of Spice, due to the album not being revised since 1997, the single version appeared on the 25th anniversary reissue of the album, in place of the album version. The single version also contains slightly different vocals from the rest of the group. The single version appears in the music video and is available on the group's Greatest Hits album, and on stage the girls always performed the single version before and after Halliwell's departure. Release "2 Become 1" was released in the United Kingdom on 16 December 1996, in three single versions. The first one, a maxi single that included the single version of the track, an orchestral take, the Junior Vasquez remix of "Wannabe", and "One of These Girls", a song written by the group with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute. The second version was the special Christmas pack, a standard CD single in a cardboard case that included a signed postcard with a Christmas message from the group. This version contained the single version, the Dave Way remix, and their own version of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride". The third version was a two-track cassette single, featuring the single version and the orchestral take of the song. The same track listing was also used for the release of the European CD single. In the United States, the single was serviced to contemporary hit radio on 1 July 1997. Four weeks later, on 29 July, two CD singles were issued in the US. Reception Critical response The song was generally well received by music critics. Brian Grosz from Albumism described it as "a smooth R&B jam". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it a "perfect adult contemporary confection". 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". Larry Flick of Billboard magazine said that "they are surprisingly adept at weaving warm and romantic imagery over a sweet melody", adding that "[Everyone] will delight in the track's arrangement of soft harmonies and delicate acoustic guitar riffs". 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'". Digital Spy's Nick Levine