Editing Spice Girls (section)

===Girl power===
{{Main|Girl power}}
"[[Girl power]]" was a label for the particular facet of feminist empowerment embraced by the band, emphasising female confidence,<ref name=lucyjones/> individuality and sisterhood.<ref name=bbcgp/><ref name="girl power article"/><ref name="girl power 3">{{cite web|url=https://www.stylist.co.uk/people/spice-girls-wannabe-feminism-pop-girl-power-feminist-nineties-empowerment-posh-scary-sporty-baby-ginger/28605|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170221232809/http://pages.stylist.co.uk/people/spice-girls-wannabe-feminism-pop-girl-power-feminist-nineties-empowerment-posh-scary-sporty-baby-ginger|url-status=live|archive-date=21 February 2017|title='Girl Power is just a Nineties way of saying it'. How feminism went pop during the reign of the Spice Girls|website=Stylist|date=20 June 2016|access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref> The Spice Girls' particular approach to "girl power" was seen as a boisterous, independent, and sex-positive response to "[[lad culture]]".<ref name="Ashby">{{cite journal |last1=Ashby |first1=Justine |date=Winter 2005 |title=Postfeminism in the British Frame |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3661101 |journal=Cinema Journal |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=127–133 |doi=10.1353/cj.2005.0002 |jstor=3661101 |s2cid=144778931 |access-date=31 October 2021| issn=0009-7101 }}</ref> The phrase was regularly espoused by all five members—although most closely associated with Halliwell—and was often delivered with a [[V sign|peace sign]].<ref name="girl power book">{{cite book|last=Leonard|first=Marion|year=2007|title= Gender in the Music Industry: Rock, Discourse and Girl Power|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]]|chapter=Chapter 6: The Development of Riot Grrrl|page=159|isbn=978-0-7546-3862-9}}</ref> The "girl power" slogan was originally coined by US punk band [[Bikini Kill]] in 1991 and subsequently appeared in a few songs in the early and mid-1990s; most notably, it was the title of British pop duo [[Shampoo (band)|Shampoo]]'s 1996 single which Halliwell later said was her introduction to the phrase.<ref name="shampoo">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/girl-power-spice-girls-jenny-stevens-geri-horner/|title=How the Spice Girls Ripped 'Girl Power' from Its Radical Roots|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|first=Jenny|last=Stevens|date=4 November 2016|access-date=12 February 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210209093501/https://www.vice.com/en/article/bn3vq5/girl-power-spice-girls-jenny-stevens-geri-horner|archive-date=9 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="spice girls at 20">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/07/the-spice-girls-at-20-women-werent-allowed-to-be-like-that-in-public|title=The Spice Girls at 20: 'Women weren't allowed to be like that in public'|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Caroline|last=Sullivan|date=7 July 2016|access-date=10 February 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210217073408/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/07/the-spice-girls-at-20-women-werent-allowed-to-be-like-that-in-public|archive-date=17 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the term did not originate with them, it was not until the emergence of the Spice Girls in 1996 that "girl power" exploded onto the mainstream consciousness.<ref name="Power">{{cite magazine|title=Spice Girls' 'Wannabe': How 'Girl Power' Reinvigorated Mainstream Feminism in the '90s|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/features/7439005/spice-girls-wannabe-girl-power-feminism|access-date=21 March 2019|date=15 July 2016|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Jennifer Keishin|last=Armstrong|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210212080415/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/features/7439005/spice-girls-wannabe-girl-power-feminism/|archive-date=12 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Chisholm, the band were inspired to champion this cause as a result of the [[sexism]] they encountered when they were first starting out in the music business.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/mel-c-spice-girls-sexism-girl-power-jessie-ware-table-manners-podcast-a9688926.html|title=Mel C Says Spice Girls Started Talking About Girl Power Because of Sexism in Music Industry|work=[[The Independent]]|date=26 August 2020|first=Sabrina|last=Barr|access-date=19 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210219174409/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/mel-c-spice-girls-sexism-girl-power-jessie-ware-table-manners-podcast-a9688926.html|archive-date=19 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Industry insiders credit Halliwell as being the author of the group's "girl power" manifesto,<ref name=sinclair200876/><ref>{{harvnb|Sinclair|2008|p=60}}</ref> while Halliwell herself once spoke of former British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] as being "the pioneer of our ideology".{{refn|group=nb|Her bandmates demurred. Said Chisholm: "I'm from working-class Liverpool. I think Margaret Thatcher is a complete prick after what she has done to my home town."<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|2019|p=134}}</ref>}}

