In 1994, a group of five girls, known as the Spice Girls, took the world by storm. The scene for music groups in the 90s was without a doubt one of the most talented eras of music. In the span of the decade, we had breakout groups like SWV, Destiny’s Child, The Backstreet Boys and a plethora of others who had marveled in their own fame.
But what made the Spice Girls so crazily standout from rest, to the point their impact is incomparable with most music artists?
I believe that the answer is insane individuality. Each member of the Spice Girls were completely unique in their own way, that plus their well-produced music and group concept made the group untouchable.
Scary Spice, now known by her moniker Mel B (which is a shortened version of her full name, Melanie Brown), in my opinion, was one of the most identifiable performers in the Spice Girls.
Her leopard print obsession was one of the focal points of her individuality. Her rambunctiousness in interviews, paired with her absolute gall when performing, attracted audiences from around the world. She was outspoken in a way that most people wouldn’t dare to do, but her charisma became an endearing part of who she is.
Mel B’s obsession with leopard started way before the group’s fame. As a 12 year old, she marveled at the character Bet Lynch from Britain’s longest running soap opera, Coronation Street, who was often styled in leopard print tops.
Since then, she dared to live as boldly and fiery as Bet Lynch, making the lifestyle the overall influence for what Scary Spice represented.
After such a firm decision at 12, the first time Scary Spice was seen in her famous leopard was in the Spice Girls’ music video for “Say You’ll Be There”. In a leopard bustier that slightly resembled Bet Lynch and a black skort of her choosing, Mel B made deliberate strides to who and how she wanted to be perceived.
One thing that I noticed throughout the music video is that she never seemed to lose the groove or the feel of the song. There’s a part near the end where they’re all walking at a 3/4th profile from the camera, and in my opinion, you can tell that she feels so comfortable within herself.
While I watched, her improvised movement never seemed to phase any sort of awkward side of her, because there simply wasn’t. Scary Spice brought who she was to set and displayed the utmost confidence that shone throughout everything she did. I feel that her love for music, choreography, and overall art exudes off her any chance she gets.
As Mel B was finding out who she was, she helped spark the individuality of her band members who were on the same journey. At the beginning of the “Spice Mania” (which is the moniker given to the intense popularity the Spice Girls gained in a short period of time), the group performed at the Brit Awards in 1997.
Their management initially wanted the girls to dress cohesively and look just like each other, but the push back from the girls created one of the most iconic moments in award show history. In a leopard print bodysuit that had a V-neck alllllll the way down to under her belly button and a brown bikini top, Scary Spice did what she always did: display intense amounts of confidence. I believe Scary Spice was nothing less than absolute fierceness.
To be fully transparent, my goal for this article is to shed a bright light on Black women in the mainstream media.
As a person that was training to be in the entertainment industry for so long and then halted that career path to pursue higher education, I feel that it is important to recognize who made it possible for me to NOT have to be in the back of a room or carry myself in a way to make myself “palatable.”
Whenever I see a black girl or woman in the media who is outwardly themselves and carries a certain confidence with her, my heart grows a little fonder of the world. There is so much criticism in the press about Black women and how they act.
I find that many of the blasphemous, degrading articles are disproportionately targeted towards Black women in comparison to their counterparts and peers of other races—and that is a fact. I find Mel B to be so important to the conversation, because in my opinion, she defied all the things that would make her “palatable.”
She is beautifully eccentric, inspiring, and my favorite Spice Girl.