Claire Richards

British singer Claire Richards first rose to prominence as a member of Steps, the wildly successful five-piece pop act of the late 1990s, before she and Ian “H” Watkins exited in 2001. After the group’s 2011 reunion proved durable, she gradually launched an independent path that culminated in the 2018 release of her debut solo single “On My Own,” whose polished, retro-tinged pop style highlighted her formidable vocal range.

Born in 1977 and raised in Hillingdon, west London, Richards entered the music industry in 1995 with the short-lived girl group TSD, which notched a pair of modest U.K. chart entries. Once that project folded, she took a receptionist job until an audition secured her place in Steps. The quintet’s buoyant, hook-driven sound generated immediate international demand; within three years the band had circled the globe, amassed a string of hit singles, and moved millions of copies of its first three albums, the second of which, Steptacular, topped the U.K. chart. The run ended abruptly in 2001 when Richards and Watkins departed to form the duo H & Claire, whose three U.K. Top Ten singles and sole album, Another You Another Me, appeared in 2002 before the partnership dissolved the next year.

Richards then stepped away to start a family. She resurfaced publicly in 2008 on a reality weight-loss program, where she disclosed past struggles with depression and an eating disorder. In 2011 she competed on the television contest Popstar to Operastar, placing third and earning praise for her rendition of the demanding “Der Hölle Rache” (“Queen of the Night” aria) from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. That same year Steps re-formed, documented their return in a reality series, issued a greatest-hits collection, and followed with the 2012 Christmas album before pausing activities so each member could explore solo work. Richards issued only two interim recordings in 2015—stripped-down acoustic versions of the Steps tracks “One for Sorrow” and “Deeper Shade of Blue.” The group reconvened in 2017 for its fifth studio album, Tears on the Dancefloor, and a triumphant U.K. tour. Richards formally began her solo career the following year with “On My Own,” whose smooth, retro-influenced pop sound showcased her impressive vocal technique; the subsequent singles “Deep Waters” and “End Before We Start” continued in the same vein. Her first full-length project, My Wildest Dreams, was slated for release on Sony in February 2019.