The Saturdays started production of their debut album in May 2008. They were offered the chance to record songs that were rejected by Girls Aloud, with whom they shared a record label.[3] Their music is often compared to that of Girls Aloud and Sugababes. Band member Mollie King told the Daily Star, "We all thought it was a bit of a cheek. Why would we want their rejects? ... It's bad enough with all the comparisons being made".[3] The last track of Chasing Lights, "Why Me, Why Now", was originally a demo that was written and recorded by Alex Cartana but was later picked up by The Saturdays. The members of The Saturdays have no writing credits on the record but they do have writing credits on their subsequent albums.[citation needed]
Chasing Lights received a positive reception from music critics. Digital Spy called it a "consistently enjoyable debut album and said, "Their sassy, modern, chart-ready pop is more straightforward than most Girls Aloud singles and younger than the music Sugababes are now recording. The world, or at least the top ten, should be their oyster."[13]
Some critics referred to Chasing Lights as "a definite contender for pop album of the year".[citation needed] The album was number four on Popjustice's 2008 year-end chart of the best albums.[citation needed]
In the UK, Chasing Lights debuted at number eleven while in Ireland it debuted at number forty-nine. By April 2009, the album reached number thirty-four in Ireland. The album climbed from number fourteen to number nine in the UK on 25 January 2009. The album was certified Platinum in the UK on 6 November 2009.[14]