Listen to This Spanglish, Pop-Punk Cover of Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’

Have y’all ever thought of a bilingual indie-pop version of Spice Girls’ “Wannabe”? Tijuana-born composer, singer-songwriter Bruses just released today (March 8) a pop-punk cover of this classic girl power anthem — recreating the popular tune in her own way — just in time for International Women’s Day.

In this reimagined alt-rock cover, we quickly hear Spanish-language mixed into the original lyrics. She swapped “If you wannabe my lover” for “si tu quieres ser mi lover,” instantly making the track resonate with our bilingual brains. With a faster BPM than the original, the tune’s a bit more aggressive and punk, creating a whole alter-ego side for the known bubble pop anthem.

“For me, the most important thing with this song as a fan was to respect the original essence, it’s one of those hits that last a lifetime, it’s a classic. In this version we add a bit of rock and punk especially in the chorus,” Bruses said about “Wannabe” in a statement. “I always imagined that part a little heavier, so we added some electric guitars and it was from the little we recorded, the rest is sampled, it is very much directed towards electronic music or pop.”

With this “Wannabe” Spice Girls cover, Bruses – born Amalia Ramirez – attempts to “mix her universe” with what she loves of two of her pop references: Charli XCX and Kim Petras. 

This cover is part of the inauguration of EQUAL’s Spotify program collaboration with Spotify Singles. EQUAL focuses on equity for women in the music audio space. At the same time, Spotify Singles allows a free space for artists to recreate new versions of their own songs or any of their favorite tracks. Put the two programs together, and we are gifted with unique interpretations of tracks that our favorite artists admire.

Listen to Bruses’ bilingual indie version of “Wannabe” below.