The Real Reason Why The Spice Girls Were So Short-Lived
For most of the late 1990s we were all living in a Spice World. The British musical phenomenon had conquered the globe with a winning blend of infectious pop, colorful personalities, and girl-power mantra. But like many of their pop predecessors, Spice Girls’ success appeared to be a case of too much, too soon; by the turn of the century they’d essentially waved goodbye to the charts. Here’s a look at how they “spiced up our lives” — and why they soon had to move over for a new generation of girlbands.
Next big thing
Victoria ‘Posh’ Adams, Melanie ‘Sporty’ Chisholm, Melanie ‘Scary’ Brown, Geri ‘Ginger’ Halliwell, and Emma ‘Baby’ Bunton first came together in 1993 after spotting an ad to find the next best thing in pop.
The last of these five was only a last-minute replacement: the original line-up had featured a young singer named Michelle Stephenson. Yet she was later given the boot after failing to fit in with the rest of the band.
Softies and snobs
In the Girl Power book released in 1997 the group all revealed their first impressions of one another. Geri was labeled a “complete nutter” by Melanie C, Emma, and Victoria.
The trio then added, “She had her hair in bunches and was wearing a pink fluffy jumper and saying, ‘Look, look – I’m a duck!’” Melanie B, meanwhile, described Emma and Victoria as a “softie” and “snob,” respectively.
Girl power
You could never accuse the Spice Girls of not putting their money where their mouths were. In an early display of girl power, the five-piece soon decided to ditch the management team behind the concept and strike out on their own.
It initially looked like they had made a great error: in fact, they spent two years failing to land a record contract. But in 1995 their instinct for independence finally paid off handsomely.
Wannabe
Yes, the girls eventually bagged a deal with major label Virgin Records and signed with Simon Fuller, the pop guru who’d guided the career of Annie Lennox. They released their debut single, “Wannabe,” in the summer of 1996.
And thanks to its hook-laden sound, brilliantly nonsense lyrics — including the infamous “zig-a-zig-ah” — and eye-catching video, the song reached number one in the U.K. It stayed there for seven weeks and pretty soon, every other country had become enamored by it, too.
Multiple number ones
And the Spice Girls soon proved they were no one-hit wonders. While “Wannabe” was still in the charts, they scored a second number in their homeland with “Say You’ll Be There.”
And then to cap off an incredible six months, they achieved the first of three consecutive Christmas chart-toppers with the ballad “2 Become 1.” By this point, they’d also reached pole position in the U.K. with their debut album, Spice.
BRIT Awards
One of Spice Girls’ most iconic moments came at the BRIT Awards in 1997. Not only did the group win two gongs at the ceremony, they also opened the show with a memorable performance in which Geri sported a Union Jack dress.
You might not be aware that the eye-catching fashion statement had been made by the singer’s sister out of tea towels! That dress was sold for approximately $50,000 a year later.
Conquering the States
The five members, who were now fast becoming better known by the nicknames given them to by Top of the Pops magazine, then did what very few British pop acts had done at the time: they conquered the United States.
Yes, “Wannabe” also reached the top of the Hot 100, while its parent album achieved the same feat on the Billboard 200. Striking while the iron was hot, the girls then headed into the studio and onto a film set.
Spiceworld
That’s right: to further bolster their world dominance, Spice Girls released both a second studio album and a feature film named Spiceworld. And unsurprisingly, both were smashes. The former added the likes of “Spice Up Your Life,” “Too Much,” and “Viva Forever” to their list of chart-toppers.
Meanwhile, the latter took an impressive $56 million at the box office. But just when you thought the group were infallible, along came a massive bombshell which sent fans into meltdown.
Ginger Spice leaves the building
In the early summer of 1998 — just two years after the Spice Girls had emerged on to the pop scene — Geri revealed that she was leaving the band. Exhaustion was initially given as an explanation.
But the singer herself later revealed that being forced to turn down an interview about her teenage breast cancer scare had been the catalyst. She said, “I couldn’t believe it. This was about saving lives. I knew then it was over with the band: Ginger Spice was no more.”
Kick in the teeth
It’s fair to say that the remaining members reacted in different ways to the news of Geri’s departure. In the Forever Spice book, Emma remarked, “We’d done a lot of shows in Europe but we were really quite nervous about [touring] America, so it was a bit of a kick in the teeth, really.”
Victoria, on the other hand, managed to see the positive side. She said, “There was one big plus — for the first time ever, I got to sing on “Wannabe.’”
Soldiering on
Emma, Victoria, and the two Melanies initially decided to carry on as a foursome, embarking on a world tour and releasing a song believed to be about the artist formerly known as Ginger Spice’s departure, “Goodbye.”
The latter became their third consecutive U.K. Christmas number one, equaling a record held by The Beatles. But it soon became clear that all four members, just like the departed Geri, also had solo careers in mind.
Solo starts
Melanie B was the first to venture outside the band, recording a U.K. number one duet with R&B innovator Missy Elliott, “I Want You Back.” Melanie C was the next, collaborating with Bryan Adams on “When You’re Gone.”
