Another day, another lyric from the music of our youth we’ve just discovered is… wildly problematic.
But not just any old music – arguably the most iconic song of our childhood and maybe even the entire ’90s era.
(There, I said it).
We’re talking about none other than Spice Up Your Life.
And the lyric in question?
“Yellow man in Timbuktu.”
Oh.
Yeah, that’s… not great.
Apparently, the newly reunited Spice Girls (minus Posh) have held fraught discussions over fears the lyric has rendered the entire song politically incorrect.
According to Fox News, Mel B and Melanie C have apparently locked horns during said discussions, with Mel B disagreeing with Melanie C’s suggestion to change the line to “happy people in Timbuktu”.
Yikes.
An unnamed source said: “The original lyric was meant to be a bit of fun and never intended to be offensive.
“The reality is it’s not acceptable to say that now. Some of the girls feel uncomfortable getting up on stage and performing that lyric, especially when they have such a diverse and multicultural fanbase.
“They pride themselves on standing for inclusivity, so they don’t want to run the risk of offending anybody.”
Fair enough.
The girl band will don their platforms and kick off their 2019 reunion tour at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on May 27, where the crowd will no doubt lose their minds to the 1997 hit.