Happy Birthday, Victoria Beckham: The Spice Girls, Then and Now

1 minute read

We don’t know what Victoria Beckham really really wants for her 40th birthday, but because you can never have too much of a good thing, take a minute now to catch up on what the girl power pioneers have been up to since they zig-a-zig-ah‘d their way to global stardom. After stomping onto the scene with towering platform shoes in the late 1990s, the women behind the best-selling female pop group of all time have gone to become mothers, writers, designers, television personalities and solo pop stars in their own right. Girl power, indeed.

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Victoria Beckham's wealthy upbringing and love of high fashion (remember the little Gucci dress?) earned her the nickname Posh Spice.John Stanton—WireImage/Getty Images
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Beckham released one solo album in 2001, but these days she is better known as a highly successful fashion designer and the wife of soccer star David Beckham, with whom she has four children.Mike Marsland—WireImage/Getty Images
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A magazine gave Melanie Brown, better known as Mel B, the nickname Scary Spice for her bold personality. Her frequent appearances in animal-print outfits probably helped the nickname stick.Dave Hogan—Getty Images
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Since her second solo album, L.A. State of Mind, bombed in 2005, the mama of three has reinvented herself as an international reality star: She's been a judge on the U.K. and Australian versions of The X Factor as well as America's Got Talent.Jemal Countess—Getty Images
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It wasn't just the babydoll dresses and pigtails that earned Emma Bunton the nickname of Baby Spice—she was also the youngest member of the group.John Stanton—WireImage/Getty Images
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Since the Spice Girls, Bunton has given birth to some baby spices of her own: 6-year-old Beau and 2-year-old Tate. She has released three solo albums, one of which, 2004's Free Me, earned critical acclaim for its Motown-inspired sound.Dave J Hogan—Getty Images
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Melanie Chisholm's tomboyish appearance and preference for tracksuits and ponytails earned her the moniker Sporty Spice.Dave Hogan—Getty Images
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Chisholm, mother to 5-year-old Scarlett, has released six studio albums, making her the the most prolific solo member of the Spice Girls. But don't worry, she hasn't given up on the good times: Emma Bunton joined her for a duet on her last record, 2012's covers album Stages.David M. Benett—Getty Images
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Ginger Spice broke the hearts of many wannabe Spice Girls when she shockingly left the group in 1998 before a North American tour.Tim Roney—Getty Images
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Once a Spice Girl, always a Spice Girl: Halliwell performed with the reunited Spice Girls during their 2007-08 reunion tour, and she has also released three solo albums and penned the Ugenia Lavender children's book series. Halliwell gave birth to daughter Bluebell Madonna in 2006.Ferdaus Shamim—WireImage/Getty Images

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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com