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Song Stories

“Wannabe”

Spice Girls | 1997

Although the Spice Girls created the image of an all-for-one/one-for-all group — and popularized the phrase "girl power" — it turns out the entire band did not have full input on their breakthrough hit, a song co-written by the band with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard. "It was so intimidating — like standing in a room with no clothes on," Victoria Beckham recalled. "And particularly during the early sessions, I didn't have as much input as I did later. In fact, with 'Wannabe' I missed most of it."

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Song Stories

“I'm Yours”

Jason Mraz | 2008

Jason Mraz re-emerged after his disappointing second album with this lead single, a Jack Johnson-esque ditty about giving yourself fully to someone else. The success of the reggae-tinged song (it earned two Grammy nods and a spot on the Billboard singles chart for well over a year) was something the folk-pop singer never predicted when he wrote it in 15 minutes at home. "I played a happy-hippie chord progression that would probably work without 50 different Bob Marley songs," he told Rolling Stone. "I thought, 'It's too novelty. This is a nursery rhyme,'" concluding that "you can never guess what's gonna be a hit."

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