Wannabe
"Wannabe" is the debut single by the English girl group the Spice Girls, released on 26 June 1996. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album, Spice, released in November 1996. "Wannabe" is a dance-pop song that features Mel B and Geri Halliwell rapping. The lyrics, which address the value of female friendship over heterosexual relationships, became a symbol of female empowerment and the most emblematic song of the group's girl power philosophy.[1] It was written and recorded quickly. The result was considered lacklustre by their label and was sent to be mixed by Dave Way. The Spice Girls were not pleased with the result, and the recording was mixed again, by Mark "Spike" Stent.
This article is about the song by Spice Girls. For other uses, see Wannabe (disambiguation)."Wannabe"
"Bumper to Bumper"
26 June 1996
December 1995
Strongroom, London
2:54
- Spice Girls
- Matt Rowe
- Richard Stannard
- Matt Rowe
- Richard Stannard
"Wannabe" was heavily promoted. Its music video, directed by Johan Camitz, became a success on the British cable network the Box, which sparked press interest in the group. Subsequently, the song had intensive radio airplay across England, while the Spice Girls performed it on television and began doing interviews and photo shoots for teen magazines.
Responding to the wave of interest, Virgin released the song as the Spice Girls' debut single in Japan in June 1996 and in the UK the following month, well ahead of the planned release of the Spice album. "Wannabe" topped the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks and has received a quadruple platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It was released in the United States in January 1997, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. It was the group's only number-one single in that country. By the end of 1996, "Wannabe" had topped the charts in 22 nations,[2] and by March 1997 this number had climbed to 37.[3][4]
Despite mixed reviews from critics, "Wannabe" won for Best British-Written Single at the 1997 Ivor Novello Awards and for British Single of the Year at the 1997 Brit Awards. "Wannabe" became the best-selling single by a girl group,[5] with 1,385,211 copies sold in United Kingdom by 2017,[6] 2,910,000 in the United States by 2014,[7] and more than 7 million copies worldwide by the end of 1997.[8][9] In a 2014 study it was found to be the most recognisable pop song of the last 60 years.[10] An EP, Wannabe 25, was released in 2021 for the single's 25th anniversary.
Recording and production[edit]
While most of the other songs on the Spice album required two or three days of studio time, "Wannabe" was recorded in less than an hour.[19] The solo parts were divided between Brown, Bunton, Chisholm, and Halliwell. Adams missed most of the writing session and communicated with the rest of the group on a mobile phone.[23] In her autobiography, she wrote: "I just couldn't bear not being there. Because whatever they said about how it didn't matter, it did matter. Saying 'Yes, I like that' or 'Not sure about that' down the phone is not the same." She contributed backing vocals and sings during the chorus.[23] Rowe stayed up all night working on the song, and it was finished by morning,[20] the only later addition was the sound of Brown's footsteps as she ran to the microphone.[18]
The group parted with Heart Management in March 1995 because of their frustration with the management company's unwillingness to listen to their visions and ideas.[14] The girls met with artist manager Simon Fuller, who signed them with 19 Entertainment.[24] The group considered a variety of record labels, and signed a deal with Virgin Records in July.[25] The original mix of "Wannabe" was considered lacklustre by Virgin executives.[26] Ashley Newton, who was in charge of A&R, sent the song to American producer Dave Way for remixing; the result was not what the group had hoped to achieve. As Halliwell later described it, "the result was bloody awful".[27] She elaborated in her second autobiography, Just for the Record: "Right at the beginning of the Spice Girls, ... Ashley Newton had tried to turn us into an R&B group ... He brought us jungle versions and hip-hop mixes and I hated them all. Although Mel B was a big fan of R&B, she agreed with me that these versions just didn't work so we exercised our Spice veto!"[28] Fuller gave the song to audio engineer Mark "Spike" Stent, who thought that it was a "weird pop record". Stent remixed it in six hours, in what he described as "tightening it up" and "getting the vocals sounding really good."[26]
Composition[edit]
"Wannabe" is a dance-pop song with influences of hip hop and rap.[1] Written in the key of B major, it is set in the time signature of common time and moves at a moderate tempo of 110 beats per minute.[29] It uses the sequence B–D–E–A–A♯ as a bass line during the refrain, the chorus, and the bridge, and uses a chord progression of F♯–G♯m–E–B for the verses.[29] The song is constructed in a verse-pre-chorus-chorus form, with a rapped bridge before the third and final chorus.[29] Musically, it is "energised" by a highly syncopated synthesised riff, and by the way the repetitive lyrics and rhythm are highlighted during the bridge.[30] "Wannabe" presents a different version of the traditional pop love song performed by females; its energetic, self-assertive style expresses a confident independence that is not reliant on the male figure for its continuance.[31]
