Piers

^ It's definitely a good song. I think it not doing better on the 2001 charts mostly comes down to...the total avalanche of Spice-related releases that year. It's so bizarre to think...if we're measuring from October 2000 to October 2001, that's five albums by either the group or solo members...and (I think?) nine singles. And to think...there were plans for us to get more than that...if Hot and Forever kept releasing singles. If you were to add up all the solo Spice sales for 2001, I'm sure you'd get a fairly respectable number...but it was inevitable that some releases would be effected at some point. They were asking so much of the group's fanbase by scheduling all their releases on top of each other. Five albums in a year? The fans were mostly very young...limited money to spend...and I'm sure they wanted to also buy records from artists who...y'know...weren't also from the Spice camp. I've always thought the solo Spice run of Take My Breath Away, Not Such An Innocent Girl, and Calling would have performed far better in a less crowded time.

I love Baby Please Don't Stop too, actually. I love the production, the chorus, Emma's vocals. I knew it didn't make a huge splash with the fanbase, but...I dunno. It clicked for me, and I do think it ranks alongside her best solo material. It's true that it could have been released at pretty much any stage of her solo career. But. I chalk that more up to this...once you get past the young pop tracks on A Girl Like Me, the best of Emma's material has a somewhat timeless feel. Now, I will say I'd rank Too Many Teardrops and I Wish I Could Have Loved You More about on the same level. I like all three about equally and think all three were the right choices for singles. My general feel is Baby Please Don't Stop sounds a bit more like a lead single over Too Many Teardrops (though I wish Teardrops got a video, some TV performances and a proper push as a second single). I Wish I Could Have Loved You More is a unique thing because I do think that song commands attention from the jump and would be a unique release for Emma. I consider it among her best vocal showcases. The biggest trouble with that one is...I can't imagine Emma performing it live at all. Emma can pull off lovely live performances, but that song's vocally demanding in a way that...I just don't think she'd chance it going wrong. I also think...after that long a time away...it was best for her to be able to talk about actually writing her comeback single herself.

So... The good: I think her voice is really gorgeous on this. Another perfect vocal for Bunton. The mixed: It does reinterpret the song. The bad: Yeah, I don't like the orchestration of this at all. 2 Become 1 is an uncommonly beautiful 90s pop song...and it's a shame to lose the haunting qualities of it with this. The little flourishes this version brings are more random than anything. This falls into the category of "why would you listen to this over the original?" for me. I do get the logic of it. If Emma's going to make a splash, it's probably safest to go with a nostalgic throw-back. I think there's a little fault in that strategy just because she's already attempted a 2 Become 1 solo cover...that people were indifferent to even with a Robbie Williams feature (that part I think was a mistake, but that's besides the point...). Here's how I see it with Emma. If this is how she wants to express herself musically, she's the artist...and I hope she's fulfilled by it. But that has to be taken with the knowledge that...this level of safe/soft/sweet just isn't where her audience is at by and large.

This is all so interesting about the background of Angels. The Greatest Hits era is such a fascinating thing...with the team behind Angels, George Michael, and Ne-Yo all contacted to write for the girls. It just didn't seem like there was any particular direction. Maybe testing all sorts of things and seeing what worked? I know the concept of someone writing for the girls without them present seems very against their brand...but then, it was clear the five of them were too busy to reunite for studio sessions. Different times perhaps called for a different approach. Obviously, I would love to hear Angels. But my guess is the group probably leaned toward material written with Richard Stannard, Matt Rowe, Emma, and Geri all in the room together. It probably felt at least more authentic to who they are as a group as opposed to "song that almost went to Jordin Sparks" (I don't mean that as a knock on Jordin or the song) I will say this. The Angels writer saying Headlines came through at the last second is a bit of an odd statement. I'm not sure it went exactly like that. Over on the old DenDen forums, we had an insider (she worked for Geri) who was telling us about the progress of two songs Biff's team was doing...a ballad and a party song...that did, indeed, turn out to be Headlines and Voodoo. We also had paparazzi shots of Emma and Geri leaving the studio. I don't remember any of this being absurdly late in the process, per se. I kinda figure the Biff tracks were always likely to be favored...and the Angels writer was only given the bad news late in the game.

