Viva Forever May, the Spice Girls appeared on the National Lottery, performing "Viva Forever" and "Spice Up Your Life" without Geri Halliwell, the excuse being that she was ill. In early June, the single was confirmed to simply be "Viva Forever". The single was to be released on 13 July, over two months after the original release date of 11 May. Even though posters were printed showcasing the 13 July release date, it was not long before the release dates started changing again. On the day of release, stores around the United Kingdom received a notice saying that the single was not
2 Become 1 the song a "perfect adult contemporary confection". Greg Kot of the "Chicago Tribune" said that their first album "is a compendium of slick secondhand urban pop encompassing [...] G-funk synths on 'Say You'll Be There' [...] and Babyface's guitar and strings balladry on '2 Become 1'". In a review of the group's 2007 compilation album "Greatest Hits", Talia Kraines of BBC Music called it "shimmering" adding that "only a cold heart could fail to love their first festive #1". Digital Spy's Nick Levine said that the group's slower songs were "probably their strongest suit", and thought that "'2 Become 1'