The Spice Girls were a big influence to me. The ‘Girl Power’ tagline truly helped me in my most difficult times growing up. I would listen to their records whenever I am down. Because of my fandom, I even learned how to use the computer, surf the internet, make html websites and many, many more! In short, the Spice Girls were the ones to thank (or blame) on why you’re reading this blog now.

Dubbed as ‘the biggest girl band in the world’, the Spice Girls also influenced a lot of popstar wannabes to form a band and try their luck in the music industry. Britain produced a lot of pop bands. Some of my favorites include Atomic Kitten, B*Witched and Honeyz. The Spice Girls didn’t really last that long as a group (unless you include their ‘Touch’ days). It must be really tough to be in a girl band. Instant success might also result to instant downfall when not handled properly.

ITV2, a British network recently produced a documentary on six former popbands namely 5ive, Liberty X, 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched and Honeyz. As of writing, the show aired three episodes already and I would like to reminisce my love for these pop royalties. Let’s focus on the girls first!

ATOMIC KITTEN – The original members were Liz McClarnon, Natasha Hamilton and Kerry Katona. I remember loving them in an instant when I saw the music video for ‘Right Now’ on MTV. Three girls having fun exploring Tokyo, singing and dancing. Just like the Spice Girls, they have different hairstyles and their songs were catchy. They embarked on an Asian Tour and I bought a cassette tape for Php150. Another added item on my cassette rack and a deduction of coins from my piggy bank. My favorite tracks on the album were Cradle, Hippy and See Ya. I even performed the last song in school for a dance presentation!

Kerry Katona had a very publicized relationship with Westlife’s Brian McFadden. The blonde babe got pregnant that’s why she left the group. She was later on replaced by the equally beautiful (but more quiet) Jenny Frost.

Honestly, I didn’t buy the sophomore album of the group. I believe it wasn’t as successful as the first one (in Asia at least). Natasha Hamilton was my favorite member.

Atomic Kitten were pretty successful in the UK. Among the four girls, I can say that Kerry Katona is the most popular. I was surprised when I found out that Kerry turned out to be a ‘mess’ after her relationship with the Westlife-r. The good news is for the past two years, she’s been exerting effort to make her life better for the sake of her children.

On the documentary, the misunderstandings between the three original members were discussed. Well, the started performing as a group when Tash was 16, Liz was 17 and Kerry as 18. What would you expect? The whirlwind romance between Brian and Kerry almost crashed the dreams of the female pop wonders.

Although they rarely see each other after the group break-up, it seems that the AK girls are a bit more at ease with each other compared to the other groups included in the line-up.

B*WITCHED – C’est La Vie! When I hear the group name ‘B*Witched’, I automatically think of denims, bubblegum pop and dance routines. Twins Edele, Keavy together with Lindsay and Sinead forms the girl quartet. The official website of the group is one of the first websites I ever visited! I saw the link written from the cassette tape a classmate gave to me as a Christmas gift. I went to the school internet area and typed the address enthusiastically. Damn, thinking about it now makes me cry. The giddy young Mica was wondering how the group’s team uploaded all the pictures, videos and audios online. Why are the photos in this website clear, while my scanned images are not? LOL. The wonders of cyberspace 1999!

I can say that compared to the other girlband pop songs, the B*Witched debut album is safe for kids. No sexy thang songs, just pure fun… and love. Some of the singles released include Rollercoaster, To You I Belong and Blame it on the Weatherman. My favorite songs on the album include Freak Out and Castles in the Air.

B*Witched were popular worldwide and I think the second album was partly written and produced by US based musicians. I’m not sure if that is a bad move, but the first single from the second album entitled ‘Jesse Hold On’ was a big flop. For consistent #1’s to major downfall. The girls even tried to make a risky move by posing sexy in some magazines, but it didn’t work. These girls were loved by the fans due to their teeny bopper image. Fail. Before you know it, the former chart-toppers were dropped by Sony. Poor thing.

The reunion tackled the interesting story of Edele and Keavy. The former is the lead singer chosen by the record label, while Keavy tried so hard to excel in dancing & being funny just to be noticed too. The Lynch twins later on formed a duo band, but they were not as successful as they used to be.

HONEYZ – The song ‘End of the Line’ is a favorite of mine. I didn’t buy their album, but I received some CD Samplers from the radio station were my dad used to work. I even tagged them as the ‘diva-divahan’ version of TLC lol. Sorry for the term =)). I can only remember two songs from Honeyz. The Honeyz reunion is more dramatic compared to the other girl bands included in the documentary.

The original line-up was composed of Celina (lead singer), Heavenli and Naima. Heavenli left the band early on because of her boyfriend and she felt she couldn’t keep up with the demands of being a part of a group. She was later on replaced by former Solid Harmonie member Mariama. On the third episode of The Big Reunion, Mariama revealed that she once saw co-Honeyz member Naima flirting with her boyfriend while they were shooting a music video. Uncomfortable and not happy working the other members, Mariama left the group too. Later on, Heavenli rejoined the group. Due to poor record sales, the record label dropped the group. Celina was left devastated with the turnout of events.

Original member Naima decided not to join the reunion. With that being said, it is now Celina’s time to face Heavenli and Mariama with hopes that this reunion project will work on their advantage.

Pop star life is not really that easy. Hardwork and luck is behind every success, while mismanagement and bad decisions may lead to sudden downfall. Popstar life can be compared to their Singles – it may be at the peak of the charts this month, but it will drop once the fans stops purchasing or requesting your song. Oh, well. C’est La Vie!

UP NEXT: The Boybands 911 and 5ive!

Do you like Atomic Kitten, B*Witched and Honeyz? Who were your favorite members? Mind to share your favorite sings?