Spice Girls v All Saints: was there any beef between the two groups or was it a case of fandom preference?

On November 1 1997, Spice Girls released their hugely anticipated follow up to their watershed debut, Spiceworld. Meanwhile, another girl group would release their own debut studio album soon after - with All Saints’ self-titled debut arriving just 23 days later.

Naturally, both British groups looked to make their marks (once more in the Spice Girls’ case) on the charts both in the United Kingdom and in the United States, where Spicemania was likened to that of Beatlemania and the British Invasion of 1964. 

While the universal message from both bands was in the spirit of female empowerment, for some fans it became a case of what team you were on - heaven forbid you could like both equally. At this stage, Spicemania was almost ubiquitous, veering towards the point of oversaturation, with some suggesting that the ideal was more a “gimmick” for some artists compared to others. 

Who doesn’t like a good old fashioned music rivalry akin to Oasis and Blur, The Cure and The Smiths and even on a friendlier level like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. But was there any real animosity between the two bands, with the benefit of hindsight now?

Or, was it merely a case of fans and the media taking sides in order to make a mountain out of a pop-infused molehill? Maybe the approach one band had resonated more than the other - but were there ever any harsh words thrown by either side?

Was there any beef between Spice Girls and All Saints?

There have been some “choice” comments between the two bands, but many have simply speculated that this was orchestrated by both the press and fans in order to elicit a rivalry similar to that between Oasis and Blur - despite Spice Girls stance on “girl power” meaning everyone, not just those not in the music industry.

The media had a field day with their opposing styles and aesthetics, building up a "good girl vs. bad girl" narrative. The Spice Girls were seen as bubbly, energetic, and wholesome, while All Saints had a more "edgy" and "cool" image. Headlines like "The War of the Girl Bands" played into this narrative, suggesting that the groups were locked in a bitter competition for dominance.

Melanie Blatt from All Saints did have some choice words about Spice Girls in an 2003 interview with Q, going as far as to denounce the band; “I hated them. That's just me though, not the others - I, Melanie Blatt, hated the Spice Girls. I was just totally against what they stood for. It was all too corporate for me. I was very militant about my music at the time, and they only seemed to be interested in the fame and money.”

Interestingly that came shortly after All Saints went on hiatus, while during the “height” of the two acts vying for chart domination, there were subtle hints that members of the Spice Girls didn’t take All Saints seriously, often dismissing comparisons between the two groups or outright ignoring them - perhaps in part to any rivalry being counterproductive to their message of female empowerment. 

It would be those sentiments that ultimately lead to the “rivalry” between the two acts, fuelled by media narratives and, of course, us - the fanbases.

Style vs substance; teeny bopper vs mature themes

Melanie Blatt’s comments echoed the sentiments that those who were “Team All Saints” had towards “Team Spice Girls.” Emerging around 1997, All Saints offered a more laid-back, "cooler" alternative with hits like Never Ever and later with Pure Shores. 

They positioned themselves as the anti-Spice Girls—dressed in baggy clothes and eschewing the "gimmicks" of the Spice Girls' personas. They were seen as more sophisticated, with an R&B and hip-hop influence in their sound, which appealed to a slightly older or more alternative fanbase.

Meanwhile around this time in 1997, Spice Girls were to follow up the landmark success of their debut album, Spice, a year earlier with the eagerly anticipated Spiceworld. The group at this stage were more than household names - they had entered pop folklore after becoming overnight global phenomenon. 

Scary Spice, Sporty Spice, Baby Spice, Posh Spice, and Ginger Spice each represented a distinct character in pop culture. Their upbeat, accessible music, bold fashion choices were coveted by young people all over the world; and perhaps it was this teeny-bopper attraction to the band that led to those wanting something less “neon” to gravitate towards All Saints.

All Saints attracted fans who viewed the Spice Girls as overly commercialised or gimmicky, which started to become a real critique of the band due to their “oversaturation” in the media.  Somehow, All Saints were seen as a bit more rebellious or alternative, appealing to those who wanted a more mature or serious take on female empowerment. 

But there were many who preferred the Spice Girls due to their over-the-top fun, the “Girl Power” messaging, and the aspirational personas. These fans celebrated the Spice Girls’ positivity, their catchy, infectious tunes, and the way they seemed to be about uniting girls in friendship and empowerment.

In recent years, the topic has been broached about the “rivalry” between the two fans; Mel B appeared on Nicole Appleton’s Magic Radio show when the topic of the feud was brought up. “We hated each other,” Mel B joked, before going on to say “they love to do that in the press.”

“We loved you lot! Are you kidding me?” she continued when Appleton revealed she had nothing but love for Spice Girls. “It sounded better to have us ‘rivals’ than actually friends.” 

Compared to other notorious musical feuds, the Spice Girls vs All Saints rivalry was relatively mild on a personal level. Most of the tension was external, projected by the press and fans rather than the artists themselves engaging in real animosity.

Were you a Spice Girls fan, an All Saints fan or did you like them both? Perhaps you were more of a fan of Vanilla or Cleopatra instead? Let us know your memories during the Spice Girls and All Saints era by dropping a comment below.