Girlbands are a hot topic at the moment. From the UK opting to send a girl band to Eurovision to the Little Mix solo careers and the upcoming BBC documentary Girlbands Forever looking back at some untold stories, the UK is ready and waiting to find out who is ready to take the next girl band crown. While FLO and Remember Monday have made headway, the launch of new act XO could see them having some stiff competition.

Having been formed by Polydor Records last year, the group have been out on the schools tour route to build their audience and have teased their newly found fans with two singles. A debut EP, Fashionably Late, lands on November 14 and to try solidify their new following ahead of its release, the group launch their first ever headline tour at the intimate o2 Academy 3 in Birmingham.

With the schools tour having proved a wise move, the young audience wait patiently from the 630 doors to an 8pm start without any support act to fill the gap. However, sing alongside to Huntrix and the Spice Girls easily fill the time.

Bouncing onto stage and launching into the anthemic Ponytail, which is destined to be their Wannabe (albeit not as an astronomically successful debut single), the group have the audience eating out of the palm of their hands as they work through a set of just 8 songs, the songs are instant and enjoyable.

With Clique, Rush Hour and current single Real Friends proving the stand outs, these girls have the look and the sound. Big label backing should see them soar to the top. They have the pop punch of the Spice Girls but with the R'n'B tinge of Mis-Teeq, but time alone will tell if they will be filed alongside Girl Thing or Sugababes in the success stakes.