The song opens with Halliwell's laugh,[32] followed by "undislodgeable piano notes" inspired by the Grease "Summer Nights" bassline.[33] The first lines of the refrain are rapped in a call and response interaction between Brown and Halliwell.[31][32] The words "tell", "really" and "I wanna" are repeated,[30] so that the vocal tone and lyrics build up an image of female self-assertion.[31] The refrain ends with the word "zigazig-ah", which musicologist Sheila Whiteley compared to the neologisms created by Lewis Carroll;[30] other writers have considered it a euphemism for female sexual desire, which is ambiguously sexualised or broadly economic.[34][35] The first verse follows; Chisholm, Bunton, Brown, and Halliwell sing one line individually, in that order. In this part, the lyrics have a pragmatic sense of control of the situation; they begin, "If you want my future, forget my past." This, according to Whiteley, taps directly into the emotions of the young teenage audience.[30]
During the chorus, the lyrics—"If you wanna be my lover/You gotta get with my friends"—address the value of female friendship over romantic relationships, while the ascending group of chords and the number of voices creates a sense of power that adds to the song's level of excitement.[31] The same pattern occurs, leading to the second chorus. Towards the end, Brown and Halliwell rap the bridge, which serves as a presentation to each of the girls' personalities.[1] The group repeats the chorus for the last time, ending the song with energetic refrains— "Slam your body down and wind it all around"—and the word "zigazig-ah".[32]
Critical reception[edit]
UK reviews[edit]
"Wannabe" received mixed reviews from UK music critics. Paul Gorman of Music Week called the group "smart, witty, abrasive and downright fun". He described the song as a "R&B-lite debut single", and noted influences from Neneh Cherry in it.[58] In a review conducted by the British pop band Deuce for Smash Hits magazine, the group described "Wannabe" as "limp", "awful", and "not strong enough for a debut single."[59] Kate Thornton, editor of Top of the Pops magazine, commented that the all-girl group idea was "not going to happen;" she considered it too threatening.[38] In her review for The Guardian, Caroline Sullivan called it a combination of "cute hip pop and a vaguely feminist lyric", she was also surprised that "considering the slightness of 'Wannabe,'" the group had an overwhelming amount of offers from record companies.[60]
NME characterised the song as "a combined force of Bananarama, Betty Boo and Shampoo rolled into one." Dele Fadele of the same magazine called the rap during the song's bridge "annoying", and added, writing of the group's music: "It's not good. It's not clever. But it's fun."[61] The magazine named "Wannabe" the worst single of the year at the 1997 NME Awards.[62] Conversely, it won for Best Single at the 1997 BRIT Awards,[63] and for International Hit of the Year and Best British-Written Single at the 1997 Ivor Novello Awards presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.[64] The song was ranked at number 33 in VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s",[65] and at number 111 on NME's 2011 list of "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[66]
US reviews[edit]
In the United States, reaction to the song was also mixed. In a review of the group's debut album, Edna Gundersen of USA Today said that "Wannabe" is "a melodious but disposable tune that typifies this debut's tart bubblegum and packaged sexiness."[67] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called it "insidiously snappy, ... [that] is shaping up as this year's 'Macarena.'"[68] Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune said that "'Wannabe' has UGH written all over it," adding that it was "relentlessly catchy and horrifyingly hummable".[69] The Buffalo News's Anthony Violanti called it "irresistible".[70] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe described it as a "maniacally zippy single",[71] and Stephanie Zacharek of Salon referred to it as an "unapologetically sassy dance hit".[72] Melissa Ruggieri of the Richmond Times-Dispatch commented that "based on their efficacious American debut single, ... the Spice Girls might be expected to deliver more of that zingy pop on their debut album," but she felt that "aside from 'Wannabe,' the album's dance tracks are color-by-numbers bland."[73] Larry Flick of Billboard magazine said that "fans of the more edgy girl-group ... may find this single too fluffy" but added that "everyone else with a love of tasty pop hooks, lyrical positivity, and jaunty rhythms is going to be humming this single for months to come."[74]
