21st Century Girls

Lore & Background

The band formed in 1996 in Dudley, West Midlands, initially under the names Girl Power and She Devil. The original lineup included sisters Leanne Garner (vocals) and Fiona Garner (bass), guitarists Kate Turley and Meriam 'Mim' Mohammad, and drummer Charlotte Fendek. After Fendek left, Mohammad switched from guitar to drums. In 1999, when the members were aged 14–16, they became the first act signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings. A major publicity campaign preceded the release of their debut single, '21st Century Girls', in June 1999, which peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. The band released a Japan-only album and a Japan-only second single, 'Teenage Attack', before being dropped by their label in 2000, leading to their disbandment. Kate Turley later formed the band The Fight.

Reader's Guide

21st Century Girls represent a brief but notable moment in late-1990s British pop, as the first signing to Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings—a label that would later manage the Spice Girls and other acts. Their debut single charted modestly at number 16, and their album and second single were released only in Japan, limiting their commercial impact. The band's rapid rise and fall within a year highlights the volatile nature of the teen pop market at the time. Their inclusion on the soundtrack for the film Anywhere But Here and on compilation albums such as Now That's What I Call Music! 10 indicates some industry support. However, their legacy is primarily as a footnote in the history of 19 Recordings and as a precursor to later all-female bands like The Fight, formed by guitarist Kate Turley. The band's short lifespan and limited discography—one UK single, one Japan-only album, and one Japan-only single—underscore the challenges faced by young acts in a competitive industry.

Did You Know?

• The band was originally called Girl Power and She Devil before settling on 21st Century Girls.
• Drummer Charlotte Fendek left the band, and guitarist Meriam 'Mim' Mohammad moved to drums.
• Their debut single reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1999.

Formation & Teenage Identity

Founded in 1996 in Dudley, West Midlands, 21st Century Girls were a teenage all-female band who cycled through two earlier names—Girl Power and She Devil—before settling on the title that would define their brief commercial run. The original five-member lineup paired singer Leanne Garner with her sister Fiona on bass, added guitarists Kate Turley and Meriam 'Mim' Mohammad, and placed Charlotte Fendek behind the drums. As the group's configuration evolved, Fendek departed and Mohammad transitioned from guitar to drums, a shift that locked in the final roster the world would come to know. By the time the band entered the national spotlight in 1999, every member was between fourteen and sixteen years old, making them a strikingly young act for the British music scene. Their origins in the West Midlands and their all-female, teenage composition set them apart in a landscape where such groups were rare, and the name changes in their early years hinted at a collective still forging its identity before the industry machinery took hold.

The Simon Fuller Signing & Debut Single

In 1999, the still-teenage group achieved a notable milestone by becoming the first artist ever signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings label. The signing was followed by a large-scale publicity campaign designed to build anticipation before the band's commercial debut. That anticipation was delivered in June 1999 with the release of their self-titled single, '21st Century Girls,' backed by 'If You're Mad Enough,' distributed through the 19 Recordings/EMI partnership. The track climbed to number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart, a solid achievement for a group whose members were still in their mid-teens. The fact that Fuller chose them as the inaugural signing for his imprint suggests he saw considerable potential in the Dudley-based five-piece. For a band that had been operating under earlier names just a few years prior, the combination of a marquee label debut, a national advertising push, and a top-twenty chart placement represented a remarkable convergence of industry attention and teenage ambition in the space of a single summer.

Discography & Compilation Appearances

Although their commercial window was confined largely to 1999, 21st Century Girls produced a compact but varied discography. Their sole album, self-titled and released on 19 Recordings/EMI, was issued exclusively in Japan. On the singles front, the band put out '21st Century Girls'/'If You're Mad Enough' in the UK, where it reached number sixteen, and the Japan-only pairing 'Teenage Attack'/'Cats & Dogs.' Beyond their own releases, the group secured several notable compilation placements that year. Their song 'Scream And Shout' was included on the Atlantic-issued soundtrack to the motion picture Anywhere But Here. '21st Century Girls' appeared on both Now That's What I Call Music! 10 and the EMI Summer '99 (Shit Va' Hits!) 3XCD set, while 'Teenage Attack' was featured on the EMI Summer 1999 compilation. All of these releases carried the 19 Recordings/EMI or EMI/Chrysalis imprint, and together they ensured the band's music reached a broad audience across the UK and Japan during that single prolific year.

Disbandment & Aftermath

The band's commercial life was cut short when they were dropped by their record company in 2000, after which 21st Century Girls disbanded. The entire arc—from founding in 1996 under the names Girl Power and She Devil, through the lineup changes that saw Charlotte Fendek replaced by Meriam Mohammad on drums, to the 1999 signing and chart success—spanned barely four years, with the actual commercial activity compressed into a single year. In the aftermath, guitarist Kate Turley went on to form the band The Fight, continuing her path in the British music scene. The other members—Leanne Garner, Fiona Garner, and Mohammad—have no widely recorded musical projects following the split, leaving the group's legacy anchored almost entirely to that one intense year of 1999 releases, a top-twenty single, a Japan-only album, and a handful of compilation and soundtrack appearances. For fans who discovered them during that brief window, the band remains a footnote of mid-90s British pop defined by youth, speed, and a sudden, quiet ending.