Steps (pop group)

Steps
Steps performing live at their Party on the Dancefloor Tour at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, November 2017. From left to right: Ian "H" Watkins, Lisa Scott-Lee, Claire Richards, Lee Latchford-Evans & Faye Tozer
Background information
Origin	London, United Kingdom
Genres	Pop, dance-pop
Discography	Albums and singles songs
Years active	1997–2002, 2011–2012, 2017–present
Labels	Jive Sony Steps Warner Absolute Fascination Polydor Universal BMG LiveHereNow
Spinoffs	H & Claire
Members	Lee Latchford-Evans Claire Richards Lisa Scott-Lee Faye Tozer Ian "H" Watkins
Website	stepsofficial.co.uk

Steps are a British dance-pop group consisting of Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer and Ian "H" Watkins. They were formed in May 1997 and achieved two number-one albums in the UK, 14 consecutive UK top-5 singles including two number ones (one a double A-side). The group has sold over 22 million records worldwide, 15 million albums worldwide.^[1]In-addition to earning a BRIT Award nomination in 1999, for Best Newcomer, the group would be an opening support act for Britney Spears on her debut American tour the same year. When Richards and Watkins departed to form a recording duo, the group disbanded, on 26 December 2001 (officially). Their penultimate single reached No. 5 on the UK charts, while their final album of greatest hits, Gold (2001), was the group's second No. 1 album in the UK.

Steps re-formed in May 2011 for a four-part Sky Living documentary series titled Steps: Reunion. The series started airing on 28 September, following an announcement of a second greatest-hits album, The Ultimate Collection, released on 10 October 2011. The album debuted at No. 1, becoming the band's third album to top the British charts. The second series of Steps: Reunion, titled "Steps: On the Road Again", aired on Sky Living in April 2012; the series followed the band as they embarked on their sellout, 22-date UK tour. On 24 September 2012, the group confirmed they would release their fourth studio album, Light Up The World, on 12 November 2012, alongside a six-date Christmas tour, starting on 30 November and ending on 5 December.^[2] The group re-formed for a second time on 1 January 2017 in celebration of their 20th anniversary, and later announced their fifth studio album, Tears on the Dancefloor, which was released in April 2017.

Steps' sixth studio album, What the Future Holds, was released on 27 November 2020.^[3] It was preceded by three singles, the title song "What the Future Holds", "Something in Your Eyes" and "To the Beat of My Heart". Their seventh studio album, What the Future Holds Pt. 2, with 10 new tracks, four stripped-back versions of songs and a new sound for some tracks,^[4] was released in 2021. The band's third compilation album, Platinum Collection was released in August 2022, and debuted at number 1 in the UK, making Steps the first British, mixed-gender group to achieve four number 1 albums in four different decades.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Steps has been certified for sales of 5 million albums and 4.8 million singles in the UK.^[5]