‘Girl bands have come to epitomise the best and worst of female friendship,’ says Alex Noel as she takes a look at some of our favourite female groups.
Whatever genre of music you’re into, chances are you’ve had a favourite girl group at some point. Even a snippet of a song can have us recalling memorable nights out, questionable fashion choices and more carefree times.
The 90s and noughties saw a surge of ‘girl bands’ hit the charts, announcing themselves with close harmonies, signature dance moves, energy and style. The phenomenon not only influenced music, but fashion and culture too, and paved the way for other all-female groups. Across the pond, the likes of En Vogue, TLC and Destiny’s Child had style, swagger and killer vocals. And who could forget The Pussycat Dolls?
The Spice Girls gave us girl power, All Saints influenced maternity fashion forever; and Mis-Teeq reminded us that girls can rap and emcee too.
The UK in turn produced it’s own suite of iconic groups. The Spice Girls gave us girl power, All Saints influenced maternity fashion forever and Mis-Teeq reminded us that girls can rap and emcee too. Former member Alesha Dixon reflected on this as she prepares to release her own new music. “I just had this thing of ‘Well, if they’re doing it, I can’”, in other words, whatever the boys could do, girls could too. And for that, girl bands hold a special place in our hearts.
While girl bands strongly embody the idea of female solidarity, they also exhibit the intricacies of female friendship all too well. Of the girl bands that were formed in that era, most have since broken up.
While girl bands strongly embody the idea of female solidarity, they also exhibit the intricacies of female friendship all too well.
It’s some feat for any band to stay together long-term but it would seem that girl bands are particularly susceptible to break-ups. It’s understandable that things can run their course - groups are often ‘manufactured’ by the music industry, and individual members want to stretch their wings and pursue solo careers. Nothing wrong with that - as Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, ‘there is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens’.
On the more dramatic side, the pressure of being in the public eye can expose rifts, or even cause them. Feuding members leave, are ‘managed out’ or go their separate ways. As they call time, the rumour mill goes into overdrive with speculation surrounding the reasons for the band’s break-up. On the flip side, over the last few years, several girl bands have teased reunions. And while most continue to keep us guessing; some of them have genuinely reunited.
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In 2022 the original line up of the Sugababes (Mutya, Keisha and Siobhán) ‘triumphantly’ returned after several early controversies and a failed attempt to reunite in 2013 (as ‘MKS’). They even received an ‘Impact Award’ for their musical legacy at this year’s MOBO Awards in February. Girls Aloud too have successfully re-formed just recently, appearing on stage together in May for the first time in 11 years. As they embark on their reunion tour, they have dedicated it to the late Sarah Harding - their bandmate who died of cancer in 2021, aged 39, and who suggested they re-form. It goes to show that despite even the most acrimonious break-ups, reunions are possible.
Girl bands have come to epitomise the best and worst of female friendship. But they can provide a useful perspective from which to view our own relationships. We often aspire to be part of strong female support systems, which offer us a haven from the harsh realities of life and society. At their best, female friendships are a force to be reckoned with; we form strong bonds and accomplish extraordinary things together; complementing each other and getting on harmoniously. But female friendships - because of their closeness and intensity - can also be susceptible to competition, quarrels and at their worst can become toxic and damaging.
Nothing that has happened in a girl band is new to most female groups of friends. If not now, then certainly as teenagers and young people. Emotional maturity and life experience help to mitigate against these pitfalls. Even so, sometimes it is the best decision to maintain a distance from someone, or for a friendship to end - for any number of reasons. But let these girl band reunions offer us a glimpse of hope too that reconciliation, and reuniting with former friends is possible. As long as it’s what we want, the timing is right, and that we’ve learnt some important lessons in the meantime.
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