Stop (Spice Girls song)

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"Stop"
Single by Spice Girls
from the album Spiceworld
B-side"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
Released9 March 1998 (1998-03-09)
Recorded1997
StudioOlympic, London
GenreDance-pop
Length3:24
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)
  • Spice Girls
  • Andy Watkins
  • Paul Wilson
Producer(s)Absolute
Spice Girls singles chronology
"Too Much"
(1997)
"Stop"
(1998)
"Viva Forever"
(1998)
Music video
"Stop" on
YouTube

"Stop" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, Spiceworld (1997). The group co-wrote the song with its producers, Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins of the Absolute production duo, during the filming of the film Spice World.

"Stop" is a

children's games
with young girls. The song received mostly positive reviews for its Motown influences and production. The Spice Girls performed "Stop" in a number of live appearances in Europe and North America including their three tours.

Released by

UK Singles Chart behind "It's Like That" by Run-DMC vs Jason Nevins, ending the Spice Girls' streak of consecutive number-one singles on the chart at six, and becoming the group's only single during their original tenure to not reach number one on said chart. It was moderately successful internationally, peaking inside the top 20 on the majority of the charts that it entered. In the United States, "Stop" peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming the group's sixth consecutive top-20 entry on the chart.

Background and writing

In June 1997, the group began shooting scenes for their film Spice World. Simultaneously, Virgin Records started the first marketing meetings for the Spiceworld album's promotional campaign, which was set to be released in November.[1] No songs had been written for the album at this point, so the group had to do all the song-writing and recording at the same time as they were filming the film.[2] Between takes, and at the end of each filming day,[3] the group usually went straight into a mobile recording studio set up in a Winnebago, which followed them between film sets.[2] The schedule was physically arduous with logistical difficulties;[1] Melanie Brown commented in her autobiography: "doing the two full-time jobs at the same time took its toll and within a couple on weeks, exhaustion set in."[3] The concept of "Stop" was mainly penned by Geri Halliwell. She came up with the first lines of the song and recorded them into a dictaphone;[2] the next day she played the tape to Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute. The duo then worked with the melody and began playing with it.[4] Halliwell commented in her autobiography:

I wanted something with a Motown feel. Mel C[hisholm] eventually finished off the chorus and we had the basis for a song called "Stop". Later, when we had more time, the other girls came in and we helped write the verses and bridges.[4]

According to Chisholm, "Stop" is about the group's feelings towards fame and their frustration with their management who they felt was overworking them.[5] These frustrations would culminate with them firing their manager Simon Fuller in November 1997.[6]

Composition

"Stop" is an

up-tempo dance-pop song with influences of Motown and blue-eyed soul,[7] and is reminiscent of classic singles by The Supremes or Martha and the Vandellas.[8] It is written in the key of C major, with a time signature set on common time, and moves at a fast tempo of 132 beats per minute.[9] Lyrically, the song calls for a slowing down on the courtship process, and it is particularly addressed to appeal to the young female audience, as the female to female bonds are not threatened.[10]

It is constructed in a

verse-pre-chorus-chorus form, with a bridge before the third and fourth chorus. It starts with an instrumental introduction, and uses a chord progression of C–B–Am7–G, that is also used during the verses and the chorus.[9] In the first verse, Halliwell, Chisholm, Bunton, and Beckham sing each one line. The chords change to Dm11–Dm9–Dm11–Dm9–Dm7–Em7–F major7–G during the pre-chorus, followed by the chorus.[9] The same pattern occurs leading to the second chorus, the first part of the second verse consists on the repeated use of the words do and ba da, then Bunton and Chisholm sing the rest of the verse. The group then sing the bridge, and end the song repeating the chorus twice.[9]

Release

"Stop" was released in the United Kingdom on 9 March 1998, in two single versions.[11] The first one, a standard CD single, included the track and live versions of "Something Kinda Funny", "Mama", and "Love Thing", taken from the set of concerts the group did in Istanbul in October 1997. The second version, also released in a standard CD single, contained the track, along with the David Morales remix, the Stretch & Vern's Rock & Roll Mix of the song, and a cover version of McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", performed along with American singer Luther Vandross.[11] In the United States, Virgin Records serviced "Stop" to contemporary hit radio on 7 April 1998, then released the single as two CD singles on 3 June 1997.[12][13]