Ah...the Forever album cover... Y'know. The fanbase is so divided in perspectives on everything Spice Girls in their careers after 1998. I think the disdain for the Forever album cover might be the one thing we are all most united about. It's still an interesting thing to behold...even 24 years later. The Terry Richardson photoshoot is practically a feat...in how he managed to take four uncommonly beautiful women and repeatedly get unflattering shots of them. Beyond that, though, there's this weird disconnect between Richardson's work and the album it represents. The various solo Spice albums have covers that vary in quality, but I don't think any of them betray the contents of the album quite like Forever does. Does the Forever album cover say "new rnb direction"? I'd argue it says "we've hung up this pop star thing and are now available for hire as entertainment for fancy dinner parties." It's especially weird because there IS a synergy between the music and the two videos we got in Holler and Let Love Lead The Way. Choose collaborators wisely, I suppose. I don't think any of the girls have ever commented on that cover, have they? I remember someone writing an article a while back...saying they were at the photoshoot and witnessed the Virgin reps' nervousness about Richardson using cheap disposable cameras.

^ Yes...and tabloids were so cruel about stars' bodies at that time, I've wondered if she was just trying to avoid that criticism. Even in some interviews she did with these performances, she tended to get draped with extra leather fabrics and what not. I've wondered too if that's why she's practically dressed as a satellite in the second Word Up video...as some sort of distraction. It's to note, though, just how body positive she was through that first pregnancy. I've always really liked Word Up. It reinvents the original into something new and interesting...and something that fits Mel. It's my favorite Spice cover song (group or solo). It did have a few things working against it. The first video was too edgy for her fanbase at the time. Did the chair performances hurt her chart prospects? Um...maybe? I feel like any time the girls have shown any lack of dedication with a project, it hurts its chances.

^ Honestly, someone else in here will be smarter in this department than I am. Part of this process, I'm very familiar with...part of this, it's just what I've observed. What I definitely know is that news just pays a fee for the usage of a song. You cover a concert...you do an obit piece on an artist who's died...you don't necessarily reach out to the artist's team...you just do it and pay something for the use of the music. You can bypass that fee if you have an agreement signed by the writers of the song. Now, there are also scenarios where press materials are sent to places...and using less than 15 seconds of a song seems to make some sort of difference, but that's all in the weeds. It could vary by country too. But use in commercials, film, and TV series? I don't live in this domain...but it definitely seems like the artist (or at least whoever holds the rights to the song) has a lot of sway over how the music is used. Sting blocked Don't Stand So Close To Me from being used in deodorant ads. Madonna denied a horror film called The Final Girls the use of Like A Prayer (that film went with Bette Davis Eyes instead)...but M did grant the use of the song to the Deadpool/Wolverine film.

This is a good question. While I'm also not convinced this story is real...here's my understanding of why the girls could be paid for their story. The production wouldn't NEED their approval, necessarily. They're in the public eye. It could be made without them. But having the girls' approval would go a long way toward the perceived legitimacy of the project. And perhaps more importantly...it'd go a long way toward the production getting to use the girls' music. A production could up and make a Spice Girls movie...but to get to use the copyrighted music would need the ok of the girls themselves (and some other important parties, I imagine). A few years ago, there was a made-for-TV Aaliyah film that did not get the approval of her estate. So they up and made the film without the ability to use Aaliyah's hits. It wasn't...great. And I do think it'd be very hard to do justice to the Spice Girls' story without the music being involved. All that said, even films where the stars gave their blessing/got paid haven't always been loved by the artist. I'm reminded of the Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It. Tina recorded new vocals for use in the film...and gave approval to who would play her. However, when asked about the film...Tina would just say she wished it had more truth. I guess artists could negotiate casting approval or script approval or anything else in these...but ultimately, they probably need to find filmmakers they trust.

I agree it's a plausible story, but I'm not sold on it. Similar to the Starbucks story...this is my issue. When it's a major corporation involved that's known to the world and major deals are on the line...I have to raise an eyebrow when only the very lowest tabloids are reporting the story. But let's play like this is real for a moment. I'd have my guesses to why Geri would be opposed to it. The Crown is the company's calling card at this point. They're definitely seeking out the drama in what they cover...and, frankly, I don't think the Spice Girls story has a lot of it. The five of them bolting on the original managers is pretty good. But ditching Simon and later Geri leaving were honestly handled...in a fairly civil manner? There's all the pop culture impact to cover...but a series isn't going to spend all its time on the wins. So what from the Spice Girls story does have a bit of salaciousness? The Geri and Mel B fling. And you know Geri's going to fight that getting dramatized. Anyway. That's a total guess on my part. Like I said...I'm not convinced this is even a real story. But if it is...there's my guess why Geri's blocking it.

