- Thursday, May 02, 2024
The stamps go on general sale from January 11.
By: Mohnish Singh
Britain’s Royal Mail on Friday unveiled a set of 15 special stamps to celebrate one of the world’s most successful female pop groups of all time, the Spice Girls.
With more than 100 million global record sales across three decades and nine UK number-one singles, the girl band is considered one of the most successful British bands in music history.
Formed in 1994, the Spice Girls are the biggest female group of all time, with worldwide record sales of over 100 million. Emma, Geri, Mel B, Melanie C, and Victoria – aka Baby, Ginger, Scary, Sporty, and Posh Spice – spearheaded their own rise to chart dominance at a time when girl groups were not considered to be commercially viable. Their infectious pop sound and bold “Girl Power!” philosophy changed the face of music and inspired a generation of artists and fans.
This is the first time Royal Mail has dedicated an entire stamp issue to a female pop group and they become only the sixth music group to feature in a dedicated stamp issue – following on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020, The Rolling Stones in 2022 and Iron Maiden in 2023.
“We are so excited to be celebrated by Royal Mail, alongside some of the most iconic and influential music legends,” the Spice Girls said in a collective statement.
“When we formed the Spice Girls we couldn’t have dreamt that 30 years later we would be the first female group to be dedicated an entire stamp collection, that’s Girl Power,” they said.
In partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s brand management and merchandise division, Royal Mail said it worked closely with the band to carefully curate and select images that celebrated the “incredible legacy” of the Spice Girls.
David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “The Spice Girls have been a force to be reckoned with since they formed as a group in 1994. We are proud to celebrate the most successful female music group ever seen, not only for their music but their enduring influence over so many aspects of our lives.”
The main set of 10 stamps features iconic images of group and individual live performances from 1997 to 2012 and completing the set are a further five stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, featuring individual images of the girls from the iconic Spice World photoshoot. The image was chosen as it features each of the Spice Girls individually on their own stamp, but also within a group shot.
Spicemania swept the globe in 1996 with the release of the group’s debut single, ‘Wannabe’ and the influence of the group touched all spheres of modern life. They became a lasting symbol of the “Cool Britannia” era, owing in no small part to the iconic Union Jack dress worn by Geri for the group’s performance at the 1997 BRIT Awards, Royal Mail notes.
The Spice Girls were awarded two Ivor Novello Awards, and three BRITS – one of these a special BRIT Award in recognition of their global achievement – three American Music Awards and four global MTV Awards.
The new stamps are available to individually pre-order now and a presentation pack including all 15 stamps in the set is priced at GBP 19.65.
The stamps go on general sale from January 11.
