jeff Timmons, performing at venues such as Manila’s Smart Araneta Coliseum and Singapore Indoor Stadium under the banner "Boybands: The Greatest Hits Tour."

2012–2019: Roulette and Colours

On 22 June 2012, Blue debuted "Hurt Lovers" during a live performance in China, marking one of their initial releases following their reunion. The track received favorable feedback throughout Asia prior to its official launch in Germany on 6 October 2012. It was chosen as the official soundtrack for the German movie Break Up Man [de], prompting an early German release on 4 January 2013, before being distributed worldwide later that year. To support the single, Blue appeared on Vocea României and embarked on an acoustic radio tour covering six German cities.

In October 2012, the band revealed plans for their fourth studio album, Roulette, which was initially released in Germany on 25 January 2013. The album’s cover photo shoot took place in an abandoned casino during November 2012. On 21 February 2013, Blue featured in ITV2’s reality series The Big Reunion. Originally arranged as a single show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 26 February, overwhelming demand led to an extended UK tour spanning twelve dates from 3 to 12 May 2013. A DVD capturing the Hammersmith Apollo concert was subsequently issued in April.

"I Can" marked Blue’s return single and represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, where it placed 11th with 100 points. Released digitally on 1 May 2011, it reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was co-written by Duncan James and Lee Ryan, with production handled by Ronny Svendsen and Hallgeir Rustan.

"Hurt Lovers" served as the lead single from Roulette, first launched in Germany. The band collaborated with Jez Ashurst, David Jost, Martin Schmidt, and Alexander Zuckowski on its writing. Later singles included "Without You," released exclusively in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on 16 May 2013; "Break My Heart," which aired on radio from 29 June and was digitally available from 5 August in Germany as well as a promotional release in the UK; and both "Broken" and "Ayo," issued simultaneously on 2 February 2014 across the UK and Ireland.

Blue also featured in ITV2’s reality series Blue Go Mad in Ibiza, which followed their experiences running a bar amid scripted awkward scenarios.

In November 2014, Blue inked a two-album contract with Sony Music Entertainment, leading to the release of their fifth studio album Colours on 9 March 2015. Despite support from a major label, the album did not achieve strong commercial success, resulting in Blue being dropped by Sony in April. To promote Colours, they conducted a sixteen-date UK tour during March and April. Additionally, they performed at VE Day 70: A Party to Remember in London on 9 May 2015.

Work began on a follow-up album during summer 2017; however, Sony chose not to renew their contract, causing the project to be shelved. Following this, Blue prioritized touring while members explored solo endeavors—Antony Costa and Duncan James pursued acting careers, whereas Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe released solo music projects. By 2019, the band announced no intentions to produce new material, instead focusing exclusively on live performances.

2021–present: Heart & Soul, 20th Anniversary Tour, and Reflections

On 30 November 2021, the band announced an arena tour commemorating their two decades together, featuring Atomic Kitten as the supporting act. They also revealed plans to produce a new album to align with the tour.

The group unveiled their sixth studio album, Heart & Soul, on 11 April 2022, with a release date set for 9 September 2022. The full tracklist was made public on 20 May, alongside the lead single "Haven't Found You Yet". Subsequently, on 29 June, they issued "Dance with Me", a rendition of the 2001 hit by 112. The album's launch was later deferred to 28 October 2022.

In November 2022, Blue took part in a fan festival held in Qatar during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, an appearance that attracted criticism due to Qatar's stance on human rights and anti-LGBT legislation.

On 4 September 2025, Blue debuted their new single "One Last Time" on Radio 2 with host Scott Mills. Alongside this, they disclosed their forthcoming album Reflections, planned for release on 9 January 2026, accompanied by a 25th Anniversary Tour.

Discography

Studio albums

All Rise (2001)
One Love (2002)
Guilty (2003)
Roulette (2013)
Colours (2015)
Heart & Soul (2022)
Reflections (2026)

Tours

Headlining

One Love Tour (2002–2003)
Guilty Tour (2003–2004)
Best of Blue Tour (2005)
Roulette Tour (2013)
Colours of Blue Tour (2015–2016)
20th Anniversary / Heart & Soul Tour (2022–2023)
Greatest Hits Tour (2024)
25th Anniversary Tour (2025–2026)

Co-headlining

The Big Reunion (2013)
The Big Reunion Boy Band Tour (2014)

Supporting act

Olly Murs - 15 Years of Hits (2025)

Awards and nominations