5 minutes ago, -Jay- said:

Them acknowledging that they know what fans want but "aren't able to give [us] that" is an extremely bizarre admission to make in a mailer. Why aren't they?

I truly fear that the Christmas "watch this space" will end up being "WOMAN - Live from Christmas in Spiceworld 1999". I wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry if that happens...!

They do hint at something special coming for Christmas, and the language used is very much a WOMAN reference too.

To be honest, I will buy the vinyl and the tshirt (for once) as at least it is music related rather than years of pointless merch we got, and this feels well made at least.

And now they have said about the Christmas expectations, I will wait for whatever might be coming next...

A lack of a digital release of a 2CD to complete the set with the other two is a shame though, a trully sad situation for the fans.

I'd just laugh at this point! 😂

Well wasn’t it mentioned here that music wasn’t on the table when they signed off (vinyl wasn’t even mentioned). Could it be now they are scrambling to get all tracks and release them by Christmas? But then they have five years in preparation…

6 hours ago, Jessie Where said:

I wasn't sure if they'd actually be bothering with this, it very much feels like an album they and everyone involved with it want to forget happened.

Well when you made one of the worst albums of all time...

I looked on ascap and these songs have recent work ID's. WOMAN's is from a couple of years ago. I think the 2nd is let your head go. This means they're probably gonna get released at some point

Edited Monday at 16:155 days by Xmel05

I did laugh at the description of 'we know you wanted bsides, demos,..... etc' it's like they were basically saying ' guys we know this is shit but trust us, we have better coming' LOL

Just now, Xmel05 said:

I looked on ascap and the followimg

This has been described as a possible very very early attempt at If You Wanna Have Some Fun as it samples 'A Night to Remember'

2 hours ago, -Jay- said:

Them acknowledging that they know what fans want but "aren't able to give [us] that" is an extremely bizarre admission to make in a mailer. Why aren't they?

I truly fear that the Christmas "watch this space" will end up being "WOMAN - Live from Christmas in Spiceworld 1999". I wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry if that happens...!

Wouldn’t be surprised

I mean. Them doing the bare minimum (if that) is not surprising. But the wording on that email is basically giving this parody of their Return of EPK from 2007 (as indeed arguably a lot of their decisions since then have been) 🤣

Xmas in Spiceworld Tour 2025 🤣🤣

I've personally never seen a more overwhelmingly negative comments section of any artist's release announcement posts, before this 🫨 Who knows whether their team will check/care about that. A lot of disappointment has been expressed, many saying they won't buy it.

I wonder what the label's expectation for sales are. Presumably they figured that it will sell enough to justify pressing it. However, with the poor reaction it's received, I wonder if it's going to sell a lot less than they imagined...

It's an interesting decision to put out just one vinyl again, because they already have evidence of how the previous one did. The 2020 release of course being its first time ever on vinyl. In the UK that resulted in... 696 physical sales. (820 overall sales that week when adding in 37 streaming sales and 87 downloads - 87 downloads only being the case because of a vain attempt at encouraging a sales campaign, lol). That chart week needed 940 sales to make the Top 200. Fast forward 5 years, and it typically takes between 1,200 to 1,300 sales to make the Top 200. So I sincerely doubt that this new release has any chance of making the chart.

I think it is fairly positive to assume they are not necessarily expecting a huge seller or even to make the Top200. They know this album would need a bit more work and editions and promo to get to that.

They simply don't think it is worth spending their time and resources on, so they throw this out probably because they already have the design from the 2020 edition (looks the same!) and the licenses for those 4 pictures, so it's almost cost 0. But they get to at least say they put out 'something'...

It's stupid really, because if they really cared and did a 2CD and a digital release with remixes they already have (like the Tell Me Why ones, the Lostboy one from 2019 of Holler), it would at least sell a bit better and I could see it doing ok even if it was from the fans who simply wanted to complete the set. Not doing that is the real damage here.

They could still point towards a bigger thing 'for Christmas' and include WOMAN in that or whatever, for sure, as that will probably fair better.

They deserve the lashings. I don't understand why they don't get one or two girls who are seemingly doing f*** all right now (Emma and Mel B) to currate the anniversary of an album that both of them seemingly love... That's what Girls Aloud are doing - Nicola is curating the anniversary releases. And would it really bother them so much to go out and do an interview or two about it?

I’m fed up with them. it’s been almost 30 years following a band that gave it their all during their first two years, but throughout their career they’ve shown us too much disrespect.

I’m tired of pointless plans, of things that never come through, of material they won’t release just because they don’t feel like it… It’s frustrating, and they don’t deserve any more of my time or my money.

I’m well aware we’ll never hear the studio version of W.O.M.A.N. and on Christmas they’ll probably throw out some nonsense like a lyric video of the live version, or not even that.

