Wonderland

Following <a href="spotify:artist:7d3dxuxUfim7YNWGsg2pAq">Bellefire</a>'s failure to compete with the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:7rZNSLWMjTbwdLNskFbzFf">Sugababes</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:12EtLdLfJ41vUOoVzPZIUy">Girls Aloud</a>, 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 <a href="spotify:artist:5Z1CCuBsyhEHngq3U5IraY">Westlife</a> 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 <a href="spotify:artist:0uq5PttqEjj3IH1bzwcrXF">Spice Girls</a> copycats <a href="spotify:artist:6u7Xu6msBBuSXGyl60BuQF">Girl Thing</a> and teen soap opera Hollyoaks -- signed a six-figure deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mercury+Records%22">Mercury Records</a> 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 <a href="spotify:artist:5Z1CCuBsyhEHngq3U5IraY">Westlife</a>'s Where We Are tour, and a performance at the Isle of Wight Festival. After opening for <a href="spotify:artist:6X9aYHnQ75YI8o08aoa0iS">Boyzone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3whuHq0yGx60atvA2RCVRW">Olly Murs</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:06HL4z0CvFAxyc27GXpf02">Taylor Swift</a> 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 <a href="spotify:artist:1XgFuvRd7r5g0h844A5ZUQ">Take That</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:1NCH3NhzIufLfHz32GLAzM">Mark Owen</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:56nsnLy1bxG0sNYiAQ8X5e">Andy Hill</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:1qAuetfG6mhtDgsVIffWQc">Susan Boyle</a>), and <a href="spotify:artist:7iWYCIyfxwVyVae6u7qJaO">Bob Clearmountain</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:2HcwFjNelS49kFbfvMxQYw">Robbie Williams</a>), and cover versions of <a href="spotify:artist:32WkQRZEVKSzVAAYqukAEA">Lady Antebellum</a>'s "I Need You Now" and <a href="spotify:artist:2qc41rNTtdLK0tV3mJn2Pm">Ryan Adams</a>' "When the Stars Go Blue," was released in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi