The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ; Melanie C ; Emma Bunton ; Geri Halliwell ; and Victoria Beckham. With their "girl power" mantra, they redefined the girl-group concept by targeting a young female fanbase. They led the teen pop resurgence of the 1990s, were a major part of the Cool Britannia era, and became pop culture icons of the decade.
The Spice Girls performing during a reunion concert in Toronto in February 2008. From left to right: Mel C, Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Mel B and Emma Bunton
The Spice Girls as a four-piece performing "Holler" in Cologne, Germany at the Return of the Spice Girls tour
The Spice Girls performing "Wannabe" as the closing number of their Return of the Spice Girls Tour, at the Air Canada Centre, in Toronto
The Spice Girls at the Viva Forever! premiere night, 2012
Cool Britannia was a name for the period of increased pride in the culture of the United Kingdom throughout the mid and second half of the 1990s, inspired by Swinging London from 1960s pop culture. This loosely coincided with John Major's conservative government and the 1997 United Kingdom general election where Tony Blair's New Labour government won in a landslide. The success of Britpop and musical acts such as the Spice Girls, Blur, and Oasis reflected a renewed feeling of optimism in the United Kingdom following the tumultuous years of the 1970s and 1980s. The name is a pun on the title of the British patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!"
Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell performing in a Union Jack dress in 2008, a remake of the dress she wore at the 1997 Brit Awards.