Melanie C Wants To Make You Sweat Again

Melanie C has lived many lives. After the Spice Girls disbanded in 2001, she’s kept the girl group’s spirit alive, releasing eight studio albums that run the gamut from spiritual electronica to anthemic pop-rock. But over two decades into her solo career, Sporty Spice just wants to dance.

“I’ll go to a festival, and I’ll be watching a punk band on one stage, and then I’ll be running over to watch a DJ somewhere else,” the 52-year-old tells Bustle over Zoom from Los Angeles, where she’s playing her own DJ set at The Abbey later that night. “I just realized that dance music really moves me. It felt really right for me, being Sporty Spice.”

Going back to her roots affirmed this instinct and inspired her new album, Sweat. Released earlier this month, the record draws on Melanie C’s rave days in the ‘90s, creating a workout-friendly playlist full of high-energy dance anthems that might be more intense than most of the Spice Girls’ poppier fare.

“When I think back to the beginning of the Spice Girls, it was so exciting, and we were achieving all these incredible things. And as much as we were loving it, you need to reflect on those things to fully appreciate them,” she says. “While I’ve been back in the club scene, I've realized how close that world is to what the Spice Girls represent: the inclusivity, joy, positivity, and empowerment. I just thought that link was so beautiful.”

Sweat has reminded the world of what Melanie C is capable of on her own, becoming the highest-charting solo album from a Spice Girl in the U.K. in its debut week. She credits this achievement to reconnecting with the same fans that made the girl group a cultural phenomenon.

“I think some fans that maybe had drifted over the years have come back,” she says. “I had so much fun touring the U.K. during release week, doing shows and meeting people. When I started with the Spice Girls, we did a lot of that. We were going around the country, doing signings, and then that stops because you're so successful, and you don’t see people that close up anymore.”

Now, she has her sights set across the pond. This fall, Melanie C will return to the U.S. on her first world tour in over two decades, a treat for fans who rarely get the Spice Girls stateside. And this time, she wants to turn her show into an all-out rave — with a couple of classics as well. “I think it’s going to be quite different as a Melanie C show,” she teases.

Below, Melanie C opens up about embracing her Sporty Spice persona, sounds off on reality stars joining the DJ world, and shares her hopes for the girl group’s reunion.

Sweat is your ninth solo album. Did you ever think that when you went solo, it would go this far?

That was the intention. I probably would’ve liked the Spice Girls to run alongside my solo work for a bit longer, but I just love what I do. I love performing, I love traveling. I'm living my best life.

What made you embrace Sporty Spice again after all of this time?

The 2019 stadium shows we did in the U.K. and Ireland — those shows were incredible, weren't they? For us, it was the first time we could fully appreciate everything we’d achieved, and how much our music and whole ethos had really affected people. That made me just so grateful, not only to be a Spice Girl, but to be Sporty.

You’ve talked a lot about DJing. What do you get from that in comparison to performing?

It would be hard to beat being able to sing the songs you’ve written and have that connection with an audience as they sing them back to you. That’s so, so special. But being behind the decks, having the world at your fingertips, it’s so liberating that I can play whatever music I want to play, however I feel on the day, and dance my ass off.

There's been a wave of singers and reality stars entering the DJing world. What do you make of that trend?

It’s funny, because way back in 2010, I worked in the West End, and there’d been a similar thing where pop stars had gone into musical theater. There are always people just taking an opportunity, but then there are people who are actually really good and passionate about it. There are definitely people in the DJ world who might turn their noses up at a Spice Girl DJing, but when I go out there, people are impressed by my music selection and mixing skills. You always have to be open-minded about these things.

Next month marks 30 years of the Spice Girls with the anniversary of “Wannabe.” Before that song came out, did you have a sense of how special it would become?

We were in the studio with Matt [Rowe] and Biff [Stannard], who are longtime collaborators, and they wanted to capture that essence, that chaos, that is the Spice Girls. It was literally just us screaming down the microphone. It was one of the first songs we ever wrote; we didn't know what we were doing. They were like, “Just be free, just do anything.”

At the time, Virgin Records was really nervous about releasing it because it might not technically be the best song the Spice Girls had ever written, right? But it just had this magic, and we knew it had to be the first single. We could afford to make that happen, and it really paid off. It just captured everybody's imagination.

It’s funny to hear you say that it's not technically their best song. Why do you think that is?

There are some incredibly written ballads. Something like “2 Become 1,” or “Viva Forever,” or “Too Much” is real classic songwriting. We crossed so many genres and demographics when it came to songwriting. Something like “Spice Up Your Life” is just fun, it's joy, it's silly, but then you get into something like “Viva Forever,” a beautifully crafted song.

Is there a Spice Girls song that you would rather not perform again?

There are definitely some album tracks that, when it comes to shows with the girls, I'm like, “Oh God, not that one.” But the one I cannot do solo and actually refuse to — I think I did it in my first solo show, like a punk version — is “Wannabe.” That’s an ensemble piece.

You recently performed with Mel B at an album launch party, which was such a joy to see. How did that moment happen?

I was in Leeds, and she was home and wanted to come to the show. I was like, “Amazing. Of course.” She's supporting her Spice Sister. But I [warned her], “Look, ‘Spice Up Your Life’ is in the show tonight. No pressure, but you’re very welcome to join me on stage.” And she's like, “F*ck off.”

She was there to be a guest in the audience, so I was like, “God, do I even do it? I don't want to make her feel under pressure in the room.” And then I was like, “Oh, f*ck it. I want to do it.” It started, and I saw a little flurry of movement as she came around to the side of the stage. We hadn’t rehearsed, we hadn’t sound-checked, she didn’t have any in-ears or anything, but it was such a vibe. I’m so grateful that she did it, but I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist, because Melanie is just in her element on stage.

When a reunion happens, what do you want that to look like?

I would like nothing more than all five of us to be back on stage. When we did the stadium shows in 2019, Victoria wasn’t with us, but it was such a beautiful experience. I would love her to have that experience. It made us all reflect in a very different way, so I’d love us to have an incredible production and bring joy to everybody who loves the music. It’s a bucket list to play a festival like Glastonbury or Coachella. Just being a fan in the audience, I was thinking, “The Girls would die.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.