by dj spunky

The Spices came along when radio stations conditioned listeners to Mariah and Whitney. Even though the lyrical contents were the same, this four white and one black girl group hit it big with songs catchier than those of Brandi and Aaliyah. Naturally, there was a skepticism and an unacceptance that usually follows when foreigners outdo their American competitors. This would explain Beth Gibbons and Tracey Thorne. Don't ring a bell? The reason why you're not too familiar with Portishead and Everything But the Girl is because British trip-hoppers are the most underrated artists. Gibbons and Thorne do more for soul and R&B than the artificiality of Carey, but you can't tell with the airtime they're allotted. They've broken new ground with music that has no identifiable influences, but the closest deejays will let Americans get to electronica is through the likes of Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers.

MTV has definitely made audiences a little jaded when it comes to new talent, especially when we'd rather watch a video first before listening to the song. The Backstreet Boys wouldn't get so panned if listeners didn't know they were good looking white guys. If Dru Hill, Immature or Boys II Men sang the same lyrics and did the same slick choreography, I doubt there would be a lack of girls fainting at their feet.

It's not easy, though, when there's such a strong insistence that what you see is all gimmick and not talent. With the Village People as their predecessors, audiences don't go beyond the tomboy, rich girl, baby blonde, loudmouth black girl and glamour puss characters they've taken on. They were brought together by a man who had an idea. And whether that idea was more marketing and less music is irrelevant. The more than 20 million records sold worldwide and the millions who rush to hear them won't get anything other than five ladies singing. And singing well. I swear!

Music critics don't write about pop lyrics because there isn't a lot to explain. Consider Celine Dion, the female Michael Bolton. Her latest album is titled Let's Talk About Love, and, well, that's what she does. She sings about togetherness, the painful pangs of breakups and spends a lot of time reassuring you that things will be OK. She's domestic, excessively romantic and uncomplicated. And to some kid out there who doesn't pledge allegiance to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that actually matters.

The Spices do femininity the hyperfeminine, unironic way. They flaunt their boobs and big hairdos, and it's not a statement. They're in the same league and sappy department as their R&B counterparts Mariah and Whitney. They sing about love lost and found; an overused theme but one that certainly isn't foreign to most people. And after listening to the material, I mean ethereal, girl's latest album, I'm convinced. The non sense of "Zig ah zig ah" and "MMBop" has more sense than the genius of "Love is a bird, she needs to fly."

Consider Dion again. She's one of the biggest female stars of the 90s. Falling Into You has sold 9 million copies and is still in the charts after a year and a half. Let's Talk About Love is #3 and her single on the Titanic soundtrack is #1.But you won't find her in Rolling Stone's unimpressive lineup of the "Women Of Rock" issue. Instead, Madonna, Tina Turner and Courtney Love graced the cover. There's a reason why Turner's last few albums only sold well in Europe. And as for the widow Love, well, it's obvious she's made a career off of hitting bum notes. During its many pre-Grammy shows, MTV obnoxiously thanked Dion for not showing up. Just because she'll be forever linked to the unsinkable big boat movie doesn't make her less talented.

Rolling Stone has made dissing 90s female pop its sole effort. We look back at the Ronettes, the Go-Gos and the Bangles with fond nostalgia. But to like a commercial phenomenon like the Spices isn't hip. And of course, someone had to fit Madonna into all this. According to the January issue of Vogue, "all roads absurdly, eventually lead to Madonna." Writer Jonathan Van Meter insists that there was a point and sincerity behind Madonna's message of love, sex, money, power blah blah blah. The only difference between the two is that Madonna appeals to older men while the Spices appeal to young girls. These days, the tastes and wishes of preteens don't count for much because if you're really young, who and what you like are irrelevant.

If all this non-threatening, kid-infested pop is so maddeningly frivolous, why continue the press coverage? Newsweek, which has run three Spice articles this year, has made covering "Girl Power" a national interest. MTV has produced a handful of Spice documentaries, interviews, year-in-rock retrospectives and movie previews. When they collide with paparazzi, hang out with heads of state or pat the bum of a future king, MTV is there. It's as if they're subliminally begging you not to forget about them. So it's not enough to keep up the bashing. There is a massive interest somewhere someone isn't telling you about.