Dust off those Buffalo boots and get perfecting your best Posh Spice pout, 'cause the Spice Girls just announced some huge news.
We know, we know - over the years we've had a number of Spice Girls reunions. Remember when Scary, Ginger and Baby Spices launched their reunion project GEM in 2016? Geri Horner (nƩe Halliwell) said she "really pushed" for the girls to reunite and was the driving force behind the project, which launched a pro-looking website and new music (which was eventually leaked). But by the following year the group had fallen flat, with the music never officially leaked and Geri saying that ultimately, she couldn't go ahead with the plan without the full line-up.
But now, Two years after Geri , Mel C, Mel B and Emma Bunton took their Spice World 2019 Tour to stadiums, the girls have reunited with Victoria Beckham to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their smash debut single Wannabe; with a fancy #IAMASPICEGIRL global fan campaign to boot.
In July 1996 Scary, Sporty, Ginger, Baby and Posh Spice trust themselves upon an unsuspecting planet and unleashed their own brand of Girl Power, hitting number one in 31 countries and proving the soundtrack of a generation.
Now, 25 years later, the girls are releasing a celebratory Wannabe25 vinyl picture disc and cassette to honour the song's legacy.
Oh, and we're getting previously unreleased five-piece track Feed Your Love as a treat. Hoorah.
On July 23rd 2021, the Spice Girls will bring all the nineties nostalgia as they release a snazzy vinyl and cassette featuring their timeless debut single, previously-unreleased remixes and a track the group recorded with collaborators Richard 'Biff' Stannard and Matt Rowe during their first album sessions; Feed Your Love.
Brb, ordering both.
The Wannabe25 EP will also be available on streaming services and for digital download, which is all very modern. Chatting about the release, the Spice Girls collectively said, "The Spice Girls belong to everyone and thatās why we want to mark 25 years of āWannabeā by celebrating our incredible fans." Presumably in perfect harmony, while flipping peace signs and single-handedly destroying the patriarchy āš¼.
The band are also calling on fans to share their stories as part of the #IAMASPICEGIRLS campaign. Head over to the girls' socials for more info.
14 shocking facts you never knew about the Spice Girls:
14 shocking facts you NEVER knew about the Spice Girls
1 of 141. 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.
2 of 142. 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.
3 of 143. 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.
4 of 144. 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 ā and said we would never work. I like that fact."
5 of 145. 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.
6 of 146. 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.
7 of 147. The Wannabe video was BANNED in some parts of Asia
This was due to Mel B's erect nipples.
8 of 148. 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 (Ā£41,320) at a Hard Rock Cafe auction. It's since been spotted on display at a casino in the US.
9 of 149. 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.'"
10 of 1410. 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.
11 of 1411. They were Nelson Mandela's 'heroes'
His words!
12 of 1412. 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.
13 of 1413. 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."
14 of 1414. 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.
This all comes after Emma Bunton assured fans the girls are desperate to get back on tour again soon.
Speaking to Chris Moyles on Radio X, she teased, "We started talking about maybe doing some more and then lockdown happened, which is such a shame.
"Iām dying to do it again. Iām waiting to see whatās going on in the world. You canāt book anything yet, so weāre waiting for that moment, but Iām sure that will happen when we can."
Mel C also teased exciting plans to celebrate Wannabe's 25th anniversary recently, telling Pop Shop Podcast, "Itās high on the agenda for us girls. I mean, since we did the tour in 2019, I have just been like, āmore shows, more showsā
"And, you know, obviously that isnāt something thatās gonna happen this year, sadly. So, again, a big old rethink."