Amid a seeming explosion in the number of tougher looking girl groups two years ago, three glamorous and gorgeous twentysomethings got together in England to release an album that celebrated the joys of having a good time.
Rouge, made up of Indian-looking singers (and not to be confused with the Brazilian girl quartet of the same name), and their self-titled debut album were the subject of much hype, and their first single, Don't Be Shy, became a minor hit not just in Indo-centric circles, but in Britain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
One of the founding members, Amrita Hunjan, says: 'We're all actually mixed. I'm the only one who is Indian, the other two are Egyptian [Laura Ismail] and Lebanese [Legha Yusuf]. We were brought together by our label to create a girl band from the east with a rich cultural mix.'
Rouge are set to add a touch of spice to the city's Diwali party circuit this Saturday at The Viceroy in Wan Chai, where they will perform songs from their debut album and soon-to-be-released second effort.
What makes Rouge so relatable is that they offer something for everyone. 'Honestly, we don't really think about [how we're labelled by the media] too much. Our job is to make great music and songs. It takes time for the public to realise what you actually are and what you represent,' Yusuf says.
With just one album under their belts and work on the follow-up progressing well, Rouge are still trying to gain a foothold in an increasingly competitive music market. 'We don't feel there are any challenges. We enjoy being together making music and until the three of us are unhappy, we'll continue to do so. Minimum success, major success - it's just exciting being in a band travelling the world, going into the studio making songs and shooting videos,' Yusuf says. 'Of course, we want to be as successful as we can and in a lot of ways we're already happy with our situation.'
Rouge's palpable oomph factor has helped them earn plenty of airplay on music television stations, but success might have come slower than it could have as they've put their music careers on hold intermittently while finishing their university studies.