Mel B Reflects on Sexism Faced by Spice Girls in the 1990s Music Industry

Spice Girl Melanie Brown, famously known as Mel B or Scary Spice, recently opened up about the sexism and challenges the iconic girl group faced in the male-dominated music industry of the 1990s. Speaking on CNBC’s “The CNBC Conversation” with Tania Bryer, Mel B recounted how the group, which formed in 1994, struggled to be taken seriously in an industry overwhelmingly controlled by male executives.

Mel B shared how the Spice Girls faced numerous rejections, with industry insiders doubting the potential success of a girl band. “We entered into the industry at a time when it was all boy bands and so many doors were slammed in our face like ‘girl bands are not going to work,’” she said. Despite the setbacks, the group remained determined, motivated by a shared belief in their eventual success.

The Spice Girls were brought together by Heart Management, which aimed to create a girl group to rival the popular British boy bands of the time. The group, consisting of Mel B, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell-Horner, and Victoria Beckham, quickly rose to fame, driven by their message of “girl power” that resonated with a young, predominantly female audience. Their debut single, “Wannabe,” became a global sensation, topping charts in around 30 countries. The group’s first album, “Spice,” was the best-selling album worldwide in 1997, and the Spice Girls went on to sell over 85 million records.

Reflecting on the sexism they encountered, Mel B noted that every interview and board meeting was dominated by men. Despite the male-centric environment, the group maintained their focus on empowering women through their music. “We wrote all of our own songs… we need to empower women, we need to make sure that girls don’t feel like they have to conform to this or to that,” Mel B emphasized.

Over the years, there have been incremental improvements in gender diversity within the U.K. music industry. The 2024 Glastonbury Festival, for example, featured two female headliners for the first time in its history. Additionally, the U.K. Music Diversity Report 2024 highlighted a rise in women holding senior positions in the industry, from 40.4% in 2020 to 48.3% in 2024. However, challenges remain. The report also revealed significant gender pay disparities, with women more likely to be unpaid or underpaid compared to their male counterparts.

Moreover, the 2024 Women Musicians Insight Report from the Musician’s Census found that 51% of women in the U.K. music industry had experienced discrimination, compared to just 6% of men. Sexual harassment was also reported by almost a third of female respondents, compared to only 5% of men.

Melanie Chisholm, another member of the Spice Girls, has previously spoken about how the group’s “girl power” mantra was born out of their experiences with gender discrimination. In a 2018 interview, she recalled how being told “girls don’t sell” fueled their determination to succeed not just for themselves, but for women and girls everywhere.

The Spice Girls’ legacy is a testament to their resilience and the barriers they broke through in an industry that was, and in many ways still is, dominated by men. Their story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of representation and the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the music world.