* En anglais uniquement
Following Bellefire's failure to compete with the likes of
Sugababes and
Girls Aloud, Irish five-piece
Wonderland were The X-Factor judge Louis Walsh's second attempt to muscle in on the girl band market. Chosen by the pop svengali and
Westlife vocalist Kian Egan from over 700 Dublin auditionees, Sharon Condon, Corrina Durran, Leigh Learmont, Kasey Smith, and Jodi Albert -- the last formerly of
Simon Cowell's flop
Spice Girls copycats Girl Thing and teen soap opera Hollyoaks -- signed a six-figure deal with Mercury Records in 2008 after making their first TV appearance on The Late Late Show. Two years later, the group eventually launched with a behind-the-scenes ITV2 documentary, Louis Walsh & Kian Egan's Next Big Thing, a support slot on
Westlife's Where We Are tour, and a performance at the Isle of Wight Festival. After opening for
Boyzone,
Olly Murs, and
Taylor Swift on their U.K. tours, they embarked on a nationwide school tour, and released their first single, "Not a Love Song," which was swiftly followed by their Introduction to Wonderland EP. Their self-titled debut album, featuring songs written by
Take That's
Mark Owen,
Andy Hill (
Susan Boyle), and
Bob Clearmountain (
Robbie Williams), and cover versions of
Lady Antebellum's "I Need You Now" and
Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue," was released in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien