With a vague social media post on July 13, the Spice Girls reminded the world of the 25th anniversary celebration of their album Spiceworld, and teased fans into a frenzy with hopes for a tour.

The girl group’s Instagram had been using #Spiceworld25 for a few weeks, giving fans hopes that, at the very least, they would have the opportunity to hear remixes, demos, B-sides and the like with a rerelease marking the anniversary. That’s what the band did last year to celebrate the anniversary of their iconic debut album, Spice. 

An updated Spiceworld would be just as exciting. The album features iconic songs like ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and ‘Stop,’ and hit the number one spot in 14 countries.

The most recent Spice Girls post using the hashtag is spurring high hopes in many fans. A spinning globe overlaid with a banner reading ‘SPICEWORLD25,’ the graphic might just be referring to the album’s name, but fans are desperately hoping it might indicate an upcoming global Spice Girls tour.

The Spice Girls have sung together a few times after splitting up in 2000, most recently in a 2019 reunion (though sans Victoria Beckham). That tour was massively successful, but it only went to Ireland and the UK, and fans all over the world want their chance to see the iconic girl group live. 

According to The Sun, these fans almost got their wishes. The tabloid reported that the group had been planning a tour to mark their 25th anniversary, as well as an animated movie, but that these projects had been canceled due to COVID-19.

A Spice Girls tour has seemed more and less likely at different times. In November of 2021, The Sun reported that the band was talking about a 2023 tour, with three of them meeting up in a London hotel and one calling in over Zoom. More recently, though, The Sun backtracked.

“It’s understood the occasion was mostly social and nothing was put in place,” an article from February 2022 reads. 

According to someone The Sun calls an “insider,” “Covid killed the momentum… Now it’s done again. There’s nothing on the agenda and they’re focusing on their own things.”

Whatever happens, something will almost undoubtedly occur on November 1, the exact anniversary of the album. In the meantime, just the promise of whatever Spiceworld25 will include – a Lego BrickHeadz set has already come out this year – is thrilling fans.

shaking, crying, overheating #Spiceworld25 https://t.co/GcBCAf7VZ0

— Carl (@CarlosSmith) July 12, 2022

Wait, WHAT… Are we getting Spice World 2??? #Spiceworld25 https://t.co/VVJ7LV9MWO

— Braden Herrington (@TheBrayD) July 13, 2022

https://twitter.com/OfficiallyLBJ/status/1547010028271726592?s=20&t=LhYRkrsqQ_RWc4n4UO-fPA

The Spice Girls were and continue to be hugely successful, but the manner in which they’ve remained relevant, popular and beloved is even more impressive. 

It’s not surprising, though. Between their iconic, bold personalities and catchy, danceable tunes, they were perfectly situated for a rise to fame. But their focus on Girl Power, confidence and tenacity have allowed their songs and influence to endure through the years. 

“Along with CDs, lollies and a landslide of plastic tat, the group sold us ideas that lasted far longer,” wrote Lauren Bravo,  the author of the book What Would the Spice Girls Do?: How the Girl Power Generation Grew Up. “The value of female friendship, and putting ourselves before men. Permission to be loud, wild, angry, and honest.”

The BBC described the group as standing for “freedom, self-belief and disobedience” and stated what has become less opinion than fact – “They inspired generations to stick up for themselves.” 

“Girl Power is about being whoever you want to be,” Emma Bunton aka Baby Spice said in the late ’90s. “Wearing your short skirts, your Wonderbra and your make-up, but having something to say as well.” 

Despite its name, though, Girl Power á la the Spice Girls included everyone. “Actually, Girl Power embodies much more than a gender. It’s about everybody. Everybody deserves the same treatment, whatever race you are, gender you are, age you are,” Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell said in a 2017 interview with the BBC. “For me, Girl Power was a much more punchy way of saying it.”

The band was intentionally inclusive, especially of their (many) LGBTQ+ fans. The original version of the song ‘2 become 1’ reportedly featured the lyrics ‘Any deal that we endeavour/boys and girls feel good together,’ but the band wanted the lyrics to include all of their fans, and changed them to ‘Once again if we endeavour/love will bring us back together.’

As far as Spiceworld25 and a possible 2023 tour goes, Spice Girls fans can only wait to see and hope that love will in fact bring the Girls back together, and bring them to venues across the globe.