{"id":476,"date":"2026-05-02T21:41:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T21:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/?p=476"},"modified":"2026-05-02T21:41:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T21:41:29","slug":"mel-c-euphoriazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/mel-c-euphoriazine\/","title":{"rendered":"Mel C – Euphoriazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Melanie C Cover Story Interview<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s slightly like giving birth, but you forget how painful it is,\u201d Melanie C says with a laugh.<\/p>\n

On a Friday afternoon in Dublin, the iconic singer is preparing for a late-night talk show appearance, with just one week to go before the release of her ninth studio album, Sweat. The schedule ahead is intense, but familiar. Even so, the build-up still feels gruelling \u2014 a cycle she knows all too well.<\/p>\n

All things considered, it\u2019s not something she\u2019s going to complain about.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the thing is, it\u2019s so exciting, and I\u2019m really looking forward to getting out there,\u201d she adds. \u201cWe\u2019ve already dropped four songs \u2013 \u201cSweat,\u201d \u201cWhat Could Possibly Go Wrong?\u201d \u201cUndefeated Champion,\u201d and \u201cAttitude\u201d \u2013 and they\u2019ve all been received so brilliantly, so I can\u2019t wait for the whole record to be out. This is the moment, and of course you want to give the project as much as you can \u2014 you want it to be as successful as possible and reach as many people as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking from the outside, it\u2019s clear that Melanie has little to prove at this point. As a member of the Spice Girls, she was part of one of pop\u2019s most defining success stories \u2014 a rise that was rapid, strategic, and culturally explosive. A history-making pop culture phenomenon, the group embarked on world tours, boasted more than 100 million records sold, achieved back-to-back chart-topping hits, starred in a blockbuster movie, and became the face of just about every piece of memorabilia you could get your hands on.<\/p>\n

When Melanie went solo, her debut album, 1999\u2019s Northern Star, marked a sonic shift, laying the groundwork for a long-lasting career. It remains the biggest-selling solo album by a Spice Girl, while Melanie also holds the distinction of being the only female artist to achieve chart-topping hits across multiple configurations \u2014 as part of a quintet, quartet, duo, and as a solo act. She also became the first female artist to secure UK number one singles across five consecutive years, from 1996 to 2000. As Melanie approaches 30 years in the music business, her career continues to evolve. In recent years, she\u2019s been sharing her industry insight as a coach on The Voice Australia, released her memoir Who I Am: My Story, and found a passion in DJing, all while recording and releasing new material.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s taken some time, but Melanie agrees. \u201cI think I kind of came to that conclusion [that I\u2019ve got nothing to prove] a while ago,\u201d she admits. \u201cYou know, it\u2019s quite difficult to transition from being a Spice Girl to becoming a solo artist, because my only experience of this world was at the absolute top of the pile \u2014 selling millions of records. And then, of course, as a solo artist, it\u2019s very, very different. And now the industry\u2019s changed, and so much of it is about streaming. You just get to a point where it\u2019s like, I just have to make the music that I love. And every now and again, it really does translate.\u201d<\/p>\n

On her new album Sweat, out May 1, Melanie reconnects with her roots. Before the Spice Girls, a teenage Melanie was deeply immersed in the early \u201990s rave scene. A trip to Costa Brava with three college friends proved to be a turning point, introducing her to sounds she had never encountered before. Captivated by the experience, her passion for the genre only grew once she returned to England, with the music continuing to shape her tastes. However, that chapter was cut short when she was selected to join the Spice Girls, sending her life in an entirely new direction. Fast forward, and Melanie is revisiting her past with what she considers a love letter to her formative days.<\/p>\n

From top to bottom, Sweat is bursting with energy and has a real sense of euphoria. On the cheeky album title track, which features an iconic sample of Diana Ross\u2019s \u201cWork That Body,\u201d Melanie demands immediate attention and sets the pace with a disco-pop anthem that is an ode to her Sporty Spice persona: \u201cKeep your eyes on me \/ Speed it up, slowly \/ Get your heart pumping \/ I\u2019ll make you, I\u2019ll make you sweat.\u201d She keeps the momentum going with banger \u201cDrum Machine,\u201d where she gushes about her current partner \u2013 Chris Dingwall \u2013 following a tough breakup. \u201cI just wanted to write a beautiful love song about someone who makes you feel amazing physically in every way,\u201d she says of the track.<\/p>\n

