Mini Viva
| Company type | Duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Xenomania |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music singles, Extended plays |
| Parent | 19 Entertainment |
Mini Viva was an English pop duo established in 2008 by the British songwriting and production collective Xenomania. The pair, composed of Frankee Connolly and Britt Love, operated under the management of 19 Entertainment and were signed to both Geffen and Polydor Records. They had intentions to launch their first album in 2010. Although their debut single achieved success and garnered favorable critiques, the act was unable to maintain their initial momentum and officially disbanded by the end of 2010. Over their career, they released three singles and toured as supporting performers for artists such as the Saturdays and dance group Diversity.
History
In 2008, Xenomania formed Mini Viva after Frankee Connolly and Britt Love attended an audition held by Select Music UK. Following a year of collaboration with Xenomania, the duo prepared to debut. Their signing with Universal Music Group occurred in May 2009 after they performed "Left My Heart in Tokyo" for Universal’s chairman and CEO, Lucian Grainge.
During 2009, they served as opening acts for The Saturdays on The Work Tour. On 17 July 2009, The Guardian spotlighted them as "New Band of the Day." Their first single, "Left My Heart in Tokyo", launched in September 2009 and produced by Xenomania, was hailed by NME as "the catchiest single of 2009." It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, marking their highest chart achievement.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Mini Viva mentioned drawing influence from artists like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Their follow-up single, "I Wish", released in December 2009, reached number seventy-three on the UK chart. In March 2010, they introduced an interactive webcast reality series titled Viva Mini Viva, where they announced plans for a debut album slated for late 2010 but clarified it would not be called Colloquial Obsession, contrary to rumors. The third single, "One Touch", came out in May 2010 and charted at number 124. Concurrently, they toured alongside the dance troupe Diversity.
By mid-2010, speculation grew regarding their future prospects despite remaining under contract with Geffen Records. In November that year, Mini Viva confirmed their breakup with the statement: "sometimes things just don't work out the way you would like them to."
By February 2012, both Connolly and Love embarked on individual projects. Britt Love collaborated on "You Don't Want to Dance with Me" by English electronic duo Monarchy and auditioned for the ninth season of The X Factor in 2012, advancing to bootcamp but not reaching judges' houses. Frankee Connolly became a member of the female trio M.O, whose single "Who Do You Think Of?" climbed to number eighteen on the UK charts in August 2016. She departed from the group in June 2017 and was succeeded by Chanal Benjilali.
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Engine Room Session |
|
Singles
| Song | Release Year | Highest Chart Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | FIN | IRE | ||
| "Left My Heart in Tokyo" | 2009 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
| "I Wish" | 73 | — | 67 | |
| "One Touch" | 2010 | 124 | — | — |
| "—" indicates the track did not chart or was not released in that country. | ||||
Tours
Opening performer
- 2009: The Saturdays – The Work Tour (selected appearances)
- 2009: Cascada – Clubland Live Tour #3
- 2010: Diversity – UK-wide tour
Filmography
| Year | Production | Role Portrayed | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Viva Mini Viva | Themselves | Interactive web-based reality series |