Wednesday 26 December 2001 will be a day that every Steps fan in the world will never forget (see yesterday’s news items for all the sad details). I have had many thousand of e-mails and have spoken to practically everyone on on my AIM/MSN buddy lists. Also I’ve been speaking to those on the message board. Now, a day after this very sudden news, I have a few things to clear up, which will hopefully answer your e-mail questions (some of them anyway) – if you have e-mailed me and not had reply then you will get one, I promise.

The question that everyone is asking is about the future of this site. The future of GenSTEPS is currently undecided. I’ve yet to make a firm decision on what my – and the site’s – next steps are. I have a few ideas and plans but these will have to be discussed before a final, final decision is made. BUT until a final decision is made the website will remain 100% operational so sign up for the message board and discuss what YOU thought what happened.

People have also been asking me about what other pop groups I will now like. I’ve always had a wide range of tastes, so from now I am stuck with acts like Britney, Craig David, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child… and of course those haven’t had their split news moments either in 2001…

2001 was a bad year in popular music. Steps, 5ive, Savage Garden all called it a day. Mariah Carey signs a multi-million deal with Virgin then fails with every release, now on the verge of Virgin changing their contact with her. We had those TV acts created (many people are saying they won’t exist by the end of 2002 so if you are moving towards Hear’say or Liberty it might be wise to think again…)

Numerous other acts were either dropped or decided to stop… what does 2002 bring now? I guess garage music will die, people like So Solid will try and release more underground music and it won’t work and will die as another genre will move in… I can see the Nu-Metal scene getting huge (Linkin’ Park etc.) but at the end of the day POP will be here and will be here forever.

Now we are going to have those idiots from Westlife going “we told you so” etc… they are now easily the biggest group in the UK, now Steps and 5ive have gone. How sad that thought is. PLEASE JIVE do one thing right at get the Backstreet Boys to PROMOTE their next album here properly and make Westlife shut up… JIVE have to do this now for us… please Jive?!

It was truly a sad day yesterday, but there isn’t anything we can do about it now. Steps are no longer and we must move on – at our own paces – on to new acts – BUT NEVER forgetting Steps and the fun we had listening to their music, dancing at their shows and everything else.

Remember that we can probably get the album and single back inside the top 10, and possibly to number one! So make sure you buy your copy to support Steps!

Keep checking back here to GenSTEPS for the latest.