Spice Girls turn 25: ‘Wannabe’ set for re-release to celebrate anniversary of smash-hit song

If you're lacking a bit of 'zigazig-ah' in your life, it’s time to get with your friends as the group releases the popular 1990s track again, along with a new one

From left: Mel C, Geri Horner, Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown and Emma Bunton are re-releasing their hit 'Wannabe' to mark the 25th anniversary of the single. Reuters

It was the song that put “zigazig-ah” in the modern lexicon and launched the "Girl Power" slogan as a way to empower millions of young, female fans.

Released in July 1996, Spice Girls's Wannabe was an instant hit, reaching the No 1 spot in 37 countries. Spice, the album that spawned the track, sold more than 23 million copies to become the best-selling album by a female group in history.

Made up of five Brits –  Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner (then Halliwell), also known as Posh, Scary, Sporty, Baby and Ginger – Spice Girls, put together by music manager Simon Fuller, would go on to become the best-selling girl group of all time.

To celebrate the song reaching its quarter-century milestone, the girl group are releasing Wannabe 25, an EP guaranteed to whisk you back in time to when Spice Girls ruled the airwaves and the world of pop.

The EP, which will be released digitally on Friday, July 9, features the original Wannabe, as well as a remix by US producer and DJ Junior Vasquez, which was originally a bonus track on 2 Become 1.

Fans will also get to listen to a previously unreleased track called Feed Your Love, snippets of which have been released online over the years, but this is the first opportunity to hear it in full.

Fans of the '90s will be able to indulge their passion for all things retro as the EP will be available for pre-order on limited-edition vinyl, as well as on cassette from Friday, July 23.

The video for Wannabe was shot in the entrance and staircase of the former Midland Grand Hotel in St Pancras, London, and the song went on to sell 1.3 million singles. Overall, the group has sold more than 90 million records worldwide.

The group started out as a five-piece, but became a quartet when Horner quit in May 1998 citing exhaustion amid rumours of a falling out with Mel B. Going on hiatus in December 2000, the band reunited in 2007 to announce a world tour. Tickets sold out in 38 seconds and the 47-date tour was the highest-grossing concert act of 2007-2008.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary, Beckham, 47, Mel C, 47, Bunton, 45, Horner, 48, and Mel B, 46, have launched the #IAmASpiceGirl campaign on social media, inviting fans to share their stories about the group, which will be featured on the Spice Girls website and social media platforms.

"The Spice Girls belong to everyone," said the band. "That's why we want to mark 25 years of Wannabe by celebrating our incredible fans."