Emma Bunton announces new solo album including some HUGE duets

We're getting a brand new version of a Spice Girls classic 🙌🏽

Emma Bunton

by Carl Smith |
Updated on

As if Emma Bunton wasn't busy enough preparing for the Spice Girls' mammoth UK stadium tour this summer (three months to go, huns) she's just announced her first solo album in over 12 years.

My Happy Place - set to be released on 12th April 2019 - will see Baby Spice duet with some huge stars including Will Young, her partner Jade Jones and Robbie Williams on a very special cover of Spice classic 2 Become 1.

Emma Bunton
©Emma Bunton

The album's a collection of 10 songs Emma's recorded over the past two years with pop producer pioneers Metrophonic; with the first release being brand new original track Baby Please Don't Stop.

The song sees Emma return to that classic sixties sound she nailed with her Free Me album back in 2004, was written co-written with Paul Barry and Patrick Mascall and will be released this Wednesday February 27th.

Chatting about the album, Emma said: "The reason I called the album My Happy Place is because my happy place is with my family, with my friends, listening to music and being in the studio. All those things came together on this album.

Emma Bunton
©Emma Bunton

"While recording it my kids came to the studio, my friends came down, my mum listened to every song over and over again. Being in the studio I just feel so happy.

"As you get older you feel more confident because actually your priorities change, and my family have become my focus, but this album is like the icing on the cake. Being able to write, record and perform is definitely that extra sprinkle of magic."

BELOW: 14 facts you NEVER knew about the Spice Girls

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14 shocking facts you NEVER knew about the Spice Girls

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

1. They were originally called Touch

When the girls first got together, they were called Touch. It wasn't until Geri thought to change their name to Spice that the band eventually agreed on Spice Girls.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

2. Geri MISSED the original audition

After getting sunburnt on a ski trip to Spain, she thought better than to turn up to the auditions with a red face. Thankfully then-manager Robert 'Bob' Herbert gave her a second chance when she called after the original search.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

3. Emma wasn't in the original line-up

Baby Spice was last to join the group after original member Michelle Stephenson quit the band in 1994. Victoria went on to claim Michelle 'just couldn't be arsed' to put in the same work as the rest of the girls.

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4. They're Simon Cowell's 'biggest regret'

Speaking to Jay Leno in 2013, Simon said: "Spice Girls is probably my biggest mistake," before explaining "I offered them a deal, but they didn't want to sign to me, so that kind of hurt at the time."Victoria doesn't agree with Simon's account, though. Claiming he passed up on their offer on Idol in 2009, she said: "He is the only man in the music industry who turned down the Spice Girls – and said we would never work. I like that fact."

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CREDIT: Instagram

5. They didn't come up with their own nicknames

That was the idea of former Top of the Pops Magazine editor Peter Lorraine back in 1996. It just stuck.

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CREDIT: Spice Girls

6. Wannabe almost wasn't their debut single

The girls have explained they had to fight for the pop classic to be their first single, while the record label reportedly wanted Love Thing. IMAGINE.

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CREDIT: YouTube

7. The Wannabe video was BANNED in some parts of Asia

This was due to Mel B's erect nipples.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

8. Geri's Union Jack dress made a FORTUNE

The infamous dress Ginger wore to perform Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are? at the 1997 BRIT Awards was sold at auction in 1998 for $68,000 (£41,320) at a Hard Rock Cafe auction. It's since been spotted on display at a casino in the US.

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9. Speaking of the Union Jack dress...

It was actually made of a 'boring' black Gucci dress - the outfit Geri was originally supposed to wear - and a Union Jack tea towel.Explaining how the look came about, Ginger's former stylist Emma Poole told The Telegraph: "Two nights before, Geri said, 'You know what, Emma? I'm not really comfortable with the dress I'm wearing, I've got a much better idea. I'm going around to my sister's, she's got these great Union Jack tea-towels. I'm going to make a dress.'"

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CREDIT: Spice Girls

10. Geri WROTE Goodbye

Sort of. Although the girls' third Christmas number 1 is thought to be written about Geri's departure, she was actually involved in the early stages of the track when it was intended to be included on the Spiceworld album. Mel C explains in the girls' autobiography Forever Spice: "Goodbye was originally about a relationship ending, but now it's about Geri and it's really sad."Ginger isn't credited as a writer for the released version of the track.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

11. They were Nelson Mandela's 'heroes'

His words!

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

12. Victoria's the only member WITHOUT a solo number 1

Out of Your Mind - her collaboration with True Steppers and Dane Bowers - was pipped to the post by Spiller's Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) back in August 2000. Oh, how we miss those big chart battles.

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CREDIT: YouTube

13. The Viva Forever video is DEEP

As the girls were too busy touring to film a video for Viva Forever - their last single featuring Geri - they turned to Aardman Animations for the treatment.In an interview with Crack magazine, director Steve Box explained that the video's about loss of youth. He said: "It's like the sadness of the song is leaving your childhood behind. "Pop music is all about sex and love, so becoming interested in that, you suddenly put the toys away, you start to grow up in a different way."

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CREDIT: YouTube

14. And the Spice Up Your Life video's pretty dark

An unreleased alternative ending to the video shows an erotic dancer in front of a 'SEXXXY SPICE GIRLS' sign, somebody seemingly choking and what appears to be a stack of dead bodies. YouTube it. It's SO WEIRD.

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