Spice Girl Melanie C on new album Sweat, rave culture and making people ‘feel good’
Before she was part of the Spice Girls, she discovered rave music. Melanie C brings some of that culture to Sweat, her ninth album
Get your heart pumpin’. She will make you “Sweat”.
Such is the promise sung by the artist known as Melanie C – or Mel C and Sporty Spice of the game-changing 90s girl group Spice Girls – in the lead single from her ninth album of the same name.
Atop a sample of Diana Ross’ “Work That Body” and sleek house-pop production, it is equal parts club banger and workout anthem, something for the DJ booth and a runner’s playlist.
Surprised? Don’t be. Eight or so years ago, Melanie C began DJing, reinvigorating her love of rave and dance music – early loves that predate her girl group days.
“DJing is so much fun, and it’s brought so much joy into my life that it made it really important that this album, as an artist, was a lot closer to what I love to play as a DJ,” she says.
It might come as a surprise to some of her fans, but the truth is, this musical world has always held a special place in her heart.
Then superstar fame happened, which makes Sweat an unusual release for her in at least one very specific way.