“Who Do You Think You Are” by Spice Girls

This song sees the Spice Girls’ focus on the audacious life of superstars and how easily it is to get trapped in a fame-driven world.

It begins with Ginger and Baby singing about how ambition drives people to climb from the lowest status in life to reach the ‘star’ level, while forgetting their roots along the way. For them, it is easy to forget one’s background when you’re at the top. This is why they continuously question the identity of the superstar.

In the chorus, however, the singers tell the superstars to make several movements, to signify using their talents to entertain others, and proving themselves worthy. They continue to advise them to pursue their dreams and reach higher heights but to be cautious so they don’t lose their soul and control. For people who aspire to reach stardom, the singers warn them of the control that is rife in the industry and counsel them to know who they are. And why is knowing thyself important? So they don’t fall into the trap of losing themselves because they want to please other people.

Summary

In all, this song highlights the tendency of manipulation and loss of self-will that comes with living a superstar lifestyle. The singers prove that they have the experience and advice upcoming celebrities to be more conscious. 

Facts about “Who Do You Think You Are”

• The band dropped this tune as a single from the first studio album, Spice. The songs “Say You’ll Be There” and “2 Become 1” were also released as singles from this album.
• “Who Do You Think You Are” was released officially on the 3rd of March 1997.
• A corresponding music video for this tune was released in February 1997. It was filmed in London and directed by Canadian film director, Gregg Masuak.
• The visual for “Who Do You Think You Are” was the first collaboration between Masuak and the Spice Girls.
• The track enjoyed great success in Europe, peaking at #1 in Ireland and on the UK charts as well. It was also found its way into the top 5 on the charts in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
• Outside of Europe, the song’s best performance was in Australia and New Zealand, where its peak positions were at #13 and #6 respectively.
• American DJ, David Morales released a remix of this song in 1997.

Who wrote “Who Do You Think You Are”?

It was written by Victoria Beckham together with her fellow group members (Geri Halliwell, Mel B, Melanie C, and Emma Bunton). They were assisted by the songwriting/production duo – Absolute, who also handled the production of the song.