TrueBliss
| Company type | Pop girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | April 1999 |
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
| Products | Music singles, albums |
TrueBliss was a New Zealand pop girl group established in April 1999 through the television series Popstars, which was broadcast on TVNZ's TV2 over a nine-week period. They hold the distinction of being the inaugural group created under the Popstars franchise, preceding similar ensembles in Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Latin America.
Formation
Comprising five members—Joe Cotton, Keri Harper, Erika Takacs, Carly Binding, and Megan Alatini—the group quickly achieved commercial acclaim with their debut single "Tonight", which reached number one. Initially managed by Jonathan Dowling and briefly by Simon Grigg, their management was depicted on television as being under Peter Urlich. TrueBliss released three singles through Columbia, a label under Sony Music.
They secured endorsement deals with Pepsi and Burger King prior to embarking on the 'Number One Tour', which covered 17 towns nationwide and included additional matinee shows due to popular demand. Their subsequent single "Number One" climbed to number 12 on New Zealand’s charts. In September 1999, they released a rendition of George Michael's "Freedom", which did not chart. Although Columbia planned a follow-up album to their platinum-certified debut Dream, it never materialized. The intended single 'We Kissed', penned by Binding, remained unreleased after her departure from the band in early 2000, citing personal differences; she later pursued a solo career that included releasing that track.
Post TrueBliss
Originally from South Africa, Megan Cassie married All Black player Pita Alatini and established a hair braiding business in Dunedin. She served as a judge on NZ Idol in 2006 and acted in Cloud 9 productions such as The Tribe and Atlantis High, contributing music to both series. Megan competed in New Zealand’s third season of Dancing with the Stars, finishing as runner-up amid some controversy. Alongside her sisters, she formed Nubian Angelz (also known as Dark Angels), performing privately with intentions to produce new recordings. She remains engaged in charitable activities and currently lives in Japan.
Carly Binding experienced considerable solo success with six top 40 singles and a gold-certified album titled Passenger. Her track "This Is It" supported the New Zealand AIDS Foundation’s 'Love Is...' campaign. Her most recent album, So Radiate, was released in 2006.
Joe Cotton won the title of Pop's Ultimate Star in 2007. She hosted TV2’s alternative music program M2, participated in various reality television shows, and worked as a radio presenter on The Edge and More FM Auckland’s breakfast show before transitioning to evening slots. Additionally, she provided vocal coaching for Boyband and sang backing vocals on their chart-topping release.
Erika Takacs hosted the weekly Coke RTR Top 20 countdown on TV2 from 2000 to 2003, appeared in advertising campaigns, and recorded an unreleased single titled "Do It" under Sony.
Keri Harper chose to keep a low profile following TrueBliss; although she recorded 'Atmosphere' produced by Che Fu, it was never officially released. She took part in theatrical performances including a role alongside Michael Barrymore in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Harper also competed in Pop's Ultimate Star in 2007 but was eliminated first.
Reformation
In 2012, TrueBliss reunited with members Megan Alatini, Joe Cotton, Keri Harper, and Erica Takacs to produce a charity single benefiting the New Zealand Child Cancer Foundation. Their track, titled A Minute of One Day, was showcased live during a netball match between the Northern Mystics and NSW Swifts and subsequently made available on iTunes on 20 July 2012. All earnings from this release were donated to the foundation. Carly Binding, who had a relationship with former Kiwi league athlete Matthew Ridge and became a mother in 2010, chose not to participate in the reunion following their split in 2014.
Album
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||
| 1999 | Dream |
|
1 | NZ: 2× Platinum |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 1999 | "Tonight" | 1 | Dream |
| 1999 | "Number One" | 12 | |
| 2000 | "Freedom" | — | |
| 2012 | "A Minute of One Day" | — | Non-album single |
| "—" indicates a track that did not chart or was not released in that market. | |||