Geri Horner wants "to be the voice of [her] generation".
The former Spice Girls star – known as Geri Halliwell before marrying Formula One team boss Christian Horner in May – is planning to ditch her trademark pop sound on her fourth studio album because she wants to represent women in their forties.
She explained: "It bothers me that there are all of these great singers out there but no one is singing for my generation. It’s an implicit ageism. I want to be the voice of my generation and these songs are for women my age who have been through it and who are proud to be who they are. They are songs of optimism and life experience."
The 43-year-old singer – who has nine-year-old daughter Bluebell from a previous relationship – is gearing up to release the record next spring, 11 years after her third album ‘Passion’ flopped by peaking at a disappointing number 41 in the UK album charts.
But Geri is hoping her new approach to music will help, as well as a decade spent working on her voice.
She said: "I’ve done a lot of work on it. I want people to hear that I can actually sing."
And despite reports of a comeback tour for the Spice Girls – allegedly without ‘Posh Spice’ Victoria Beckham – to celebrate their 20th anniversary, Geri insisted "nothing is set in stone".
She told Event magazine: "I am always flattered by the support myself and the other Spice Girls receive from the public. We are still as close and constantly chatting on the phone with one another. But nothing is set in stone. There’s always speculation regarding the Spice Girls getting back together. Let’s just see what happens. Life is good and I’m happy."
Geri Horner: I want to be the voice of my generation
