Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long

What this video is

Released 2 April 2001 as Emma Bunton's debut solo single, 'What Took You So Long?' arrived at a pivotal moment in post-Spice Girls British pop. Following the commercial disappointment of the Spice Girls' third album Forever (2000), all five members were pursuing solo careers simultaneously, creating an unprecedented media environment in which each new single was read as a statement of artistic intent. Bunton's…

Why it matters

A landmark in the early-2000s British pop-to-AOR crossover, the track and video demonstrate how post-girl-group artists strategically adopted American adult-contemporary aesthetics to signal maturity. Its chart success — #1 UK, top 10 in Australia and New Zealand, #6 Eurochart Hot 100 — validates…

The director

Greg Masuak is a music video director with a documented working relationship with Emma Bunton and the Spice Girls. His confirmed credits include the Spice Girls' 'Who Do You Think You Are' (1997) and 'Let Love Lead the Way' (2000), Emma Bunton's…