Editing Spice Girls (section)

=== 1998: Spiceworld tour and Halliwell's departure ===
In January 1998, the Spice Girls attended the US premiere of ''Spice World'' at the [[Mann's Chinese Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2782/positivity-vibe-at-hollywood-spice-world-premiere/|title='Positivity' Vibe at Hollywood 'Spice World' Premiere|publisher=[[MTV News]]|date=23 January 1998|first=Teri|last=vanHorn|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210303010402/http://www.mtv.com/news/2782/positivity-vibe-at-hollywood-spice-world-premiere/|archive-date=3 March 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the [[American Music Awards of 1998|1998 American Music Awards]] a few days later, they won the awards for [[American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album|Favorite Album]], Favorite New Artist and [[American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group|Favorite Group]] in the pop/rock category.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1998/music/news/spice-nice-thrice-at-american-music-awards-1117467124/|title=Spice nice thrice at American Music Awards|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=26 January 1998|access-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210406143457/https://variety.com/1998/music/news/spice-nice-thrice-at-american-music-awards-1117467124/|archive-date=6 April 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February, they won a special award for overseas success at the [[1998 Brit Awards]],<ref name="brits98">{{cite web|url=http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1998|title=Brit Awards 1998|publisher=[[Brit Awards]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326191951/http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1998|archive-date=26 March 2010|access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref> with combined sales of more than 45 million albums and singles worldwide.<ref name="45mrecords">{{Cite magazine|title=Brits Around The World '98: Brit Publishers Are Scoring All Over The World|first=David|last=Stark|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=7 February 1998|page=50|volume=110|issue=6|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> That night, the group performed their next single, "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]",<ref name="brits98" /> their first not to reach number one in the UK, entering at number two.<ref name="occ" /> On 24 February 1998, the Spice Girls embarked on the [[Spiceworld Tour]], starting in Dublin, Ireland, before moving to mainland Europe and North America and returning to the UK for two performances at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/174271.stm|title=Girl Power coming to Wembley|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=18 September 1998|access-date=7 April 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712162314/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/174271.stm|archive-date=12 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that year, the Spice Girls sang on the official [[England national football team|England]] World Cup song "[[(How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of the World]]", their last song with Halliwell until 2007.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

On 31 May 1998, Halliwell announced her departure from the Spice Girls through her solicitor.<ref name="BBC Geri departure">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/103637.stm|title=Ginger snaps|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=31 May 1998|access-date=17 November 2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210217161634/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/103637.stm|archive-date=17 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Halliwell's departure was the subject of a lawsuit by [[Aprilia]] World Service B.V. (AWS), a manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters. The resulting ''[[Spice Girls Ltd v Aprilia World Service BV]]'' is now the [[leading case]] in [[English law]] on misrepresentation by conduct.<ref>{{Cite book|last=McKendrick|first=Ewan|title=Contract Law – Text, Cases, Materials, 4th edition|chapter=Chapter 17: Misrepresentation|year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, New York|isbn=978-0-19-957979-2|pages=588–592|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/contractlawtextc0000mcke/page/588}}</ref>}} The announcement was preceded by days of frenzied press speculation after Halliwell missed two concerts in Norway and was absent from a performance on ''[[The National Lottery Draws]]''.<ref name="BBC Geri departure" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-spice-girls-144-1390291|title=Ginger Spice's Absence Fuels UK Media Speculation|work=[[NME]]|date=29 April 1998|access-date=15 April 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210415164046/https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-spice-girls-144-1390291|archive-date=15 April 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Halliwell first cited creative differences,<ref name="BBC Geri departure" /> and later said that she was suffering from exhaustion and disillusionment. Rumours of a power struggle with Brown circulated in the press.<ref name="gerirolling">{{cite magazine |last=Sherman |first=Heidi |date=2 June 1998 |title=Ginger Spice's Departure Marks 'End of the Beginning' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ginger-spices-departure-marks-end-of-the-beginning-107320/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210209092247/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ginger-spices-departure-marks-end-of-the-beginning-107320/ |archive-date=9 February 2021 |access-date=26 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="geriplastic">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/yes-geri-it-s-hard-to-break-out-when-you-re-cast-in-plastic-1162320.html |title=Yes, Geri – it's hard to break out when you're cast in plastic|first=Rosie|last=Millard|date=31 May 1998|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=10 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220211027/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/yes-geri-it-s-hard-to-break-out-when-you-re-cast-in-plastic-1162320.html|archive-date=20 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Halliwell's departure shocked fans and became one of the biggest entertainment news stories of the year, making international headlining news.<ref name="gerileaves" /><ref name="billboardbreakup">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=946313|title=Spice Girls Break-Up Shook Up 1998|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=10 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103021631/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=946313|archive-date=3 November 2012}}</ref> The four remaining members were adamant that the group would carry on.<ref name="BBC Geri departure" />

