Wannabe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Wannabe"
English CD single cover art
Single by Spice Girls
from the album Spice
B-side	"Bumper to Bumper"
Released	26 June 1996 (1996-06-26)
Recorded	December 1995
Studio	Strongroom, London
Genre	Dance-pop
Length	2:54
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Spice Girls Matt Rowe Richard Stannard
Producer(s)	Matt Rowe Richard Stannard
Spice Girls singles chronology
"Wannabe" (1996) "Say You'll Be There" (1996)

"Wannabe" is the very first song released by the famous English girl group, the Spice Girls. It came out on June 26, 1996. The Spice Girls wrote it with Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard. Rowe and Stannard also produced the song for the group's first album, Spice.

"Wannabe" is a fun dance-pop song. It even features Mel B and Geri Halliwell rapping! The song's words are all about how important female friendship is, even more than boyfriends. This message became a symbol of girl power and was the most famous song representing the group's "Girl Power" idea. The song was written and recorded very quickly. At first, the record company wasn't happy with it. They had it mixed again by Mark "Spike" Stent to make it sound perfect.

"Wannabe" was promoted a lot! Its music video, made by Johan Camitz, became super popular on a British TV channel called the Box. This made the news and magazines very interested in the group. Soon, the song was played a lot on the radio across England. The Spice Girls also performed it on TV and started doing interviews and photo shoots for magazines aimed at teens.

Because so many people were interested, Virgin Records released "Wannabe" as the Spice Girls' first song in Japan in June 1996. It came out in the UK the next month, much earlier than their album Spice was planned. "Wannabe" was number one on the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks! It also sold so many copies that it got a quadruple platinum certification. When it was released in the United States in January 1997, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks. It was the only song by the Spice Girls to reach number one in the US. By the end of 1996, "Wannabe" was number one in 22 countries. By March 1997, it had reached number one in 37 countries!

Even though some critics had mixed feelings about it, "Wannabe" won awards. It 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 song ever by a girl group. By 2017, it had sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK. By 2014, it sold 2.9 million in the US. And by the end of 1997, it had sold more than 7 million copies worldwide! A study in 2014 found it was the most recognizable pop song from the last 60 years. To celebrate its 25th birthday, a special collection of songs called Wannabe 25 was released in 2021.

How the Spice Girls Started

In March 1994, a father-and-son team, Bob and Chris Herbert, along with Chic Murphy, put an advertisement in a newspaper called The Stage. They were looking for girls who were "street smart, extrovert, ambitious, and able to sing and dance." After getting hundreds of replies, they chose five girls: Victoria Adams, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, and Michelle Stephenson.

The group moved into a house together and were first called "Touch." Michelle Stephenson later left the group because she wasn't as driven as the others. Emma Bunton joined to replace her. In November, the group, now called "Spice," convinced their managers to let them perform for music writers and producers. Producer Richard Stannard was there by chance and was amazed by them. He said they just made him laugh and feel happy, like great pop songs do.

Stannard told his songwriting partner, Matt Rowe, that he had found "the pop group of their dreams." The group had their first professional songwriting session with Stannard and Rowe in January 1995. Rowe also loved them right away. He said they were like no one he had ever met. The session went well. Brown later wrote that the producers understood them and knew how to put the "spirit of five loud girls into great pop music."

Writing the Song "Wannabe"

The first song the Spice Girls wrote with Stannard and Rowe was a slow song called "Feed Your Love." But then, the group wanted to write a fast, dance-pop song. Rowe started a fast drum beat on his machine. This beat reminded Stannard of a scene from the movie Grease. Stannard said the only plan for the song was that it should show what the Spice Girls were all about.

The group then added their own ideas to the song. Rowe remembered that they just came up with different parts, like chanting, rapping, and singing, without thinking about verses or choruses. They recorded it all mixed up and then put it together like a puzzle.

"Wannabe" was finished in just 30 minutes! This was because the group had already thought of many parts of the song beforehand. Brown called it a "sudden creative frenzy." During the session, Brown and Bunton thought of adding a rap near the end. The group got really excited and added the funny word "zigazig-ah" to the lyrics. Chisholm told Billboard that "zigazig-ah" was just a silly word they made up while having fun, like friends do in a group.

Recording and Making the Song Sound Right

Most songs on the Spice album took two or three days to record, but "Wannabe" was recorded in less than an hour! The solo singing parts were shared by Brown, Bunton, Chisholm, and Halliwell. Victoria Adams missed most of the writing session. She talked to the group on the phone. In her book, she wrote that she wished she had been there in person. She sang backing vocals and sang during the chorus. Rowe worked all night on the song. The only thing added later was the sound of Brown's footsteps as she ran to the microphone.

