Description
“Who Do You Think You Are” is a song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—also known as Absolute—for the group’s debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s dance-pop, and has a nu-disco-style beat that resembles the music of the late 1970s. Its lyrics are about the superstar life, and how someone can get trapped in the world of fame.
In February 1997, the group opened the BRIT Awards with “Who Do You Think You Are”. The Union Jack dress that Geri Halliwell wore during the performance made the front page of various newspapers and is now remembered as one of the most iconic symbols of Cool Britannia. “Who Do You Think You Are” became the official single of the 1997 Comic Relief. A video with the Sugar Lumps—a satirical version of the group—was released to help raise money for charitable causes and donated all the proceeds from the single.
“Who Do You Think You Are” was a commercial and critical success, with Melanie Chisholm‘s vocals receiving praise from pop music critics. Released with “Mama” as a double A-side single in March 1997, it became the group’s fourth consecutive number-one single in the United Kingdom, making them the first act in UK chart history to have its first four singles reach number one. Additionally, it was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and performed well internationally, reaching the top ten in many European countries and New Zealand, and the top twenty in Australia, France, and Norway.
“Mama” is a song by the British girl group the Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group’s debut album Spice, released in November 1996. “Mama” is a pop ballad that features instrumentation from keyboards, a rhythm guitar, a cello, and a violin, and its lyrics deal with the difficulties in relationships between mothers and daughters that appear during their childhood.
It was released as a double A-side with “Who Do You Think You Are“, and became the official single of the 1997 Comic Relief. Its Big TV! directed music video, featured the group singing to an audience of children and their own mothers. Despite receiving mixed reviews from music critics, “Mama” was commercially successful. Released as the album’s fourth single in March 1997, it became their fourth consecutive number-one single in the United Kingdom, which made the Spice Girls the first act in UK chart history to have its first four singles reach number one. It was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The single performed well internationally, reaching the top ten in many European countries and New Zealand, and the top fifteen in Australia.