"If you wanna be my lover …make it last forever friendship never ends."
You might have an experience that certain tune has been lingered in your head all day and you keep humming the song over again. For me, the Spice Girls' biggest hit-song 'Wannabe' did and I believe the song has appealed to many ever since it had released. Then, what made this song special and impressed millions of people during the late 20th century? If you catch the inside meaning of the song, you might find it more interesting and easy to understand. Before I explain the meaning of the song 'Wannabe', I want to address the zeitgeist of the mid-1990s in the United Kingdom. What is zeitgeist? According to Encyclopedia, "Zeitgeist is the spirit of the times or the spirit of the age." The mid-to-late 20th century is often referred to as 'Cool Britannia'. The term 'Cool Britannia' had revealed not only the mid-90's Britpop movement but also closely associated with the early years of "New Labor" under British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The movement, along with an influx of lively British pop music and young political leader, saw a renewal in British pride.
Third Way (Middle Way)
The Spice Girls' music video starts with showing three groups of people on the street. One is rolled in blanket and shivering in the dark; another is getting off a luxurious car and being escorted by a guard; the other (Spice Girls) is greeting to the shivering and calling another's attention. The Girls' gesture with singing, "Get your act together we could be just fine," cannot be just considered as a "nice and kind" but should be understood as an "overthrow-the-custom and fill-the-gap-between" gesture. This middle way is originally used by New Labor government to refer to indicate its stance to reconcile right and left-wing politics.
Girl Power vs Modern Beauty Culture
The phrase "Girl Power" had expressed a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s. It is also linked to new-wave feminism and became popular by the Spice Girls. In some respects, you might see the point of feminist movement in the video: showing braless, making first move to kiss a man. Their message of female empowerment appealed to young girls, adult women, and even to men. However, I doubt that Spice Girls had well-represented "Girl Power" indeed. First, could the five band members really appeal within the target demographic group? The United Kingdom has a long history of migration and has the oldest Chinese community in Europe. Considering the huge population of British Asian (including Indian immigrants), could British adolescents be encouraged to identify themselves with the band members who had been only formed with one black and four whites? Second, while I was watching the video, I could not help but focused on their sexually-dressed looks and sensual dances. Even their braless presence made them more look sex appeal. How many people would recall the Bra Burning movement on the 60's as soon as they saw their outfits on the video? Moreover, the five all good-looking and nice-body girls had reminded me of no more than appearance-oriented modern beauty culture and shown as a shallow marketing tactic.
Wannabe: Free Spirit
Regardless all the issues and attention the Girls' had made, nobody can deny their impressive impact on British culture. Especially, the young generation's unfettered spirit and movements are well-melted down to 'Wannabe' music video: clearing away the tablecloth, performing the backflip on a table, and mingling with the old generation. In addition, the song's message encourages us not to waste our precious time, tell and do what we really want:
"Tell me, what you really really want… If you want my future forget my past…"
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