Reception

Critical response

"Stop" was generally well received by music critics. For Sylvia Patterson of NME, the song is an "obscenely catchy Motown swinger", she added that it is "the proper pop genius destined to be number one until Japan falls into the sea".[14] Rolling Stone magazine's David Wild called it "a retro, Supremes-lite confection that's as undeniable as it is unoriginal."[15] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly characterised it as a "delicious re-creation of Motown-era bop packed with skipping-down-the-street good vibrations".[16] Larry Flick of Billboard magazine said that it has "a bouncy, Supremes-like retro vibe", and called its hook "irresistible". Flick also praised the David Morales remix of the song, calling it "a vibrant, time-sensitive disco ditty",[17] while Howard Scripps from The Press of Atlantic City called it "an obvious girl-group ditty", and added that it "is another potential hit".[18] Conversely, in a review of Spiceworld, Andy Gill of The Independent, called the album a "perky but charmless parade of pop pastiches", and described "Stop" as a "pseudo-Motown stomp".[19]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic, commented that the song "consolidates and expands the group's style [...] [adding] stomping, neo-Motown blue-eyed soul in the vein of Culture Club".[7] Erlewine complimented "Stop" in a review of the group's compilation album, saying that it "is as awesome a slice of obligatory British Tamla/Motown as you'll get".[20] Stewart Mason, also from AllMusic, compared it to Bananarama's classic singles, and called it as "a glorious piece of utterly disposable but wonderful disposable pop".[8] Sputnikmusic's Amanda Murray also complimented the track, saying that it a "is a thoroughly enjoyable upbeat song, completely carefree and lively".[21] Sarah Davis from Music Week described it as an "upbeat, trumpet-led homage to old-school R&B. Very Motown-influenced. [...] an addictive dreamy summer sing-a-long".[22] In a separate review, the magazine gave "Stop" four out of five, calling it "bubbly and catchy enough to rack up the Girls' seventh number one, but not classy enough to hold on to the spot for long."[23] An editor, Alan Jones, felt it is "probably one of the stronger tracks" of Spiceworld, and "simple and sweet".[24] The Virginian-Pilot said that the horns on the song are "classic soul with a 90s tweak".[25] Music critic Roger Catlin of The Buffalo News described it as "a jaunty Motown beat [...] [with] a progirl message".[26] In a review of the group's Greatest Hits album, Digital Spy's Nick Levine said that "Stop" still sounds "like the best song that Motown never produced".[27]

Commercial performance

"Stop" debuted and peaked at number two on the

Wannabe" to "Too Much").[29] The single was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) on 14 August 2020 for sales of 600,000 in the UK.

"Stop" was moderately successful in the rest of Europe. It reached number six on the

ARIA Singles Chart at number 11, peaking at number five in its fifth week. It remained on the chart for 22 weeks,[36] and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[37]

In April 1998, "Stop" debuted at number 99 on the Canadian

Music video

A scene from the music video for "Stop", featuring the Spice Girls performing a hand-action dance in a traditional 1960s-inspired working-class street

The music video for "Stop" was shot on 27 January 1998 in Ireland, and was directed by James Brown.[46] About the concept, Melanie Brown commented: "There wasn't a storyboard for this video—it was more trial and error. It wasn't planned down to the last detail and was quite a free-for-all. It's like everything we do—complete chaos! [...] And we all want to get our bit in, so the director has to be able to encompass us all, plus put his ideas on top of it, and make it all flow.[47]

The opening segment, reminiscent of a traditional 1960s

pat-a-cake, hula hooping, Geri horseback riding, and participating in competitions of various kinds. The locals are depicted as working-class people who attend the local fair or have a drink in the pub. At the end of the video, the group performs at a stage in the local hall in front of an audience of young and old people. The audience applauds after the song is finished. Geri can be seen sticking her tongue out and the video ends.[10][48]

Live performances

The Spice Girls performing "Stop" in Toronto during The Return of the Spice Girls Tour, dressed in bronze- and copper-coloured outfits by Roberto Cavalli, February 2008

The song was performed several times on television, in both the UK and the US, including

Pavarotti and Friends charity concert in Modena, Italy, in June 1998.[56]

In October 1997, the group performed it as the ninth song of their first live concert at the

The group have performed the song on their four tours, the

UK Singles Chart
in 1998.

Cover versions

English rock band The Struts recorded a cover of the song as part of their Sunday Service stream series, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.[69][70]

Use in media

"Stop" is featured in series 1 episode 1 of BBC comedy

Seline Hizli
.

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Spiceworld.[76]

Management

  • Published by Windswept Pacific Music Ltd,
    BMG Music Publishing
    Ltd.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Sales and certifications for "Stop"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[109] Gold 25,000*
France (
SNEP)[110]
Gold 250,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[112] Platinum 776,000[111]
United States 400,000[113]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Stop"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
France 9 March 1998 Maxi CD 1 EMI
Germany
  • CD
  • two maxi CDs
United Kingdom
Virgin
Japan 25 March 1998 Maxi CD Toshiba EMI
United States 7 April 1998 Contemporary hit radio Virgin
France 10 April 1998 Maxi CD 2 EMI
United States 2 June 1998
  • Cassette
  • two maxi CDs
Virgin

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Bibliography