I figure it would have performed better than We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight...but also, I don't think anything else on the album commanded attention like What Took You So Long. Personally, I would have released both High On Love AND Better Be Careful as singles off the album. For me...Richard Stannard's three tracks on A Girl Like Me just had the best grasp of what Emma's sound should be in 2001. The album's kinda at an unusual place where half the album has this maturity...and the other half sounds younger than the Spice Girls releases from five years earlier (generally). My memory is that Emma called High On Love her favorite song off the album, so that's part of why I was expecting it to get released. Then A World Without You was a fan favorite...and reviewers had kinda been buzzing around Sunshine On A Rainy Day. All of it led to the feeling of We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight being a random pick. I'd probably consider it the album's...8th strongest track? Not ideal for a single. Reverting to an earlier conversation...I will say. I get the logic of releasing We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight. There's a touch of Spice Girls nostalgia...choreography the fans can do alongside Emma. Geri had major success with a Latin-tinged song...Mel C had major success with a heavily remixed single version of one of her tracks. Beyond all that, the singles of the Spice Girls and solo Spice albums to that point tended to showcase the various sides of the artist. My guess is if Take My Breath Away had been as big a hit as What Took You So Long, we would have seen a more expected song as a single...as opposed to the intended shake-up of We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight.

Oh. Yeah. That is what Mel C claimed...though even back then, I thought this excuse was wonky. There were pyrotechnics and a lifting stage...not to mention the need to get mic checks. For the purposes of going through things with the show's crew, all of this wouldn't have happened just moments before the live show. Basically, what I'm saying is...this was 2000, not 1960. Even if a mistake was made with a wrong tape, a file could have been sent to correct the situation. Realistically, I think it was always the plan to lip-sync...but Mel C had been pretty critical of other performers not performing live that year. I'd guess the tape excuse was just the easiest thing for her to come up with...since she'd legitimately spent so much time trying to build her credibility. Why would they lip-sync the show? Well, the group's least confident live performer (Victoria) has some vocals in that song that are way more challenging than what came before. There's also the fact that...although they'd sung live on plenty of shows...they were never strangers to lip-syncing an awards show. Side note. Can't remember the last time this was discussed in here...but there is a story to Wyclef Jean's "Spice Girls broke my heart" song that intro's them. His claim at the time was that he offered them a song, but they never responded. He was also critical of Darkchild...saying all the songs he did sounded similar. To Wyclef's credit, he did have a good run of hit songs around that time (both his and stuff he wrote for others). Who knows why a collab didn't work out. It could be as simple as...Darkchild was the executive producer on Forever...and had an interest in keeping the album as much of his material as possible.

It's an interesting 'what if'. My general feeling is...the album's issue isn't cohesion. It's just that there were ten new tracks given to us in 2000, and roughly half of them weren't good enough for Mel/the project. I actually think the variety of collaborators is sometimes a strength. Jam and Lewis captured her vibrant positive side with Feels So Good. The Darkchild team allowed her to vent her love life frustrations with Tell Me. Mel's a complex enough person that it made sense to have several collaborators play to the different sides of her. But then you have several tracks in the mix that are personality-free...and wrong enough for Mel's range that session singers do much of the heavy lifting. The Teddy Riley songs mainly. So. While I think the variety of collaborators was a good idea...it needed to be all collaborators who were unified in trying to make the project good. Of course, I wish Missy had at least contributed some new material. With I Want You Back, Missy clearly understood Mel's range and persona. That song fits her like a glove. I did wonder why they didn't work together again. But to Spiceboy's point, yes...releasing just before Forever was going to tank Hot no matter what. To me, Missy's involvement isn't a question of 'would the album be more successful?'...it's a question of 'would it be a better album?'

I think everyone's bringing up valid points...but I will say. I liked it better than most. Yes, some things don't work. Spending so much time with the courtroom is a mistake. I'd kinda argue that movies about trials really only work if they're uncovering something we don't already know. Too much of this courtroom stuff is a rehash of what we saw in the first movie. With the musical numbers, I'll acknowledge several of them don't advance the plot. But. Personally, I didn't mind them. They're shot beautifully. For me, they added a boost of energy. I like musicals in general. Could they have done better with integrating the songs into the story? Yes. But the idea of Arthur escaping into his own head to cope with the world made enough sense to me. I rolled with it. I thought the performances were uniformly excellent. Granted, going in, I'd already heard this wasn't really a co-lead film with Joaquin and Gaga. It's Joaquin as the obvious lead...with Gaga's role just about how she influences him. Her performance doesn't go gleefully off-the-rails in a way people might have anticipated. But for what the script called for...I thought she was great. Oh. I know the ending is a major point of controversy among fans of the first movie. But. I dunno. Without spoiling anything here...I thought both movies had been hinting this is where we were headed? Final thought. I think my fear from the reaction was that the filmmakers had done some soulless cash-in cause the first movie made a billion dollars. Having seen the movie...I do not think that. Regardless of if everything works, I do sense a passion for the filmmaking in this.

