30 Years of Spice: How Pop Stars Traded Girl Power for Politics

This month, the Spice Girls are celebrating three decades of their iconic debut album, Spice . The group’s impact on ’90s music cannot be overstated. They helped usher in a second British Invasion in the mid-1990s (the first being led by the Beatles in the 1960s). The girl group was, and still is, deeply adored by women worldwide. They were the band that had us all asking, “Which Spice Girl Are You?” That question alone launched a million Halloween group costumes, with girls adorning themselves in platforms, babydoll dresses, leopard print, baby backpacks, tracksuits, and enough eye glitter to rival a Mardi Gras parade. Spice Up Your Life This month’s anniversary release includes newly released box sets: a mammoth collection of 14 individually colored 7-inch vinyl records and a 14-CD set. (Yes, those are back, too.) Now we can sing “Wannabe” at the top of our lungs in the privacy of our homes, like civilized people, on a record or CD player, instead of echoing through the halls of our local karaoke haunt. But all this nostalgia has me thinking: Where did the Spice Girls’ electric brand of Girl Power go? Nowadays, being a young girl can feel like anything but fun. The Spice Girls tapped into a brand of girl empowerment that didn’t seek to elevate femininity by changing it, but rather celebrated it. They demanded nothing from their fans other than that they embrace being girls . Where is that in pop music today? The Day Girl Power Died In 2018, the hottest, most exclusive tour was announced. And I couldn’t believe it: I got tickets. The Spice Girls were returning to the stage for a handful of dates, performing their greatest hits. Granted, I had to find a way to get myself to the U.K. to attend, but I wasn’t going to let the Atlantic Ocean stand in my way. With every fiber of my former adolescent girl heart, I loved the Spice Girls. When schoolwork, cliques, or even my parents wore me down, I’d lose myself in their upbeat lyrics. The fun, the fashion, the promise that girls had their own unique strength. It was a great relief at that age. So imagine my complete and utter shock when I showed up to the concert of the century, decked out in my vintage Union Jack shirt à la Ginger Spice, only to discover that, apparently, the mantra of Girl Power was gone. Not just gone, but dead and buried. And the Spice Girls were accessories to its murder. “It’s people power . We’re about equality and bringing everyone together,” declared Baby Spice, Emma Bunton. Bright letters flashed across the tour stage : “We welcome all ages, all races, all gender identities, all countries of origin, all sexual orientations, all religions and beliefs, all abilities.” Come again? There were still references to “Girl Power,” but the overall message was clear: a political rebranding had taken place. The reality hit hard. Even the group that built its entire foundation on femininity, the fact that girls could be posh, tomboys, cutesy, or sexy, wasn’t enough. Now that definition had to include other genders. They decided “Girl Power” needed to be opened up, like an unholy matrimony for any gender that wanted to join. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. This was becoming the pop-culture experience young fans were expected to endure. The Celebrity Social Contract The year was 2003. The band was the Dixie Chicks. They were performing in London, England, when lead singer Natalie Maines voiced her political opposition to then-President George W. Bush. “We’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Americans were stunned. It shocked audiences to hear a pop singer make such a pointed political statement, largely because it was still relatively uncommon in mainstream pop culture. Artists had spoken out before, of course, but the Dixie Chicks controversy became a defining moment in the relationship between pop stars, politics, and their audiences. Today, pop-culture celebrities can make attending a concert feel like a quasi-hostage situation. You pay me the money and, sure, you’ll hear me sing, but you’ll also have to hear me rant. And sometimes, proceeds from those ticket sales will benefit political causes you don’t believe in. That’s the price of admission now. Our pop icons increasingly frame “Girl Power” through political activism, rather than the earlier emphasis on fun, friendship, and femininity. Who Do You Think You Are? Today, countless young girls and teens encounter political messages from the artists they admire. They didn’t necessarily ask for those messages, and they may not even agree with them. They simply love the singer’s music. Consider Olivia Rodrigo, who directed ticket proceeds from her 2024 Guts Tour toward abortion funding. At some tour stops, representatives also distributed birth control, condoms, and abortion information to a concert that included young girls. The overreach sparked controversy . Or take Reneé Rapp , who used her platform to lead audiences in anti-ICE chants. Or when Paramore’s Hayley Williams shouts to her audience that one political party is the actual KKK, “F*** all these people man, God d***. F***ing MAGA pieces of s***. The KKK look different and they will not win.” What if someone just wanted a little pop-punk music without the political castigation? Apparently, that’s becoming harder to find. Why can’t today’s celebrities let their music speak for itself? Why must their platforms also become vehicles for introducing young fans to their particular political ideologies? You might think, what’s the harm? Celebrities are always high on their own supply; just let them rant. But the data suggests that this approach may not even be accomplishing what they hope. Political messaging from celebrities can alienate audiences rather than persuade them . Not to mention add significant stress to young women. Today’s young girls already navigate enormous pressures around identity, relationships, self-esteem, and belonging. Life as a preteen or teenager can be really hard. The number of spaces where girls can simply enjoy being girls is limited. And now, they can’t seem to do that with their favorite music artists either, a space where girls once found a healthy form of fun escapism. According to the Pew Research Center , girls report more pressure than boys to get good grades, look good, and fit in socially. The rate of depression among teen girls remains shockingly high. Most agree that American girls are facing a crisis, but not everyone can agree on how to get them out of it. But here’s something we can hopefully all agree on: celebrities pushing their political pet projects onto young audiences can add pressure to girls’ already complicated lives. Telling a young girl that she’s responsible for changing Congress, reshaping the Supreme Court, or fixing state legislation is a heavy burden to place on her—especially when many of these fans aren’t even old enough to vote. It puts undue pressure on girls who are already going through enough. And there’s little evidence that celebrity political messaging is particularly effective at changing minds. A recent YouGov poll offers an interesting look at the impact of celebrity political speech. It found that 51% of respondents had formed an unfavorable opinion of a celebrity because of that celebrity’s political stance. One-third of Americans also thought celebrities hurt their own careers when they wade into political waters. In other words, the strategy backfires. The Lost Art of Letting Girls Have Fun I’m sure the Spice Girls had their own political opinions in the ’90s. But they didn’t make those opinions the price of admission to being a fan. They didn’t ask us to carry the weight of the world’s problems before we could sing along to the nonsensical lyrics of “Wannabe.” And what a beautiful gift that was: the freedom to enjoy the music, laugh with our friends, dress up as our favorite Spice Girl , and save the worrying for all the other pressing issues waiting for us in the real world. That’s not to say girls shouldn’t be challenged to dream big, think critically, or pursue greatness. But that charge shouldn’t come from celebrities who mistake their platforms for a mandate to shape their young fans’ politics. It’s time to rip up the celebrity social contract and bring back something much simpler: let the music be the music, let girlhood be fun, and let girls just be girls. After all, isn’t that what Girl Power was supposed to be about?