1996 Spice Girls: 2 Become 1

As a young metaller, I bought my first heavy rock album at age ten. In fact, it was my birthday and I bought three in one go, all AC/DC - 'If You Want Blood', 'Highway To Hell' and 'For Those About To Rock'. All have stayed with me from that day to this and all three have their memories, though it's perhaps my naïveté that provides one of the more cringeworthy one.

Because one of my favourite songs off them was 'Go Down', a track I used to take delight in playing at an unreasonable volume and took even greater delight in the fact it seemed to wind my parents up in a way Ozzy Osbourne never did. It was only later that I realised what Bon Scott was really singing about with his "I got honey what you love to taste on those lovely lips, so go down, go down, go down, go down. Oh baby, rub it on, it's still as sweet it's been so long". And after that particular penny dropped, I didn't play it quite so loud again.

What's all this got to do with a Spice Girls ballad? Nothing really. Except insofar that I wonder how many parents looked twice at the "Be a little bit wiser baby, put it on, put it on. 'Cause tonight is the night when two become one" that their pre-pubescent daughter was listening/singing along to. Now of course, it could be just my bad mind and they weren't urging their boyfriend to get the condoms out for a night of shagging (but I bet it's not), but even then there's still a mischievous intent behind '2 Become 1' that covers its 'girl power' sexual dominance ("I need some love like I never needed love before,I had a little love, now I'm back for more") with a coy eye flutter the way Scott's leer traded on entendre and innuendo.

And even though trying to distinguish between the girl's vocals is like trying to distinguish between Silver Spoon and Tate & Lyle (to the extent that this may as well have been credited to 'Spice Girl' singular), for once the lack of powerhousing in the lung department works in their favour and the vocals float along on the slight melody to lend '2 Become 1' a Mini Pops innocence that neatly defuses what could have been taken as lying somewhere beyond the pale in its context and morphs it into ambient pop that's so glossy it hurts the eyes. The Spice Girls were always a more appetising proposition when turned off the slapstick whirlwind and this is one of their better releases. Nice one ladies.