The group left their first management company in March 1995 because they felt their ideas weren't being heard. The girls then met artist manager Simon Fuller, who signed them to his company, 19 Entertainment. The group looked at different record labels and finally signed with Virgin Records in July.

Virgin Records executives didn't like the first version of "Wannabe." They sent it to an American producer, Dave Way, to mix it again. But the group didn't like his version. Halliwell said it was "bloody awful." She explained that the label tried to make them sound like an R&B group, but the Spice Girls used their "Spice veto" to say no! Fuller then gave the song to audio engineer Mark "Spike" Stent. Stent thought it was a "weird pop record." He remixed it in six hours, making it sound "tight" and the vocals "really good."

What the Song is About

"Wannabe" is a dance-pop song that also has hip hop and rap influences. It has a moderate beat of 110 beats per minute. The music is energetic with a catchy, repeated synth sound. The lyrics are also repeated, especially during the bridge part. "Wannabe" is different from typical pop love songs sung by girls. It's energetic and confident, showing that the girls are independent and don't need a boy to be happy.

The song starts with Halliwell's laugh and then some memorable piano notes. The first lines are rapped by Brown and Halliwell, like a call and response. Words like "tell," "really," and "I wanna" are repeated, making the song sound strong and self-assertive. The first part ends with the word "zigazig-ah."

In the chorus, the lyrics say, "If you wanna be my lover/You gotta get with my friends." This shows how important female friendship is over romantic relationships. The rising music and many voices make the song sound powerful and exciting. Towards the end, Brown and Halliwell rap a part that shows off each girl's personality. The group repeats the chorus one last time, ending the song with energetic lines like "Slam your body down and wind it all around" and the word "zigazig-ah."

Releasing and Promoting "Wannabe"

After signing the group, Virgin Records started a big plan to make "Wannabe" a huge hit. There was some debate about which song should be the first single. The record company wanted everything to be perfect because an all-girl group was a new idea. But the group, especially Brown and Halliwell, insisted that "Wannabe" had to be the first song. They felt it showed who they were and what "Girl Power" meant. Virgin executives thought other songs like "Say You'll Be There" would be "cooler" or that "Love Thing" would be better.

In early 1996, the disagreement between the group and the label was temporarily settled. In March, Simon Fuller said he agreed with Virgin that "Wannabe" shouldn't be the first single. The label wanted a song that everyone would like, not something too different. Halliwell was very upset and told Fuller, "'Wannabe' is our first single, it's not negotiable." Fuller and the Virgin executives finally gave in, and "Wannabe" was chosen.

The Spice Girls really took off when the "Wannabe" music video was released in May 1996. It quickly became popular on the British TV channel The Box. This made the media interested, even though they were unsure about an all-girl group at first. That same month, the Spice Girls had their first interviews in music magazines. They also had their first live TV performance on a show called Surprise Surprise. A month after the video came out, the song was played a lot on UK radio stations. The group started appearing on TV shows, especially kids' programs, and doing interviews and photo shoots for teen magazines. A full-page ad in Smash Hits magazine said: "Wanted: Anyone with a sense of fun, freedom and adventure. Hold tight, get ready! Girl Power is comin' at you." The group also appeared on This Morning with Richard and Judy and performed at their first Radio One road show.

"Wannabe" was first released in Japan on June 26, 1996, as a maxi CD. In the United Kingdom, the song came out on July 8, 1996, in two versions. One version included the radio edit, a remix, and a B-side song called "Bumper to Bumper." The group wrote "Bumper to Bumper" with Paul Wilson, Andy Watkins, and Cathy Dennis. The second version, released on July 15, had the radio edit, an instrumental version, and other remixes.

In the weeks after the UK release, the group started promoting the song in other countries. They visited Japan three times and also went to Germany and the Netherlands. They traveled to Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea. In January 1997, they went to North America for a huge promotional tour. In Canada, they did interviews for newspapers and radio, appeared on TV shows, and signed autographs. In the US, they met with important radio and TV people and magazines. Also, the music video was played a lot on MTV.

How "Wannabe" Did on the Music Charts

As part of Virgin's plan to make the Spice Girls famous worldwide, "Wannabe" was released in Japan and Southeast Asia two weeks before it came out in Britain. The song was played a lot on Japanese radio stations. The Spice Girls went on promotional tours there in May, July, and September 1996. They got a lot of attention from the press and TV. The single sold 100,000 copies in Japan by October 1996.

