Spotify’s Spice Bus Tours London to Celebrate 25 Years of the Spice Girls
2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the one and only Spice Girls. Their debut, and most-streamed track of all time, “Wannabe,” made waves and started a global “girl power” revolution unlike anything the music and pop culture industry had witnessed before—one that still inspires and encourages young girls of today. On Spotify, 18- to 24-year-olds stream the Spice Girls the most, showcasing how their music has the ability to inspire a new generation.
To celebrate a quarter-century of one of the most popular girl bands across the world, this past weekend Spotify recreated the iconic Spice Bus from the Spice World film and took fans on a zig-zagging journey: a Spice Girls’ tour across London.
The bus turned heads as it traveled through the city, kicking off at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, where the iconic music video for “Wannabe” was filmed. Spotify’s Spice Bus then journeyed around the capital and over Tower Bridge—though it did stay grounded (unlike the flying bus in Spice World).
Spice Girls super fans on board the bus were treated to a drag-filled homage to the Spice Girls. The bus tour was hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season one queen Baga Chipz taking inspiration from Ginger Spice. Accompanying Baga were contestants from the new series of Drag Race, which premieres later this week, each drawing inspiration and paying tribute to their inner Spice Girl: Kitty Scott-Claus (Baby Spice), Ophelia Love (Sporty Spice), Vanity Milan (Scary Spice), and Ella Vaday (Posh Spice).
Spice is still the group’s most popular album, with over 860 million streams. It ranks among albums from other female icons, including Taylor Swift’s Taylor Swift album, Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time, and fellow girl group Little Mix’s DNA. “Wannabe” continues to be the top song from Spice, with “2 Become 1,” “Say You’ll Be There,” “Who Do You Think You Are,” and “Mama” following.
“The Spice Girls have shaped the way the music industry operates today,” says Sulinna Ong, Spotify UK/IE Head of Music. “Their message of female empowerment resonated across the world, no matter who you were or what you looked like—and continues into this day. The fact that 18- to 24-year-olds stream the Spice Girls the most shows what an impact the girls continue to have around the world. Bringing back the Spice Bus is Spotify’s way of giving a little something back to the fans who have flown the flag for Girl Power over the past 25 years.’’
Want to spice up your life some more? Stream This Is Spice Girls on Spotify below.
