20 years ago, the Spice Girls debuted their first album, titled Spice, and I, along with most kids my age at the time, would never the same again.
I mean, I’m older now (so old, in fact, that I feel OLD AF even writing about this), and I’ve experienced many life-related things that definitely changed me, but nothing would alter my life course quite like that first “Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.” Seriously.
How do I love thee, Spice Girls? Let me count the ways.
1. Mel C, a.k.a Sporty Spice introduced me to the wonderful world of tear-away track pants, sneakers and those tight-ass ponytails that made my eyes water when my mom tied it for me. Before her, I was wearing white, frilly socks with patent leather Mary Janes and floral dresses–more on that later.
2. They broadened my horizons and showed me there were other dances besides the “Macarena.” Like this one, for example:
3. Kind of unrelated, but remember the “Macarena?”
4. The Spice Girls helped me make friends at my new school because everyone loved them, and so they were an immediate talking point for me an my new pals.
5. I didn’t realize how cutthroat second grade was until now, but the Spice Girls also helped me establish a spot in my new friend group, because (obviously) we pretended to be the Spice Girls during recess, and I was assigned the role of Sporty Spice, meaning I always had people to play with.
6. They coined the phrase, “Girl power!”
7. “Girl power” gave me the courage to get over my shyness and try out for the school choir.
8. “Girl power” got me hyped up about my first and only cross-country meet in grade 5. I finished in 32nd(?) place but, hey, I did it!
9. “Girl power” let me believe that I could beat Andy, the smartest kid in my fourth grade class, in an in-class spelling bee we had, and I almost did!
10. “Girl power” kept me from being bummed out that I didn’t beat Andy, the smartest kid in my fourth grade class, in a spelling bee.
11. “Girl power” taught me to be supportive of my friends, and I do a little cheer to myself whenever one of them accomplishes something they’ve been working towards.
12.Did I mention,
13. Back to my first point about only wearing white, frilly socks with patent leather Mary Janes and floral dresses. The Spice Girls taught me that you could be girly, sporty, sassy or whatever else you wanted to be–all at once, in fashion and life, if that was your prerogative–because, say it with me now, “GIRL POWER!”
14. The Spice Girls were instrumental in my first money-saving ventures, because I wanted all of the Spice Girls-related things, and I had to save my allowance if I wanted to buy various photographs and/or lollipops and temporary tattoos.
15. Seriously, though. I saved so much money ’cause I felt I NEEDED things like a Spice Girls electronic organizer. True story.
16. This song kept me optimistic about my relationship with my mom once I got older.
18. They taught me that I love nostalgia, because I am living for all of the nostalgia right now, as I write this.
19. The Spice Girls sparked my love for leather/pleather.
*RIP to my red pleather jacket from Lasenza Girl. I loved you so.
20. They introduced me to the concept of feminism.
21. “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends” taught me that boys come and go, but your girls are forever.
22. So did this lyric: God help the mister, yeah God help the mister, that comes between me and my sisters.**
23. The Spice Girls made it okay to do what you want, what you really really want, because as a girl/woman, you had that right.
24. When Mel B, a.k.a. Scary Spice said, It’s [girl power] about spreading a positive vibe, kicking it for the girls¦ It’s not about picking up guys. We don’t need men to control our life. We control our lives anyway.
25. Basically everything about Spice World.
26. Especially this scene:
27. Victoria Beckham’s definition of Girl Power, and how it’s about, “accepting the way that you are, having fun most importantly. If you want to wear short skirts and a wonder bra, wear it but be sure about yourself and basically, have a good time.”
28. THIS SONG. One of my all-time favourites:
**Editor’s note: in case you’re curious, this reference actually comes from one our managing editor’s favourite holiday movies, White Christmas, with “Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister”, but the Spice Girls helped proliferate the message to our social media manager, who unsuspectingly and annoyingly received a history lesson.