Some reviewers noticed the combination of musical genres. Christina Kelly from Rolling Stone magazine criticised the group's image, and added that their songs, including "Wannabe", were "a watered-down mix of hip-hop and cheesy pop balladry, brought together by a manager with a marketing concept."[75] Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly said that it was "more a compendium of music styles (from ABBA-style choruses to unconvincing hip hop) than an actual song,"[76] and Sara Scribner of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a bubblegum hip-hop confection of rapping lifted off Neneh Cherry and Monie Love albums."[77] Charles Aaron of Spin magazine called it "a quickie, mid-'80s teen paperback come to life ... so gooey it melts in your hands, not in your mouth" (an apparent reference to the M&M's slogan "melts in your mouth, not in your hands").[78] The song ranked at fifteenth in the American Pazz & Jop, a nationwide critics poll published by The Village Voice and conducted by its music editor Robert Christgau,[79] who called it "a classic".[80]
Contemporary reviews[edit]
Present-day reviews from critics, however, are mostly positive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that "none of the girls have great voices, but they do exude personality and charisma, which is what drives bouncy dance-pop like 'Wannabe,' with its ridiculous 'zig-a-zig-ahhh' hook, into pure pop guilty pleasure."[81] Dan Cairns of The Sunday Times said that the song "leaves a bad taste in the mouth: [because] the true legacy of Girl Power is, arguably, a preteen clothing industry selling crop tops and other minimal garments to young girls," but added that it "remains the same two minutes and 53 seconds of pop perfection that it ever was."[33] In a review of their Greatest Hits album, IGN said that after ten years it "still sound reasonably fresh",[82] while Digital Spy's Nick Levine said that "Wannabe" still remained an "exuberant calling card".[83] Billboard named the song #5 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time and the Best Pop Song of 1997.[84][85]
Legacy[edit]
As the Spice Girls' debut single, "Wannabe" has been credited for catapulting the band to global stardom[148] and ushering in "Spicemania" in the late 1990s.[149] Commentators have noted that the song and its accompanying video, both now considered modern pop classics,[127][150] served as a wonderful introduction to the band.[151] The Metro's Jon O’Brien concluded that: "From its lyrical themes of female solidarity to its insanely catchy pop hooks and mischief-making promo, the worldwide chart-topper encapsulated everything that made the group so spellbinding in the space of just two minutes and 52 seconds."[152] Digital Spy's Lewis Corner agreed, adding: "It's hard to imagine any other pop act managing to make this much of an impact so quickly and effortlessly ever again."[153]
"Wannabe" has also been credited with changing the mid-1990s pop music landscape,[151] pioneering the teen pop boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s.[127][154] Robert Copsey, editor at the UK's Official Charts Company explained: "There was nothing else quite like Wannabe on the radio back in summer 1996. Rock and dance music had been dominating the airwaves and charts for quite some time by that point. The Spice Girls struck at just the right moment with Wannabe; a gutsy, enthusiastic and unashamed pop song we'd all been craving without even realising it."[155]
"Wannabe" has been hailed as an "iconic girl power anthem".[156][157][158] In 2016, the United Nations' Global Goals "#WhatIReallyReallyWant" campaign filmed a global remake of the original music video to highlight gender inequality issues faced by women across the world. The video, which was launched on YouTube and ran in movie theatres internationally,[159] featured British girl group M.O, Canadian "viral sensation" Taylor Hatala, Nigerian-British singer Seyi Shay and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez lip-syncing to the song in various locations around the world, including a set of stairs reminiscent of the Midland Grand Hotel steps from the original music video.[160] The campaign also encouraged people from all over the world to use the hashtag "#WhatIReallyReallyWant", taken from the song's lyrics, to share what they wanted for girls and women by 2030.[161] In response to the campaign, Beckham said, "How fabulous is it that after 20 years the legacy of the Spice Girls’ girl power is being used to encourage and empower a whole new generation?"[159]
In 2014, a study at the University of Amsterdam with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, found that "Wannabe" is the most recognisable and catchy pop song of the last 60 years.[10] The study found that "Wannabe"’s simple and relentless melody was the key to its success, with lead musicologist Dr John Ashley Burgoyne concluding, "I would describe the song as truly relentlessly catchy. It's not that it has this one hook per se. It's quite ingeniously composed."[155] On Spotify, "Wannabe" was the most streamed 1990s song by a female group or artist in 2020.[162]
An EP, Wannabe 25, was released on 9 July 2021 to mark the 25th anniversary of "Wannabe". The EP included the previously unreleased demos of "Wannabe" and "Feed Your Love".[163]
On December 31, 2023, "Wannabe" reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. Spice Girls became the first British girl group to reach the milestone and the second girl group overall, along with Fifth Harmony's "Work from Home".