"Wannabe" started at number three on the UK Singles Chart just six days after it was released, selling 73,000 copies. The next week, it jumped to number one and stayed there for seven weeks! This was the second-longest time a song by an all-female group had been at number one. It was the second-biggest selling single of the year in the UK. By November 2012, it had sold over 1.38 million copies, making it the best-selling single by a female group in the UK.

"Wannabe" was also a big hit in other parts of Europe. On September 4, 1996, it reached the top of the Eurochart Hot 100, staying there for nine weeks. It was replaced by the group's second song, "Say You'll Be There." "Wannabe" was number one in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. It also reached the top five in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Italy.

The song was also very successful in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, it was number one for eleven weeks! In New Zealand, it reached number one ten weeks after it came out. "Wannabe" also topped the charts in Hong Kong and Israel.

In Canada, it reached number nine. In the US, the song started at number eleven on January 25, 1997. At that time, this was the highest start ever for a British act, even beating the Beatles' record! It reached number one in its fifth week and stayed there for four weeks. "Wannabe" is still the best-selling song by a female group in the United States, with over 2.9 million copies sold.

The "Wannabe" Music Video

The Spice Girls having fun at a party in the Midland Grand Hotel in St Pancras, London.

The music video for "Wannabe" was the first one directed by Johan Camitz. He was chosen because of his cool commercials. His first idea for the video was to film it all in one continuous shot. The group would arrive at an amazing building in Barcelona, take it over, and cause a ruckus. This was like how they acted when they were looking for a manager and a record company.

A few days before filming on April 19, 1996, Camitz couldn't get permission to use the building in Barcelona. So, the filming moved to the Midland Grand Hotel in St Pancras, London.

The video shows the Spice Girls running, singing, dancing, and causing playful trouble at a wild, bohemian party. Because they wanted to film it in one shot, the group practiced the routine many times through the night. A special camera operator followed them. The final video was put together from two takes. Halliwell wrote that the video was "very chaotic and cold." She said they didn't want it to be too controlled; they wanted the camera to capture the "madness of the Spice Girls."

Virgin Records executives were shocked by the video. They thought the lighting was too dark, and they worried about older people appearing in the video. They were also concerned that the Spice Girls jumping on a table and Halliwell's outfit might seem too wild for music channels. Virgin wanted to reshoot the video or make a different one for the US, but the Spice Girls refused! The video was sent out as it was in January 1997.

Live Performances of "Wannabe"

The Spice Girls performing "Wannabe" during their 2019 tour in London. Their outfits looked like the ones from the music video!

The Spice Girls were in Japan when "Wannabe" became number one in the UK. They made their first appearance on the TV show Top of the Pops by connecting live from Tokyo. They used a local temple as a background for their performance. They performed the song many more times on that show, including the 1996 Christmas special.

They performed "Wannabe" on many TV shows in Europe and the US. These included An Audience with..., The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Saturday Night Live. The performance on Saturday Night Live on April 12, 1997, was special because it was the first time the group ever performed "Wannabe" with a live band. Before that, they had always sung along to a recorded backing track.

The group also performed the song at awards shows, like the 1997 BRIT Awards. In October 1997, they performed "Wannabe" as the last song of their first live concert in Istanbul, Turkey. This concert was shown on TV and later released on video.

The Spice Girls have performed "Wannabe" on all four of their tours: the Spiceworld Tour, the Christmas in Spiceworld Tour, the Return of the Spice Girls Tour, and the Spice World - 2019 Tour. After Geri Halliwell left the group during the Spiceworld Tour, her parts in the song were sung by Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Adams, and Emma Bunton. The group also performed the song on August 12, 2012, at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London. It was also the closing song for their 2019 tour.

The Legacy of "Wannabe"

As the Spice Girls' first song, "Wannabe" is famous for making the band global superstars and starting "Spicemania" in the late 1990s. Many people say the song and its video are now modern pop classics. They were a perfect introduction to the band. Jon O’Brien from Metro said that the song's message of female friendship, its catchy tunes, and its fun video showed everything that made the group so amazing in just under three minutes. Lewis Corner from Digital Spy agreed, saying it's hard to imagine another pop act making such a big impact so quickly.

"Wannabe" is also known for changing pop music in the mid-1990s. It helped start the big teen pop trend of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Robert Copsey from the UK's Official Charts Company explained that there was nothing else like "Wannabe" on the radio in 1996. Rock and dance music had been popular, but the Spice Girls came along at the right time with a bold, exciting pop song that everyone wanted.

