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1999 single by Geri Halliwell

"Look at Me" is the debut solo single by British singer Geri Halliwell from her debut solo studio album, Schizophonic (1999). It was written by Halliwell in collaboration with Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson, members of the Absolute production duo, who also produced the track. The song was released on 10 May 1999 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records as the lead single from Schizophonic. Musically, "Look at Me" is a jazz pop song featuring a nine piece brass section, while the autobiographical lyrics depict Halliwell demanding the attention of everyone around her. "Look at Me" received mixed reviews from music critics, with some finding similarities to Shirley Bassey's work. Commercially, it was successful; in the United Kingdom, the single debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart behind Boyzone's "You Needed Me", by a difference of 700 copies. It was later certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 400,000 copies. Across the world, it peaked inside the top ten in countries such as Australia, Finland, Italy and Spain, while topping the charts in New Zealand. An accompanying music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and filmed in Prague and London; it premiered on Top of the Pops and features four versions of Halliwell: a vamp, a bitch, a virgin, and a sister. The visual also depicts the funeral of the singer's former "Ginger Spice" stage persona. "Look at Me" was promoted during a short promotional tour that visited a number of cities worldwide, as well as through televised live performances on Party in the Park and MTV Ibiza 2000 Festival. In 2012, it was featured in the jukebox musical Viva Forever!.

In 1998, Halliwell left the girl group Spice Girls, claiming differences between herself and others in the group. She would later admit to having problems with an eating disorder and depression. Additionally, rumours that she had had enough of fellow member Melanie Brown's criticisms of her, and that this was the reason for her departure, were circulated by the press. Her departure from the group became one of the biggest entertainment news stories of the year, making headlines the world over. Halliwell then signed a three album deal with EMI worth US$3 million, influenced by Robbie Williams' solo success after leaving Take That. Soon, she started developing her debut solo album, recruiting the Absolute production duo, Paul Watson and Andy Watkins, who had produced songs for the Spice Girls. The remaining members of the group became aware of Halliwell's new project and asked the duo to choose between her and them. "Look at Me" was first played on BBC Radio 1's Radio 1 Breakfast on 16 April 1999, followed by a commercial release on 10 May in the United Kingdom, and a day later in Canada. In the United States, it was sent to radio stations on 17 May 1999 by Capitol Records. To promote the single's release, Halliwell embarked on a short promotional tour, visiting cities such as Rio de Janeiro, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Milan. Additionally, she promoted "Look at Me" through televised live performances on Party in the Park, and MTV Ibiza 2000 Festival. In 2012, it was selected as one of two solo songs from the Spice Girls members to be featured in the jukebox musical Viva Forever! in its entirety; producer Judy Craymer said it was a "very diva like song and perfect for the hard world of television and its judges who we portray as the gods on Mount Olympus".

"Look at Me" was written by Halliwell in collaboration with Watkins and Wilson, members of the Absolute production duo, who also produced the track. It was programmed by Mike Higham and mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent, while being mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Studios in London. Composed in the key of A minor, Halliwell's vocal range spans from G#3 to C5. Brian Hiatt from MTV News also noted a "heavy, Latin tinged beat that lends the song a slight resemblance" to "Livin' la Vida Loca" (1999) by Ricky Martin. According to David Sinclair in the book Spice Girls Revisited: How The Spice Girls Reinvented Pop, the lyrics "gave an intriguing insight into Geri's inner world". Halliwell admitted that she intended to convey that "we shouldn't take each other on just face value. We can be anything. We can be all of these people".

"Look at Me" received mixed reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior editor for AllMusic, deemed it "upbeat", "self conscious", and "silly". People staff called the song an "irresistible opening track" for Schizophonic. Chris Charles of BBC News described it as "undeniably catchy", comparing Halliwell's performance to Shirley Bassey as "the queen of the scene flanked by a posse of subservient men". Birmingham Evening Mail staff commented, "Ginger puts the Spices well and truly behind her with a song that will probably appeal to adults as well as, if not more than, the teenie market. It's a more mature, fifties style belter in which Geri reveals different facets of her character." Lou Carlozo from the Chicago Tribune felt that "Spice Girls fans should like the single", because the song had a "bouncy pop feel, but a more polished sound than the typical Spice Girls song". Sarah Davis from Dotmusic wrote that "Look at Me" was a "well crafted homage to a glamorous era [that] is destined to be huge", despite "some eyebrows being raised by the middle section". Billboards Jon O'Brien said it "immediately quashed any doubts that the Spice Girl with the weakest vocal chops would struggle to make it on her own", as she "got the exact reaction she was hoping for in the song’s title". According to Larry Flick from the same publication, although the song was an "eccentric, over the top track", he wrote, "do not expect this record to garner approval from listeners – or even from programmers – without a number of spins to let the room get used" to it. Sam Brooks of The Spinoff described the track as "nice", saying it was "too long, but the beat holds up". Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald commented that "Look at Me" was one of the album's "knock offs" at their cheapest, as well as a "toner free photocopy of the Propellerheads with Shirley Bassey track History Repeating". J. D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun felt it was "utterly unconvincing – in large part because Halliwell's voice barely stands out from the cushion of harmony vocals supporting her." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly panned "Look at Me" as a "forced showstopper single".

"Look at Me" was released the same week as Boyzone's "You Needed Me" in the United Kingdom. Though more transactions were made of Halliwell's single, two CD singles of "You Needed Me" were released in order for fans to purchase both and ensure that Boyzone made it to the number one position. it was only 748 copies behind Boyzone's single. The single was eventually certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 11 June 1999, denoting shipments of 400,000 copies in the region. before its televised premiere on BBC One's Top of the Pops on 22 April. The music video features four versions of Halliwell: a vamp, a bitch, a virgin, and a sister; she stated that she was "laughing at the stereotypes of women" with these depictions. Most of the music video is black and white, except in one scene in the middle of the video, during the funeral of Halliwell's stage persona "Ginger Spice". She is seen sporting red hair with blonde highlights and a red thorn crown while laughing with eyes wide open. According to herself, the ruby slippers worn by "Ginger Spice" were a reference to the film The Red Shoes (1948).

+Release dates and formats for "Look at Me"RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref. (Reference)United Kingdom10 May 1999CD, cassetteEMICanada11 May 1999CDUnited States17 May 1999AirplayCapitolJapan16 June 1999CDEMI