The Spice Girls' debut single 'Wannabe' was written in less than 30 minutes and recorded in an hour. The song's 'zigazig-ha' lyric remains one of pop's great mysteries, though band members have hinted it was an inside joke about a fellow artist. The song was a manifesto for 'Girl Power,' emphasizing friendship over romantic relationships. Despite initial skepticism from music critics, 'Wannabe' hit number one in 37 countries and became the best-selling single by a female group in history. The iconic music video, a single continuous shot of the group crashing a high-society party at the St. Pancras Hotel, was filmed in one night. The song's success launched 'Spice Mania,' the biggest British pop phenomenon since the Beatles. It remains a symbol of 1990s cool and a foundational text for the empowerment-focused pop that would follow in the decades after.