1. Something In Your Eyes (It just feels like the ultimate Steps song that you'd dream up, and the fact it came this late in their career, and was a cover, makes it all the more special in a way. So many times artists come back and just fail to reach their original highs).
2. Heartbreak In This City (From the moment I heard this on the album I knew it had to be a single. It's just so addictive and catchy and I love the slightly '80s vibe. I prefer it without Michelle but totally understand what they were doing from a profile perspective and applaud it!)
3. Take Me For A Ride (I find the lack of love for this one quite baffling. Claire's vocals on the chorus are sensational, it's a whole now sound of them while still sounding distinctly Steps. I agree the longer intro enhances it massively. Also love the glossy editorial video and they all look sensational).
4. Scared Of The Dark (The perfect comeback single as we all know. Yet I revisit it less than the Future singles!)
5. What The Future Holds (I can never decide if I prefer this or Scared, they're so different, and I'm so glad they didn't do a re-thread of Scared to try to emulate it's success. I think the production on this is immaculate, and the video got me excited in a way that the Tears singles did not, it just felt glossier).
6. Story of A Heart (I adored this the first time I heard it, and I think it was a perfect choice for them, but I think I'd have liked the production to go a little harder. Still a gorgeous mid-tempo from them that stands up with the same from their original era).
7. The Slightest Touch (I'm in the minority in the sense that this one doesn't blow me away the way it does most fans, but I do like the kitchen sink production and totally understand why they enjoyed doing it. Not having a video was a bit of a mis-step though, I think that would have taken it to the next level).
8. Neon Blue (I always find the band's favourite songs to be amongst my least favourite, and also I find they tend to be the least "typically Steps-sounding songs". Despite being perfectly pleasant, I find Neon Blue to be a bit too sugary to be an iconic Steps song, for some reason it reminds me of Little Mix etc, a little more "This could be any pop act".
9. A Hundred Years of Winter (I think there was potential with this one, but the vocal split should have been a little different, cutting from Faye back to H after just a few lines seemed a bit of an odd move. I do appreciate the glacial electro production though).
10. Hard 2 Forget (I think this is a flat, limp and lifeless track, the chorus just doesn't do anything and I would have much preferred if they gone all out with The Runner with an OTT video in the fashion of Chain Reaction and Tragedy. To me that was the perfect way to mark a new Greatest Hits era, rather than such a damp squib cover of an already lethargic song).
11. Dancing With A Broken Heart (I think trying to force this to be a disco track in a Scared Part 2 fashion ruined this song, as the Delta original is beautiful. The chorus just feels rushed and phoned-in. I do enjoy some of the more unusual production choices in the verses, but overall this was a big miss for me).
12. To The Beat Of My Heart (This one has always seemed like a total racket to me, I've actively skipped it, which I can't recall doing with any Steps songs, I find it too shrill and the production to be too "noisy". What I find really interesting, is that a lot of non-Steps pop fans love it, and I don't actually think it has the hallmarks of a Steps song. I don't think Xenomania were a great fit for them in retrospect.
Sorry, that was a bit indulgent. This gets me to thinking, what sound would you like to hear Steps return with on any potential future record? My dream would be for a '70s-inspired album with lots of original disco tracks, something very cohesive and streamlined that would feel grown-up while staying true to the Steps sound. I even think the laidback disco of "It May Be Winter Outside" was such a good fit for them, and there's a maturity to that sound that I'm sure the band would enjoy in terms of progression.