If Spice Girls had done the right thing and come back IMMEDIATELY after Goodbye with a new pop bop, which pop bop should it have been? Bear in mind, at this point the right single could have done w00/300k in fitst week sales...

Would you have gone thematic, but more generic sounding, with Right Back At Ya, with a traditional, energetic, crazy Spice Girls lead with Woman, or gone left field with Pain Proof, to get attention over them "going rock"?

For me, I THINK I'd go with Right Back At Ya, for the theme, then follow up with W.O.M.A.N as second and Pain Proof third. Woman is by far the best, but it would have smashed as first or second. Pain Proof needs tweaking, as going from Mel C's opening rock verse to VB's Lana Del Rey-style ballad vocals is ... a choice

Edited Friday at 14:085 days by December Dong

Interesting discussion, though I think you are missing Holler from the Poll. It was done and ready in 1999!

I would have gone with WOMAN as it was a perfect disco-pop to launch a Spice album with. Had they finished the song and cleaned up some of those verses, I think it would have been a huge hit.

The main reason is because I feel that Woman is a progression from their pop sound and the disco-pop thing would stand out from the rest of the industry that was turning to American R&B. So they would lead rather than follow trends!

Plus, it is a total bop. I think Right Back At Ya (Pop version) is great and could serve as a post-album single or even for a Forever single in 2000 as I still think they should have kept the original sound as it still fitted the album in my opinion.

Pain Proof, no, sorry. Thematically is fun but it is at best b-side material. It would have gone great as a b-side for a more mid-tempo single, for instance. But in my opinion it is too cringe and self-indulgent for even an album track.

13 minutes ago, Mr.X said:

Interesting discussion, though I think you are missing Holler from the Poll. It was done and ready in 1999!

I would have gone with WOMAN as it was a perfect disco-pop to launch a Spice album with. Had they finished the song and cleaned up some of those verses, I think it would have been a huge hit.

The main reason is because I feel that Woman is a progression from their pop sound and the disco-pop thing would stand out from the rest of the industry that was turning to American R&B. So they would lead rather than follow trends!

Plus, it is a total bop. I think Right Back At Ya (Pop version) is great and could serve as a post-album single or even for a Forever single in 2000 as I still think they should have kept the original sound as it still fitted the album in my opinion.

Pain Proof, no, sorry. Thematically is fun but it is at best b-side material. It would have gone great as a b-side for a more mid-tempo single, for instance. But in my opinion it is too cringe and self-indulgent for even an album track.

I always see Hollier as belonging to a fourth album in 2000, with Tell Me Why (Gago dance verdion) and If You Wanna Have Some Fun (faster radio edit version) than bring on a third pop album

W.O.M.A.N. - a progression of where they were at the time with the sound yet still maintains the spiceyness.

Honestly, I feel like WOMAN would have been a full-on statement. Like, a comeback showing “we’re four women, we’ve grown, but we’re still the same fun, colorful, and powerful Spice Girls.” I don’t know if it would’ve actually been that perfect, or if I’m just obsessed with the song and imagining it as epic… but I genuinely think it could’ve been a massive hit.

W.O.M.A.N

I’ve just realised that Pain Proof sounds a little like Hang Tough by New Kids On The Block.

1 hour ago, ilovepollo said:

Honestly, I feel like WOMAN would have been a full-on statement. Like, a comeback showing “we’re four women, we’ve grown, but we’re still the same fun, colorful, and powerful Spice Girls.” I don’t know if it would’ve actually been that perfect, or if I’m just obsessed with the song and imagining it as epic… but I genuinely think it could’ve been a massive hit.

Yeah I agree. It would have been epic in 1999 as it would have provided a really welcomed transition to being more mature while still colourful and individuals!

I could totally see a Summer release of WOMAN, and then another single with the album in Oct/Nov 1999!

The only thing I would say is that they needed to clean up some of the verses. The 'hanging round on corners playing games with my friends' line is particularly cringe lol but thats the kind of thing they would have changed if they had worked more on it for release!

W.O.M.A.N

I believe Holler would have been an excellent choice in 1999 as well. The three songs listed in this poll are not strong enough.

Slightly off-topic, but honestly, we shouldn’t even be debating which four-piece single should’ve come out in 1999.

The real point is that there shouldn’t have been a four-piece era at all. They should’ve still been five going into the third album. Everything else is just damage control after the fact.

Sorry, it’s been 27 bloody years since 31 May 1998, and I still haven’t got over Geri doing that absolute dick move to the other four.

It’s the biggest backstab in history, and honestly? I’m not over it. Not even close. 😓