I'm seeing the movie tomorrow. I always have a fascination with sequels that so firmly defy audience expectations. You can see that in, say, 1978's The Exorcist 2...and as recently as Halloween Ends. It's not that all the sequels like this are necessarily bad (well, Exorcist 2 is...). But. It's just interesting to me when filmmakers know they'll make the audience mad...and charge forward anyway. Who WANTS to make a fanbase mad? Is it bold? Is it just...unwise? I think it's interesting. And it's certainly sounding like the new Joker film falls into this camp. Here's where I'm at before I see it. Big Gaga fan. There's nothing about it being a musical that I'm opposed to. I didn't like the first movie. I'll acknowledge Joaquin Phoenix deserved all the awards love he got for his performance...while also saying I didn't get much out of the first movie beyond it being a slog to sit through. I know a lot of people feel it's a bold vision...but I'd urge everyone to watch the early 80s movie King of Comedy. Joker is pretty intentionally inspired by that film. They both even have Robert DeNiro in them. But...for me, at least...Joker did blur the line between tribute to the earlier film and blatant rip-off. So...all that said, I'm hoping I can be one of the ones to like the sequel a smidge better than most people? It's definitely the movie to pile onto and hate at the moment.

Know how I know the Geri/Starbucks story isn't real? A Halloween-themed ad campaign would have required her to dress in fall colors. And...well. We know six-figures still wouldn't be enough to get her in anything other than white. Though. It's Halloween. I guess she could be a ghost... But. No. Really. I'm not buying it. It's all 'sources say'. I'm not seeing any outlets I'd consider reputable reporting it. I also just don't think any of this makes sense. Why would it only be Geri? Wouldn't it make more sense for at least a four-piece Spice Girls to front a pumpkin spice campaign? It's Starbucks. They could afford it. Also. Starbucks is a US-based brand...and all four of the other girls have done better at maintaining a profile here than Geri has. Geri's a part of 90s pop culture, but she...by herself...wouldn't mean much to a US audience in 2024. Starbucks partners in the past with Oprah and Taylor Swift, and now they're going with solo Geri? I guess you could argue she could be used in specific global markets. But. A year of negotiations and six figures for just Geri wouldn't be worth it to Starbucks. This story is shenanigans, I tell you!

So. From what I can remember from the fan conversation at the time...wasn't I Turn To You sung by a character into a mirror? Like...the character was really full of herself...and it was supposed to be funny...but the crowd just wasn't laughing? I think I remember fans saying the song got repurposed later in the run when it became clear its initial use wasn't working. I think it would be an odd choice to try and play for laughs. The tone/lyrics of I Turn To You don't immediately give me..."comedy"

This is definitely true. ABBA's a pretty rare case of having a mountain of hits to pull from. Still. Even with the Spice Girls' relatively small discography, I lean toward thinking it *could* have worked if they used the songs correctly. They just...didn't, in large part... When I heard the crowd recordings, the should-have-been-showstopper Who Do You Think You Are abruptly ended midway through the song in a way people seemed confused as to whether they should applaud. The initial crowd recordings I heard of Say You'll Be There was a stripped down version (I think they fixed this later in the run). The acoustic Viva Forever was pretty...but it obviously didn't hold a candle to the lush original. 2 Become 1 was played for laughs. Let Love Lead the Way, I Turn To You, and Do It were sung in overly theatrical ways that I didn't think gelled with the songs. I thought the Mama/Goodbye mashup worked...but...when you're dealing with a group with a smaller list of hits to choose from, I just wouldn't combine two of them. Then you have hit Holler and obvious fan favorite Never Give Up On the Good Times missing. I even thought it was a little awkward for the cast to change the phrasing of Headlines. It's like...why? Out of what I heard, the only stuff that was really landing was Wannabe, Spice Up Your Life, Stop, and...kinda randomly...Right Back At Ya. I mean. I like that song. I'm glad it got its due. But they gave a showcase to an album track off an under-appreciated album while they were messing up the big hits. But! All that said, relatively successful musicals have been built around singular albums by Green Day and Alanis Morissette. I'd kinda argue just about anything from Spice and Spiceworld is well-known enough to make it into the show...plus there's another two big hits off Forever and other songs to sprinkle in. It *could* work, I think...