Cover versions[edit]
Cover versions of "Wannabe" have been included in the albums of various musical artists. In 1998 American retro-satirist duo the Lounge-O-Leers did a kitschy, lounge-inspired rendition of "Wannabe" for their debut album, Experiment in Terror.[164] British intelligent dance music producer µ-Ziq recorded a cover for his fourth album, Lunatic Harness.[165] The London Double Bass Sound recorded an instrumental version in 1999,[166] a dance remix was recorded by Jan Stevens, Denise Nejame, and Sybersound for the 1997 album Sybersound Dance Mixes, Vol. 2,[167] while an electronic version was recorded by the Street Girls for the 2005 album The World of Hits of the 80's.[168] In 1999 the song was used in "Weird Al" Yankovic's polka medley, "Polka Power!", for his tenth album, Running with Scissors.[169] Covers of the song in a punk style include a thrash parody version by British punk rock band Snuff for their 1998 EP, Schminkie Minkie Pinkie,[170] a punk rock version by Dutch band Heideroosjes for their 1999 album, Schizo,[171] and a pop punk cover by Zebrahead for their 2004 EP, Waste of MFZB.[172] In 2013, Brazilian funk carioca singers MC Mayara, MC Mercenária, MC Baby Liss and DZ MC released a version of the song, called "Mereço Muito Mais" (en: "I Deserve More"), and a music video inspired by the original.[173] The 2019 single "Spicy", by Diplo, Herve Pagez and Charli XCX, is a reworking of "Wannabe".[174]
"Wannabe" has also been covered in live concert sets by numerous musical artists, including Australian duo the Veronicas,[175] American rock band the Foo Fighters,[152] Filipina superstar Regine Velasquez[176] and American pop rock band DNCE.[177] K-pop girl group Girls' Generation covered the song on the popular South Korean radio program Super Junior Kiss the Radio in 2009[178] and did a live performance of the song on the South Korean television music program Kim Jung-eun's Chocolate in 2010.[179] In 2013, American girl group Fifth Harmony dressed up as the Spice Girls for Halloween and performed "Wannabe" at their New York show.[180] The performance was also uploaded on their official YouTube channel.[181] In April 2017, indie punk band the Tuts recorded and filmed a music video for their cover of "Wannabe".[182]
"Wannabe" has also been performed by the characters of various films. The cover versions of the song were included in the official soundtracks of Disney's 2005 animated film Chicken Little,[183] DreamWorks Animation's 2012 animated film Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted[184] and the 2004 American teen film Sleepover.[185][186]
"Wannabe" has also been covered in numerous TV shows. The characters Brittany (Heather Morris), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Marley (Melissa Benoist), Kitty (Becca Tobin) and Unique (Alex Newell) dressed up as the Spice Girls and performed the song on the 17th episode of the fourth season of Glee. In 2015, the song was sung by Ed Helms and the Muppets in the fourth episode of the first season of The Muppets TV series.[187] The song was also performed by Peter Griffin in the Family Guy episode "The New Adventures of Old Tom", and used in the ITV2 TV adverts for the programme's 14th season. The cast of Netflix's Fuller House also performed the song in the season one finale "Love Is in the Air".[188] "Wannabe" was performed, along with another Spice Girls song, "Say You'll Be There", with revised lyrics, in the second episode of the 41st season of Saturday Night Live by host Amy Schumer and cast members Cecily Strong and Taran Killam.[189] "Wannabe" has also been used in three episodes of Fox animated series The Simpsons; the song was sung by Homer Simpson in the episodes "Maximum Homerdrive"[190] and "Fraudcast News",[191] and sung by Ralph Wiggum in the episode "How the Test Was Won".[152] The 2007 season four finale of One Tree Hill featured the female characters dancing as a group to the song. It was also used in the trailer for the film Excess Baggage (1997).[152] On 3 October 2012, Geri Halliwell performed the song as a solo during a breast-cancer care show.[192] (She had resigned from Spice Girls as a result of a breast-cancer scare, as noted above.) Her solo version was an acoustic ballad with several lyrics changed, such as "you've gotta get with my friends" being changed to "you've gotta be my best friend".
In 2016, American actress Eva Longoria performed a comedic dramatic reading of "Wannabe" in honour of the 20th anniversary of the album Spice.[193] For the 21st anniversary of the song in July 2017, W magazine had various celebrities perform "Wannabe", including Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Riz Ahmed, Milo Ventimiglia, Millie Bobby Brown and Keri Russell.[194][195]
Published by Windswept Pacific Music Ltd/PolyGram Music Publishing Ltd.[197]