But the first solo Spice album appeared courtesy of Geri in 1999. Schizophonic spawned three chart-topping singles in Britain including “Bag It Up,” “Mi Chico Latino,” and “Lift Me Up.”
Chart battles
By this point, the group were becoming just as renowned for their private lives as their music. Victoria married England international soccer star David Beckham in the summer of 1999. And just a few months earlier, Melanie B had become the first Spice mum with the birth of daughter Phoenix Chi
Later that same year, Melanie C dropped her solo debut Northern Star and Emma got into a chart battle with her former bandmate when Tin Tin Out collaboration “What I Am” was released the same week as Geri’s “Lift Me Up.”
R&B reinvention
After a Christmas tour at the turn of the millennium, the Spice Girls entered the studio with Janet Jackson hitmakers Jam and Lewis and the producer of the moment Rodney Jerkins. The result was Forever, a far less poppier affair than their first two efforts.
But although lead single “Holler” added to their tally of number-one singles back home, the album failed to connect in the same way. In fact, it only reached No.39 in the United States. For a good seven years, this would be the last bit of Spice Girls activity. So why did it all go so wrong so quickly?
Over-exposed?
Well, one of the theories is that the group became so over-exposed that all their casual fans simply jumped ship. After all, the girls had released three albums in four years, made a film, as well as appearing on just about every TV show under the Sun.
You couldn’t walk into a British supermarket without seeing their faces and girl-power gestures staring back at you, either, and we’re not just talking about the magazine and CD aisles.
Multiple endorsements
From spray deodorants and potato chips to soft drinks and even Polaroid camera, you name it, and it’s likely that Spice Girls had put their famous faces to it during their imperial phase.
The number of sponsorship deals they amassed might have helped them all become millionaires several times over. But it seemed as though the group, or their advisers, had also failed to realize that sometimes you have to leave your audience wanting more.
Pop peers
Then there was the fact that the sound of pop music had moved on significantly since they’d burst onto the scene in 1996. If you wanted pure pop, then you now looked toward the epic productions of Max Martin for the likes of Backstreet Boys, N Sync, and Britney Spears.
And several girl bands who had ridden the coattails of Spice Girls, such as closest rivals All Saints, were making music now deemed to be much cooler and far more credible, too.
Rock and a hard place
Spice Girls were therefore caught between a rock and a hard place. If they stuck to the sounds of Spice and Spiceworld, they’d be accused of being stuck in a time warp.
Yet on the other hand, if they tried to mature their sound, they’d be accused of jumping on a bandwagon. You only have to look at the divisive reaction to the R&B of Forever for proof of the latter.
Calling it quits
Even the girls themselves seemed utterly fed up by the whole Spice Girls experience by the time they called it quits in February 2001. After all, they’d barely promoted their “comeback” album.
And when they did, such as at the ill-fated London launch party, they came across as foul-mouthed and ill-tempered. In fact, Melanie C, in particular, acted as though the group represented something of an inconvenient interruption to her solo exploits.
Clashing release dates
For some unexplained reason, Melanie B decided to release her first studio effort, Hot, just a few weeks before Forever hit the shelves: in the event, this proved an unfathomable decision which did neither record any favors.
Melanie C also dropped “If That Were Me” — the fifth single from Northern Star — at around the same time. Emma and Victoria, on the other hand, at least had the patience to wait until the following years.
Success and failure
Yes, Emma got round to launching her solo career properly with 2001’s A Girl Like Me, reaching number one in the U.K. with lead single “What Took You So Long?”
The last member to try and make it on her own was arguably the group’s most famous. But Victoria’s first and only solo album, which she named eponymously, barely made a dent in the charts.
It’s Raining Men
All five original Spice Girls continued to pursue their solo careers throughout the 2000s with mixed success. Geri enjoyed massive success across Europe with her cover version of The Weather Girls’ disco classic “It’s Raining Men.”
It was a song she’d recorded for the movie adaptation of Bridget Jones’ Diary. And Emma released possibly the most acclaimed solo Spice album with 2004’s Free Me: stylistically, the music was a throwback to the Swinging Sixties.
First comeback
But the appetite for the Spice Girls as a group remained strong. And after years of a rumored reunion, the original line-up decided to put any drama behind them and join forces once again.
Not only did they release an official greatest-hits compilation, they also headed out for a world tour. But comeback single “Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)” failed to repeat their glory days, only just scraping the Hot 100 and peaking at No.11 in the U.K.
Viva Forever!
Even this wasn’t the end of the Spice Girls story, though. Three years later, the group worked with comedy royalty Jennifer Saunders to bring a jukebox musical based on their back catalog to the West End.
Unfortunately, the press had their knives out for its opening and Viva Forever! closed after just seven months. A show-stealing performance at the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony in London, though, reminded everyone just what a perfect pop group they had been.
Second reunion
This would be the last time that Victoria performed with the rest of the group, though. The fashion designer decided against joining the rest of her bandmates for another reunion tour, this time staged in 2019.
Speaking to The Guardian about her no-show, Victoria admitted, “I’m sure when they are on stage, a part of me will feel a bit left out. Because a part of me will always be a Spice Girl.”