I never saw Viva Forever! on stage, so what I can say about it is somewhat limited. But I did listen to all the songs...and it was striking to me how often the show was dropping the ball with the arrangements. The obvious comparison is Mama Mia! For whatever criticisms you can aim at that show, it does the key things very well. First and most importantly, it's a great showcase for ABBA's music. It's also wisely about characters in the age range of ABBA's core fanbase. Viva Forever! was never that thoughtful. The talent show thing is an era after the Spice Girls, so the play to 90s nostalgia is lost there. This is less an issue...but I do find it a little curious Viva's cast (the mom's friends...and the daughter's friends) is made up of people who are actually both older AND younger than the core Spice Girls fans. Could a Spice Girls musical have worked? Here's what I think they should have attempted. And I have zero expertise in this area. But. Eh. I'll tell you anyway. I don't think the Spice Girls story would work either. Their backstory is just not interesting in the way Jersey Boys or Tina: The Musical's are. But I would have people playing the Spice Girls. The personalities/iconography of the girls themselves are a lot more key to their success than in the case of the ABBA members. I don't think SpiceWorld: The Movie is on a level of beloved to adapt it directly...but I think it's in the right direction. Set the musical in 1997...and do a totally fictional Spice Girls story that's outlandish, camp, and funny and full of 90s references and figures of pop culture from that time. That way...there's a Spice Girls sugar rush with what people love about the group...without any of the "and then they disbanded cause they stopped caring..." stuff.

While I'd love it if they'd get back out there and tour/make music together...I think there's a reality that it wasn't likely all five of them were going to remain in pop star mode into their late 40s/early 50s. People change. The fact three of them could still carry a big show is actually somewhat good odds. To be fair to Geri, she was already saying in the Passion era that she didn't see herself as a lifelong performer like Cher. And at this point, Geri's not too far in age from what Cher was when Believe exploded. I don't think we're giving enough acknowledgement to the years where Geri and Victoria were regularly being named "Most Hated Woman in the UK" or being added to worst singers in history lists. There are artists out there like Madonna who had that ability to just take what detractors said and make art out of responding to it. But my read of the situation is Geri and Victoria were genuinely effected by their detractors. It's generally some other Spices feeding reunion hype while trying to sell a new book/show of their own. Is it entirely fair to be mad at Geri and Victoria if they're not the ones constantly getting the fanbase hopes up? Now. Could a three-piece reunion tour between the Mels and Emma work? Look, I'd support whatever they decided to do together. It could be Emma and Mel B Take Ukulele Lessons: LIVE...it could be the three of them setting up a roadside cantaloupe stand. Whatever they do, I'm here for it. Does that extend to the public? I think there's a reality that Victoria and Geri have had the most articles written about them over the years. I do think the profile of the reunion is lowered without the two of them. I'm definitely not convinced they could play stadiums. Now, a very different question...can the three-piece carry a show? Yeah, I do think that. Emma and the Mels still have the passion for performing. There are plenty of great three-piece girl groups. I even think they can re-disburse lines pretty easily.

In defense of Stop's release date...when the release schedule was coming together, could the girls have known how huge It's Like That was going to be? That's an honest question, actually. It's Like That turned out to be one of the biggest hits of 1998 in the UK. But...to people living there at the time...how far back did people see that coming? It's certainly a bit random to me. It's a remix of an early 80s song from a group that hadn't been especially active in a while. For contrast, here in the US, the It's Like That remix didn't break the top 100 at all. If the girls had released much earlier in the month, they would have been up against Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On...the gargantuan soundtrack song from Titanic, practically the movie of the decade. It's also one of only two 1998 singles to outsell It's Like That in the UK. If they released earlier than Celine, they would have been up against Madonna's Frozen...an epic lead single from the album the world was heralding as her career best. Honestly, if I were the girls, I would have chosen to go up against It's Like That too...