Yeah, I'd say of all the moments following them as a fan, this has to be one of the most deflating times ever. It just feels like they ("they" being the girls, their team, the label) don't care all that much. It's all very "this will do", low effort. I don't detect passion. I don't trust that those involved in designing this new release have particular knowledge about the era (those summer 1998 pictures for postcards...)

I know this Forever vinyl makes Spice 25 and Spiceworld 25 look like they gave us a lot by comparison, but I won't forget the shoddy aspects of both of those releases. The odd track lists with omissions (neither release could be considered completist), the designs, the quality... all lacking. The whole 25th anniversary project has mostly been very meh. The group - and certainly the fans - deserved a whole lot better.

I am doing a mini protest by not buying this Forever vinyl to contribute to its first week. I don't feel like they deserve my £30 for this. Somewhere down the line I might get it if it ends up having its price slashed, but even if I missed out on it I wouldn't be too bothered. I have the 2020 version which personally I think looks superior.

Despite this, I keep hanging on... even now I'm like, well, let's see what they'll cook up for the 30th anniversary. Lol. As confusing and bizarre as that mailer paragraph is, I'll foolishly hope it results in something good...

And I completely agree, I wish the Spice Girls had their own Nicola Roberts, somebody who clearly cares about the legacy and has a great understanding of what fans want. As a Girls Aloud fan, I really can't fault what they've done with their reissues - they could have actually done far less and yet still be superior to the Spice Girls reissues, lol.

I totally agree, and sadly this morning I have decided to cancel my purchase. I don't need a Forever tshirt and I will buy the vinyl at a later point when it is in discount...

I also stated very clearly why I canceled: because it feels very disrespectful to the album and to the fans.

Another thing that f***ing annoys me? NOT ONE OF THEM have even shared the news on thier socials. Similarly, with Spiceworld25 I think only Emma and Mel C shared it on their instagram stories...

If they don't care, then we shouldnt either...

Edited Tuesday at 10:234 days by Mr.X

They are indeed getting roasted online, not just on their own socials, but on other posts too... these threads are full of dissapointment from loads of people

4 hours ago, -Jay- said:

And I completely agree, I wish the Spice Girls had their own Nicola Roberts, somebody who clearly cares about the legacy and has a great understanding of what fans want. As a Girls Aloud fan, I really can't fault what they've done with their reissues - they could have actually done far less and yet still be superior to the Spice Girls reissues, lol.

This is what's been at the forefront of my mind throughout this whole debacle - how grateful I am for what we've received with the Girls Aloud reissues. I love a lot of Spice Girls music but I'm not a stan in the way I am for Girls Aloud, but I do really feel for the Spice Girls fan community. It feels too easy to say the girls and the team are just "out of touch" with what the fans want because clearly they do know. It seems almost... malicious in a way.

2 hours ago, Liam.k. said:

This is what's been at the forefront of my mind throughout this whole debacle - how grateful I am for what we've received with the Girls Aloud reissues. I love a lot of Spice Girls music but I'm not a stan in the way I am for Girls Aloud, but I do really feel for the Spice Girls fan community. It feels too easy to say the girls and the team are just "out of touch" with what the fans want because clearly they do know. It seems almost... malicious in a way.

What I have been told is that there are licensing issues and it is 'hard' to get different producers to agree but I am sorry, this is their record label and management team JOB! Do your jobs!!!

I genuinely think that Emma and Mel B look fond onto the album but the others couldnt care less (Geri because she wasnt involved, Victoria because she is no longer involved and Mel C because she hated that era and her own body issues of then), so they do nothing as they always need all the girls to approve of things.

It's on them all... Now they have ignited the WOMAN and 'Christmas is around the corner' discourse, they will get even more mauled if they do nothing for Christmas outside of more merch...

I think at this point whatever they do from here, unless it's actually - pardon the pun - what the fans really really want, it needs to be safely disregarded with the same attitude they've taken. Sadly this is not something exclusive to Spice Girls either. If it's any consolation, when S Club did their reunion two years ago and bought out picture discs of their albums, we didn't get Seeing Double, and the Best: Greatest Hits picture disc had incorrect versions of some of the singles. I complained about this to Universal Music and was basically told "tough tits". So Simon Fuller's contempt is equally at hand here (and yes, I know he wasn't their manager when they did "Forever" before I am held at pitchfork, but my point still stands).

They missed an opportunity once again with this release, they have enough of a dedicated fan base to buy a 2cd version and also multiple vinyl variants and even a cassette. In a way i understand Forever has an odd dynamic in the band with Geri back in the band but had no part in this album but that aside i really dont see why they didnt just go for it but after how the spiceworld release was handled its no surprise.