Fashion designer
Of course, by this point, Victoria had chosen to cleverly reinvent herself as one of the celebrity world’s most sought-after fashion designers. And in 2008 she even founded her own eponymous label.
Then 11 years later, the polymath launched her own self-titled beauty brand. Victoria’s very famous family has also helped to keep her in the spotlight, too, and we’re not just talking about David here, either.
Brooklyn Beckham
Yes, Victoria and David’s oldest child Brooklyn Beckham has become something of a nepo baby, trying his hand at everything from photography to cookery without showing much prowess at anything.
He’s now a married man, himself, of course, having walked down the aisle with actress Nicola Peltz. Victoria’s other children, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper, have also become regular fixtures in the U.K. tabloid press.
Ugenia Lavender
As for Geri, well once her solo career had stalled with 2005 flop Passion, the singer decided to pursue other avenues. She wrote a series of children’s books based on the character Ugenia Lavender.
The star also took judging roles on various TV talent shows and made the odd acting appearance. That’s Geri playing race-car driver Jann Mardenborough’s mother Lesley in the high-octane action movie Gran Turismo.
The domestic life
In her family life, Geri is now a mother of two. She first became a parent in 2006 with the birth of Bluebell, the daughter she shares with Sacha Gervasi.
And then 11 years later, she and husband Christian Horner welcomed a son, Montague, into the world. Take a look at her Instagram account and it’s more likely to be filled with photos of domestic life than any star-studded events.
Tabloid favorite
Melanie B has become the Spice Girl you’re most likely to find in the tabloids. After all, the singer has had very public divorces from Jimmy Gulzar and Stephen Belafonte. And she had her second child, Angel, with A-lister Eddie Murphy.
Melanie has also been recognized for her tireless charity work in the field of campaigning against domestic violence, receiving an MBE in 2022. The star is now engaged to hairstylist Rory McPhee.
Brutally honest
Although she’s occasionally returned to the studio, most of Melanie B’s post-Spice career has revolved around television. She’s appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and multiple versions of The Masked Singer.
The star has also served as a judge on America’s Got Talent, and even had her own reality TV series, It’s a Scary World. Melanie B has also found the time to write several memoirs, including Brutally Honest.
Stable relationship
Emma has perhaps had the most stable personal life since the Spice Girls first called it a day in 2001. The “What Took You So Long?” singer is still married to Jade Jones, the singer with boyband Damage whom she began dating back in the late 1990s.
And the longtime couple have two children together, Tate and Beau, too. But they took their time becoming husband and wife. In fact, they only made it down the aisle in 2021!
Happy place
Emma returned to the solo fray in 2019 with her belated fourth studio album My Happy Place. But like Melanie B, her main career focus in recent years has been on the small screen.
She’s worked as a judge on Dancing on Ice, finished third in her series of Strictly Come Dancing, and took presenting duties on The Great American Baking Show. Emma has also got into the publishing world, writing a book about motherhood called Mama You Got This.
Red Girl Records
But it’s Melanie C who’s had the most fruitful solo career of all the girls. She’s released no fewer than eight studio efforts in the last 25 years, recently returning to the U.K. Top Ten with her self-titled album.
The artist formerly known as Sporty Spice has also founded her own Red Girl Records label, taken to the stage for Blood Brothers, and appeared in the season 30 cast of Dancing with the Stars.
Spice mum
Melanie C is also a Spice mum, having given birth to daughter Scarlet in 2009. After splitting from the latter’s father Thomas Starr, the “I Turn to You” singer spent seven years in a relationship with Joe Marshall.
The couple eventually decided to call it a day in 2022. But Melanie soon hit the dating scene again and is now seeing Cassius Colman, a man with whom she’d previously been friends.
Lockdown catch-up
In 2020 the band nearly broke the internet when all five members were pictured together during the pandemic. Shortly after, Emma explained on her radio show that it had simply been a social catch-up.
The star revealed, “Now you may think we propped up a bar somewhere or had drinks in the garden but no. We went on a social-distancing walk in the woods.”
Another reformation?
But could the Spice Girls return to cause more havoc on the pop scene again? Well, it’s not completely out of the question. In late 2023 Geri revealed to British chat show This Morning that she’d be open to another reunion.
The former Ginger Spice said, “At some point, I think that’s a really good idea. The Spice Girls belongs to everyone and it deserves to be celebrated. When the time is right, whatever the date is.”
“Gift that keeps on giving”
And Melanie B fueled the same rumors just a month later when she appeared on Today with Hoda and Jenna. The singer cryptically told the hosts, “Well, I’ve been saying this forever.”
“But now we’re actually going to be releasing some really good news in about a few weeks that involves all five of us... It’s going to be the gift that keeps on giving, without saying too much about it.”
Glastonbury performance
Some fans will be hoping that this “really good news” will relate to the girls playing one of the world’s biggest music festivals. After all, the Spice Girls have been tipped to headline Glastonbury for several years now.
And during her appearance at the British cultural institution in 2023 Melanie C had argued that she and the rest of her bandmates would “go down a storm here.” Whatever happens, it seems unlikely that we’ve heard the last of the Spice Girls.