Mike Wass Few pop songs signal their intent as brazenly as “Wannabe.” Beginning with the patter of Mel B’s footsteps as she steps up to the microphone followed by a hearty laugh, the Spice Girls’ all-conquering debut single is 2:53 minutes of pure joy.
Ricocheting from girl-power declarations to vaguely suggestive rapped verses, there’s a loose zaniness to “Wannabe” that is still irresistible a quarter of a century later.
The anthem that ushered in Spice-mania turns 25 today — a milestone that will be celebrated by the release of “Wannabe25,” a 4-track EP out July 9.As far as origin stories go, the Spice Girls’ is rather ordinary, by modern standards of assemblage.
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