"Wannabe" is known as an "iconic girl power anthem." In 2016, the United Nations' Global Goals campaign made a new version of the music video called "#WhatIReallyReallyWant." This video highlighted problems women face around the world. It featured different singers and actresses lip-syncing to the song in various places, including stairs that looked like the ones from the original video. The campaign also asked people to use the hashtag "#WhatIReallyReallyWant" to share what they wanted for girls and women by 2030. Victoria Beckham said it was amazing that after 20 years, the Spice Girls' "girl power" message was still inspiring a new generation.

In 2014, a study at the University of Amsterdam found that "Wannabe" is the most recognizable and catchy pop song from the last 60 years. The study found that the song's simple and strong melody was key to its success. On Spotify, "Wannabe" was the most streamed 1990s song by a female group or artist in 2020.

A special collection of songs, Wannabe 25, was released on July 9, 2021, to celebrate the song's 25th anniversary. This collection included early versions of "Wannabe" and "Feed Your Love" that had never been released before.

Other Versions of "Wannabe"

Many artists have recorded their own versions of "Wannabe."

• In 1998, the duo Lounge-O-Leers made a fun, lounge-style version.
• British producer µ-Ziq recorded a cover for his album Lunatic Harness.
• The London Double Bass Sound recorded an instrumental version in 1999.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic used the song in his polka medley, "Polka Power!"
• Some punk rock bands have covered it, like Snuff, Heideroosjes, and Zebrahead.
• In 2013, Brazilian singers released a version called "Mereço Muito Mais" (meaning "I Deserve More") with a music video inspired by the original.
• The 2019 song "Spicy" by Diplo, Herve Pagez, and Charli XCX is a new version of "Wannabe."

"Wannabe" has also been performed live by many artists, including the Veronicas, the Foo Fighters, Regine Velasquez, and DNCE. The K-pop group Girls' Generation covered it on a South Korean radio show and TV program. In 2013, the American girl group Fifth Harmony dressed up as the Spice Girls for Halloween and performed "Wannabe."

The song has also been used in movies and TV shows.

• It was in the animated films Chicken Little (2005) and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012), and the teen film Sleepover (2004).
• The characters from Glee dressed up as the Spice Girls and performed the song.
• It was sung by Ed Helms and the Muppets in The Muppets TV series.
• Peter Griffin and Ralph Wiggum sang it in episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy.
• The cast of Fuller House also performed it.
• In 2012, Geri Halliwell performed an acoustic version of "Wannabe" as a solo artist, changing some of the lyrics.
• In 2016, actress Eva Longoria did a funny dramatic reading of "Wannabe."
• For the song's 21st anniversary in 2017, W magazine had celebrities like Nicole Kidman, James Franco, and Millie Bobby Brown perform "Wannabe."

Formats and Track Listings

• UK CD1; Australian CD; Brazilian CD; European CD; Japanese CD

1. "Wannabe" (Single Edit) – 2:52
2. "Bumper to Bumper" – 3:43
3. "Wannabe" (Vocal Slam) – 6:20

• UK CD2

1. "Wannabe" (Single Edit) – 2:52
2. "Wannabe" (Dave Way Alternative Mix) – 3:27
3. "Wannabe" (Dub Slam) – 6:25
4. "Wannabe" (Instrumental) – 2:52

• Digital EP

1. "Wannabe" (Single Edit) – 2:54
2. "Bumper to Bumper" – 3:42
3. "Wannabe" (Motiv 8 Dubslam Mix) – 6:25
4. "Wannabe" (Motiv 8 Vocal Slam Mix) – 6:21
5. "Wannabe" (Dave Way Alternative Mix) – 3:25
6. "Wannabe" (Instrumental) – 2:52

• Wannabe 25 EP

1. "Wannabe" – 2:56
2. "Wannabe" (Junior Vasquez Remix Edit) – 5:57
3. "Wannabe" (Demo) – 2:58
4. "Feed Your Love" – 5:13

Credits and Personnel

• Spice Girls – lyrics, vocals
• Matt Rowe – lyrics, producer, keyboards and programming
• Richard Stannard – lyrics, producer, keyboards and programming
• Mark "Spike" Stent – audio mixing
• Adrian Bushby – recording engineer
• Patrick McGovern – assistant

Published by Windswept Pacific Music Ltd/PolyGram Music Publishing Ltd.

Release History

See also

In Spanish: Wannabe (canción de Spice Girls) para niños