The North American leg of the Spiceworld Tour went on as planned, beginning in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]], on 15 June, and grossing $93.6 million over 40 sold-out performances.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Spice of Road Life | date=24 May 2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VxQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=spice+girls+tour+%2493.6+million&pg=PA48 |publisher=Billboard}}</ref> The tour was attended by an estimated 2.1 million people over 97 shows with an estimated gross of $220-$250 million, the highest-grossing concert tour by a female group.<ref name="bbcatoz" /> It was accompanied by a documentary film, ''[[Spice Girls in America: A Tour Story]]''.<ref name="atourstory">{{cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/c4-buys-spice-girls-doc/1214631.article|title=C4 buys Spice Girls doc|work=[[Broadcast (magazine)|Broadcast]]|date=21 May 1999|url-access=subscription|access-date=24 February 2021}}</ref> "[[Viva Forever]]", the last single released from ''Spiceworld'', and became the Spice Girls' seventh UK's number-one. The video was made before Halliwell's departure and features all five members in [[stop-motion]] animated form.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-chart-flashback-1998-spice-girls-viva-forever__4580/|title=Official Chart Flashback 1998: Spice Girls, Viva Forever|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=27 July 2017|first=Rob|last=Copsey|access-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210226175250/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-chart-flashback-1998-spice-girls-viva-forever__4580/|archive-date=26 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

While on tour in the United States, the Spice Girls wrote and recorded new material. They released a new song, "[[Goodbye (Spice Girls song)|Goodbye]]", before Christmas in 1998.<ref name="songwriters" /> It was seen as a tribute to Halliwell, although parts of it had originally been written when Halliwell was still a part of the group. It became the Spice Girls' third consecutive [[List of UK Singles Chart Christmas number ones|Christmas number one]], equalling the record previously set by [[the Beatles]].<ref name="OCGoodbye">{{cite web |last=Myers |first=Justin |date=20 December 2013 |title=Official Charts Flashback 1998: Spice Girls – Goodbye |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/features/official-charts-flashback-1998-spice-girls-goodbye-2688/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131222154920/http://www.officialcharts.com/features/official-charts-flashback-1998-spice-girls-goodbye-2688/ |archive-date=22 December 2013 |access-date=22 December 2013 |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]}}</ref> In November, Bunton and Chisholm appeared at the [[1998 MTV Europe Music Awards]] without their other bandmates, accepting two awards on behalf of the Spice Girls for Best Pop Act and Best Group.<ref>{{cite web |date=13 November 1998 |title=Spice Girls take MTV crown |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/213410.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710152830/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/213410.stm |archive-date=10 July 2012 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> That year, Brown and Adams announced they were pregnant. Brown was married to the dancer Jimmy Gulzer and became known as Mel G for a brief period; she gave birth to their daughter Phoenix Chi in February 1999.<ref name="people">{{cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Steve |date=27 November 2000 |title=Bitter Season |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url=https://people.com/archive/bitter-season-vol-54-no-22/ |url-status=live |access-date=29 October 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210409095738/https://people.com/archive/a-bitter-pill-vol-54-no-10/ |archive-date=9 April 2021}}</ref> Adams gave birth a month after to her son [[Brooklyn Beckham|Brooklyn]], whose father was the [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] footballer [[David Beckham]]. Later that year, she married Beckham in a highly publicised wedding in Ireland, taking on his surname, becoming Victoria Beckham.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 July 1999 |title=David and Victoria tie the knot |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/07/99/the_posh_wedding/383151.stm |url-status=live |access-date=19 December 2007 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711144657/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/07/99/the_posh_wedding/383151.stm |archive-date=11 July 2012}}</ref>