In all, the focused, consistent presentation of "girl power" formed the centrepiece of their appeal as a band.<ref name=johnharlow/> The Spice Girls' brand of [[postfeminism]] was distinctive and its message of empowerment appealed to young girls, adolescents and adult women; by being politically neutral, it did not alienate consumers with different allegiances.<ref name="spice girls legacy"/><ref name="girl power article"/><ref name="Ashby"/> Virgin's director of press Robert Sandall explained the novelty of the group: "There had never been a group of girls who were addressing themselves specifically to a female audience before."<ref name=sinclair7173>{{harvnb|Sinclair|2008|pp=71–73}}</ref> Similarly, John Harlow of ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' believed it was this "loyal[ty] to their sex" that set the Spice Girls apart from their predecessors, enabling them to win over young female fans where previous girl groups had struggled.<ref name=johnharlow/> While "girl power" put a name to a social phenomenon, it was met with mixed reactions.<ref name="girl power article">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/38786.stm|title=Special Report: You've come a long way baby...|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=30 December 1997|access-date=23 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718135340/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/38786.stm|archive-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="spice girls feminism">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/20-years-of-girl-power-were-the-spice-girls-feminists-or-just-opportunists-34859274.html|title=20 years of Girl Power: Were the Spice Girls feminists or just opportunists?|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=6 July 2016|first=Tanya|last=Sweeney|access-date=23 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170801030407/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/20-years-of-girl-power-were-the-spice-girls-feminists-or-just-opportunists-34859274.html|archive-date=1 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Some commentators credit the Spice Girls with reinvigorating mainstream [[feminism]]—popularised as "girl power"—in the 1990s,<ref name="Power"/><ref name="huffpost">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spice-girls-feminist-history_n_55c36cafe4b0923c12bbb16f|title=It's Time To Give The Spice Girls The Credit They Deserve|work=[[HuffPost]]|first=Zeba|last=Blay|date=6 August 2015|access-date=15 February 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210223234115/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spice-girls-feminist-history_n_55c36cafe4b0923c12bbb16f|archive-date=23 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> with their mantra serving as a gateway to feminism for their young fans.<ref name=bravo/><ref name="spice girls feminism"/><ref name="girl power gateway">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/13/spice-girls-feminism-viva-forever|title=The Spice Girls were my gateway drug to feminism|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=13 December 2012|first=Rhiannon Lucy|last=Cosslett|access-date=13 December 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210223224253/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/13/spice-girls-feminism-viva-forever|archive-date=23 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Conversely, critics dismiss it as no more than a shallow marketing tactic and accuse the group of commercialising the social movement.<ref name=lucyjones>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/spice-girls-tour-2019-reunion-emma-bunton-geri-horner-mel-b-c-a8624301.html|title=Spice Girls reunion: Why we need Girl Power more than ever|work=[[The Independent]]|date=13 June 2019|first=Lucy|last=Jones|access-date=23 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210223214139/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/spice-girls-tour-2019-reunion-emma-bunton-geri-horner-mel-b-c-a8624301.html|archive-date=23 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="spice girls legacy"/> Regardless, "girl power" became a cultural phenomenon,<ref name="newstatesman">{{Cite web |last=Collier |first=Rosie |date=2021-06-07 |title=Will there ever be another girl band like the Spice Girls? |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatre/2016/07/will-there-ever-be-another-girl-band-spice-girls |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=New Statesman |language=en-US}}</ref> adopted as the mantra for millions of girls<ref name=bravo/><ref name="girl power article"/> and even making it into the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]''.<ref name="girl power dictionary">BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1765706.stm Article on "Girl Power" being added to the Oxford English Dictionary]. [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. 17 January 2002.</ref>
In summation of the concept, author Ryan Dawson said, "The Spice Girls changed British culture enough for Girl Power to now seem completely unremarkable."<ref name="Spice-Beatles comparison">Dawson, Ryan. [https://web.archive.org/web/20050428082355/http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/rd286/rock/beatlemaniagirlpower.html ''"Beatlemania and Girl Power: An Anatomy of Fame"'']. ''Bigger Than Jesus: Essays on Popular Music''. University of Cambridge. Archived from [http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/rd286/rock/beatlemaniagirlpower.html original] on 28 April 2005. Retrieved 17 February 2017.</ref>

[[File:SpiceGirlWembley150619-122 (49000557707).jpg|thumb|left|The Spice Girls perform "Wannabe" as a four-piece on 15 June 2019. The song has become emblematic of the group's girl power manifesto.]]