I don't think Geri's Live and Let Die is bad, per se...and I say that as someone who would be inclined to be against it. I *love* the original version. Saw Paul McCartney perform it live a few years back. Great concert memory. But. Anyway. Back to Geri. I actually think her voice fits on it pretty well. After doing Summertime, I think Geri proved she could be suited to sing a Bond-ish song...so I guess the most logical step would be to sing an actual Bond song. Granted, the instrumentation is what genuinely carries Live and Let Die. But. What Geri did, I thought she did well. Now. All that said, I do think her version does the same thing as most solo Spice covers...it's a replica of the original. Considering Guns N' Roses had already done an amped up version of Live and Let Die, you'd kinda hope Geri would come up with some new twist rather than just reverting to the early 70s original. But. Look. Geri didn't put Live and Let Die on an album. It was a b-side. Eh. I'm not mad at it.

I remember when it was announced Geri was covering It's Raining Men. I was assuming she'd be singing it with that sort of impression of Shirley Bassey she flirted with on Look At Me and Summertime. But I actually think what we got was much better than my assumption. As Geri's singles go, I do prefer most of her originals. However, I get why the song was such a big hit. I'm not a fan of most of the solo Spice cover songs because the girls had a tendency to just copy everything. But. There have been a handful of times one of the girls reinterpreted a song in an interesting way. One of those would be Mel B's Word Up...another is Geri's It's Raining Men. I think it's an interesting project just because on paper, it all sounds so random. Geri definitely doesn't have the pipes of the Weather Girls. As for the video, It's Raining Men is kinda of the era of Fame and Flashdance, but there's not a connection beyond that. And yet. For me, the song and video do work. Last thought. I remember original Weather Girl Martha Wash saying she didn't like Geri's cover. Which is fair. Martha has a powerful voice. Though...what's been kinda forgotten to time is Martha herself released a duet of It's Raining Men with RuPaul in the late 90s. And it's also fair to say...Geri's is a few stratospheres better than that version.

As good as they look together...as good as their chemistry is...I never get my hopes up about them doing something as a group. I think there's a reality they were never built to be a longterm thing. They're all natural stars, but their levels of focus and drive just aren't the same. There was always bound to be issues when you've got one member who truly thrives on singing live and touring...and another member who's overtly uncomfortable with all of that...and others who might not have the attention span or life priorities for it. It was never going to jive for the long haul. And I understand that. The quick reunions we've gotten have all been just bonuses for me. The only thing that's ever irked me is their constant teasing of reunions. I'm not talking about this video David took. No, that's genuinely just cute, and I'm glad that was shared for all of us to see. But the cynic in me does kinda think they typically know a reunion isn't really in the cards...and they're just teasing one anyway to help promote some new book or TV show they're doing solo. The new projects won't get many headlines or raise a profile, but reunion rumors will.

^ On the subject of Emma not using the Darkchild tracks she's believed to have recorded and not taking up Jam and Lewis on their offer... I've kinda wondered if Virgin wanted the solo Spices to veer clear of their Forever team after the sales for the album (and Mel B's Hot) were so disappointing. Granted, yes, we as fans know the real blame for that is on the girls for not promoting Forever...and on Mel B for dooming her album with that release date. But. Regardless, the public perception became that the material was to blame. All this is total speculation on my part. But. It's notable that the girls tended to re-use the same collaborators...and those writers/producers worked with various members of their solo careers. After 2000...Jam/Lewis and Darkchild were never back in the fold. Anyway. I actually do wish both teams had material on A Girl Like Me. I like What Took You So Long as much as any other fan, but I actually would not want the entire album to sound like it. Emma has more sides to her than that. However, the album's in kinda a weird space where half of it is more mature...and half of it sounds quite a bit younger than anything on Spice from five years earlier. The Darkchild team could have given her some light r'n'b that would have been stronger than Been There, Done That or She Was A Friend Of Mine...and Jam/Lewis would have given her some fun pop better than the title track.

I won't go into any specifics on this because I'm not looking to rile up any other fanbases...but I'll just say this in general; a lot of pop stars today still support certain politicians because they belong to an underrepresented group...while not paying much mind to that politician's actual history/stances on a lot of things. And I think that's what happened with Geri in the 90s. Does that completely defend it? No. But it's relevant context. Geri also claimed to be a big Marilyn Monroe fan around that same time...while not having seen a single Monroe film. I think she tended to like...her perception of a person? Going back to Margaret Thatcher. When Mel B was prompted to make a supportive Margaret Thatcher comment on an Adult Swim show a few years ago, she was clearly blindsided when the host told her some realities of Thatcher's time in office. What does that say? Honestly, not a lot. Mel got egg on her face because she's a celeb who got called out on a show, but in all reality, most people don't know controversies about Thatcher or any other politician from that long ago.