Tell Me Why (Spice Girls song)

Rodney Jerkins writer and producer of "Tell Me Why" (pictured in 2013).

After the Spice Girls released "Goodbye" as their first single without member Geri Halliwell in 1998, the group took a break. In mid-1999, they began working on their third studio album and for the first time worked with producer Rodney Jerkins.[1] Jerkins said that he hoped to bring an "urban, danceable" feel to the project: "It will still have a pop appeal, but the beats will be a little harder".[2]

"Tell Me Why" was released in December 2000 as one of the three songs released as promotional singles from the Spice Girls' third studio album, along with "If You Wanna Have Some Fun" and "Weekend Love".[3] In January 2001, Virgin Records issued a promotional disc featuring remixes of the song by Thunderpuss and Jonathan Peters. The single and its remixes were not commercially released due to the "disappointing" sales of the parent album.[4][5] In the summer of 2001, a promotional single featuring the remixes was released in Australia as a competition prize in a cross-promotion with TV Hits Magazine.[6]

"Tell Me Why" (Jonathan Peters edit) would later be commercially released in November 2007 as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of the group's Greatest Hits album.[7]

The song was performed in the 2012–13 jukebox musical Viva Forever!, which is based on the songs of the Spice Girls.

The song's lyrics were directed toward Geri Halliwell (pictured in 2019).

"Tell Me Why" was written by the members of the group Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown and Emma Bunton, along with Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III and Mischke Butler, while production was handled by Jerkins and Daniels. The song is one of the three Spice Girls album tracks that Melanie C didn't receive a writing credit.[8] It is described as a "sparse, uptempo slice of R&B, flecked with chattering electronics" by Alexis Petridis by The Guardian.[9] In March 2019, Bunton stated that the song was about Geri Halliwell adding "we were writing songs, we were being very honest and open."[10]

James Hunter of Rolling Stone called the song as a "silky, spiky danceability" track.[11] Anne T. Donahue of Vulture criticized the song and described it as attempt of the Spice Girls at throwing "shade" at Geri Halliwell who was a former group member at the time.[12] J.D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun described the track as an "itchy, keyboard-driven pulse."[13] Dorian S. Ham of The Lantern called the song as a "right tune with its jerky guitar driven beat", and describing it as a "fairly entertaining imitation" of an upbeat Mariah Carey song.[14]

Promotional CD[3]

1. "Tell Me Why" (radio edit) – 3:42
2. "Tell Me Why" (Thunderpuss edit) – 3:39
3. "Tell Me Why" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) – 10:55
4. "Tell Me Why" (Jonathan Peters edit) – 3:22
5. "Tell Me Why" (Jonathan Peters Club Mix) – 9:19

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Forever.[8]

• Victoria Beckham – lyrics, vocals
• Melanie Brown – lyrics, vocals
• Emma Bunton – lyrics, vocals
• Melanie Chisholm – vocals
• Rodney Jerkins – lyrics, production, music, audio mixing
• LaShawn Daniels – lyrics, vocal production
• Fred Jerkins III – lyrics
• Mischke Butler – lyrics
• Paul Foley – recorder
• Ben Garrison – audio mixing

Published by EMI Full Kneel Music/EMI Blackwood Inc./Rodney Jerkins Productions Inc./EMI April Music Inc./LaShawn Productions Inc./Ensign Music Corp./Fred Jerkins Publishing.