In keeping with their "girl power" manifesto, the Spice Girls' songs have been praised for their "genuinely empowering messages about friendship and sisterhood,"<ref name=bbcgp>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48381340|title=Spice Girls: What happened to Girl Power?|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=24 May 2019|first=Alex|last=Taylor|access-date=23 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210223213413/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48381340|archive-date=23 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> which set them apart from the typical love songs their pop contemporaries were singing.<ref name=bravo>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/how-the-spice-girls-changed-feminism-37483613.html|title=How the Spice Girls changed feminism|first=Lauren|last=Bravo|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=4 November 2018|access-date=18 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210217225945/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/how-the-spice-girls-changed-feminism-37483613.html|archive-date=17 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine said their lyrics "demonstrated real, noncompetitive female friendship," adding that the messages the Spice Girls imparted have held up well compared to the lyrics sung by later girl groups such as the Pussycat Dolls.<ref name="Power"/> The group's debut single "Wannabe" has been hailed as an "iconic girl power anthem".<ref name="wannabe story">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/heres-the-story-from-a-to-z-how-the-spice-girls-made-wannabe/|title=Here's the story, from A to Z: how the Spice Girls made Wannabe|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|date=8 July 2016|first=Alice|last=Vincent|access-date=20 February 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160712022804/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/heres-the-story-from-a-to-z-how-the-spice-girls-made-wannabe/|archive-date=12 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/7/5/12099730/spice-girls-wannabe-girls-feminist-whatireallyreallywant|title=Watch: Spice Girls' iconic "Wannabe" transformed into an epic 2016 feminist anthem|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|first= Victoria M.|last=Massie |date=5 July 2016|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1820393/11-girl-power-tracks-90s/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720123759/http://www.mtv.com/news/1820393/11-girl-power-tracks-90s/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 July 2014|title=The 11 Most Iconic Girl Power Tracks of the '90s|publisher=[[MTV News]]|first=Elizabeth|last=Lancaster |date=6 May 2014|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref> In 2016, the [[United Nations]] launched their #WhatIReallyReallyWant [[Sustainable Development Goals|Global Goals]] campaign by filming a remake of the "Wannabe" music video to highlight gender inequality issues faced by women across the world. The video, which premiered on [[YouTube]] and ran in movie theatres internationally,<ref name=unitednations/> featured British girl group [[M.O]], Canadian "[[Viral phenomenon|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.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7424115/spice-girls-wannabe-united-nations-campaign-video|title=Spice Girls' 'Wannabe' Meets United Nations in This Incredible Lip Sync Video|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|first=Monique|last=Melendez|date=5 July 2016|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref> In response to the remake, 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?"<ref name=unitednations>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/05/spice-girls-wannabe-video-gets-remake-for-female-equality-push|title=Spice Girls' Wannabe video gets remake for female equality push|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Mark|last=Sweney|date=5 July 2016|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref>

At the [[43rd People's Choice Awards]] in 2017, [[Blake Lively]] dedicated her "Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress" award to "girl power" in her acceptance speech; she credited the Spice Girls, saying: "What was so neat about them was that they're all so distinctly different, and they were women, and they owned who they were, and that was my first introduction into girl power."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/awards/2017/01/18/peoples-choice-awards-2017-blake-lively-speech/ |title=Blake Lively delivers 'girl power' call-to-action at People's Choice Awards|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=18 January 2017|access-date=22 February 2017}}</ref> In 2018, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' named the Spice Girls' "girl power" ethos on ''The Millennial 100'', a list of 100 people, music, cultural touchstones and movements that have shaped the [[Millennial]] generation.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Millennial 100: #2. The Spice Girls' 'Girl Power'|date=17 October 2018|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/the-millennial-100-737215/the-spice-girls-3-737224/|access-date=28 May 2019|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first=Elisabeth|last=Garber-Paul|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210301121249/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/the-millennial-100-737215/believing-in-toy-story-738101/|archive-date=1 March 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing in 2019 about the group's influence on what she called the "Spice Girls Generation", Caity Weaver of ''[[The New York Times]]'' concluded, "Marketing ploy or not, 'Girl power' had become a self-fulfilling prophecy."<ref name=sggen>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/19/style/spice-girls-reunion.html|title=The Rise of the Spice Girls Generation|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=19 July 2019|access-date=12 February 2021|first=Caity|last=Weaver|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190719231730/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/19/style/spice-girls-reunion.html|archive-date=19 July 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>