Spice Girls hint at 20th anniversary reunion tour

Are they or aren't they? Though officially remaining coy, members of the Spice Girls are hinting at a potential reunion tour next year, timed to the 20th anniversary of their first hit, Wannabe.

Fans worldwide buzzed after a report in The Sun newspaper said that four of the five original bandmembers – all but Victoria Beckham – have planned to reunite for an international tour, with an official announcement to come later in the year.

On Friday, Emma Bunton, nicknamed Baby Spice, initially seemed to splash cold water on that notion.

"Nothing's happening, at the moment," she noted on her Heart FM radio show. "If anything happens and it's concrete, and we decide on something, I will let you know."

That said, she and fellow singer Melanie Chisolm (Sporty Spice) teased fans online with an exchange of tweets hinting the opposite.

Beckham, who has been characterized as the lone holdout for a reunion and said in interviews that she's ended her performing days, also fuelled the fire this week with a nostalgic tweet about the Spice Girls.

Bunton, Chisholm, Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) have reportedly been in talks for a reunion tour in 2016.

Brown, currently a judge of the TV competition show America's Got Talent, has been the most vocal, noting in several recent appearances and interviews that "it's about time" for a reunion and that it was in her plans for next year.

The Spice Girls exploded onto the international pop music scene in 1996 with the infectious hit Wannabe off their debut album Spice. Their music mixed fun, froth and a message of girl power, leading to a string of No. 1 singles and worldwide record sales in the millions.

The group officially split in 2001, but reunited in 2007 for a tour and in 2012 for a one-off performance at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics.

All five have moved onto solo careers in music, radio, TV and fashion.