Sweat was two years and a half in the making, and as Melanie puts it, is a \u201creally lovely arc\u201d of the emotions she\u2019s felt during that period. \u201cI\u2019d ended a long-term relationship, and that was in the real kind of untangling and bitterness, so there was quite a lot of anger to express, which shows up on the album in places. But then it also crossed into the time when I met somebody new \u2014 I fell in love, and then this whole new relationship began,\u201d she says. \u201c\u200b\u200bI wanted this to be really joyous and up \u2014 something motivating for people, whether it\u2019s in life, in the gym, or in the club. But I definitely still wanted some darkness in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melanie credits the melancholy \u201cOne Track Mind\u201d as one of the more moving tracks, which was inspired about being apart from her boyfriend. \u201cWe had just been in LA together \u2014 it was our first trip away \u2014 and then he went back to Australia while I was still in LA starting writing sessions. We\u2019d had such an amazing time together, and then he was gone,\u201d she explains. Meanwhile, on \u201cEmotional Memory,\u201d she details the cycle of falling in and out of love: \u201cIt\u2019s about this journey \u2014 having a horrible experience, breaking up with somebody, meeting somebody new and being like, \u2018Fuck, here we go again.\u2019 You know, have I learned nothing? But it\u2019s like, fuck it \u2014 it\u2019s love. I\u2019m gonna do it again. Yeah, and again and again, because what\u2019s life about?\u201d<\/p>\n

On \u201cTill It Breaks,\u201d Melanie is left questioning her limits, asking, \u201cHow much can a heart take till it breaks?\u201d In contrast, the groovy single \u201cUndefeated Champion\u201d celebrates resilience and the power of picking yourself back up, as she sings, \u201cI still believe in everything I do \/ After the bullshit I\u2019ve been through.\u201d \u201cI really wanted to acknowledge that in a song,\u201d Melanie declares. \u201cWe all have those moments where we get knocked down and we\u2019re like, \u2018Fucking hell, can I get myself back up again?\u2019 But we do, because there\u2019s no alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fully stepping into her power on songs like \u201cAttitude\u201d and \u201cFree To Love,\u201d \u201cFlick Of The Wrist\u201d closes the record on a confident note, with Melanie reassuring listeners through the standout line, \u201cNow I\u2019m that bitch.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve never had the confidence to do that, you know \u2014 to really own things. I haven\u2019t always been like that, but there have been parts of my personality I\u2019ve been apologetic about,\u201d she says. \u201cIf someone wants to call me a bitch, I want to fucking own it. I\u2019m that bitch, you know? It feels so strong, that thing of going, look, I can be sassy. I\u2019m not going to be ashamed of any of these things anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elaborating on her newly discovered self-assurance, Melanie adds: \u201cWhat I love about this record, and the first time I\u2019ve really done it, is the Spice Girls influence I\u2019ve brought into it \u2014 in a tongue-in-cheek way. I think sometimes, as a solo artist, I\u2019ve been quite serious. You know, you can become so introspective. And I realised that when I\u2019m on stage, I\u2019m actually so much more confident, more comedic, more sassy. And I thought, if I want to be that person on stage, I have to create those songs in the studio. So it was a bit of a lightbulb moment. I started thinking about leaning into being sporty, the fitness side, and obviously the club aspects from how much I\u2019ve been influenced by DJ culture. It was just really fun to play lyrically with those worlds \u2014 whether it was sport, or music, or just that whole pop culture space.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she navigates a pop career in her 50s, Sweat arrives alongside a wave of female artists redefining longevity on their own terms. From Jessie Ware and Lily Allen to Beyonc\u00e9, Robyn, and Kylie Minogue, a growing number of women are continuing to evolve well beyond the industry\u2019s once-prescribed limits. There was a time when turning 40 marked a quiet sidelining, as female artists were pushed out by an ageist system that left little room for reinvention. Some, including Anastacia, Paloma Faith, and Nicole Scherzinger, even felt pressure early in their careers to obscure their age. Melanie, however, has long resisted that narrative \u2014 and, as she sees it, the tide is finally beginning to turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that social media\u2019s helped with that as well,\u201d she insists. \u201cI think the way young people see music now is so different \u2014 they\u2019re less ageist. They\u2019re just drawn to whatever they\u2019re drawn to, regardless of what the artist looks like or how old they are. Being a Spice Girl, if I\u2019m given an obstacle, I\u2019ll make sure I get over it. It was the same when we were told girl bands don\u2019t sell \u2014 and we were like, \u2018Fuck you, we\u2019re going to prove you wrong.\u2019 Then, of course, there was a huge period where getting older as a woman in the industry felt petrifying. You start thinking, \u2018What\u2019s there for me?\u2019 But I was like, no \u2014 I\u2019m going to take this headfirst. And I think we\u2019ve all changed. Even generations are closer now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melanie has also witnessed the change first-hand by socialising with her 17-year-old daughter, Scarlett. \u201cWe listen to the same music, we were at Coachella together two weeks ago, we go and see the same artists. I probably wouldn\u2019t have done that with my mum. The age gaps are kind of closing in. We\u2019re all just enjoying it, and I think we refuse to fully grow up,\u201d she explains, adding: \u201cThere\u2019s something really great about that. I talk a lot about my early raving days in my late teens while promoting this record, and my generation are back in the clubs \u2014 we don\u2019t want to give it up. We do want to go to bed a bit earlier, but we still want our raving in. At heart, none of us really feel old. We always want that youthful feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the only time Melanie has questioned her place in the industry, however. Following a major label deal with Virgin Records, Melanie went independent and launched her own label, Red Girl Records, in 2004, inspired by her upbringing in Liverpool. \u201cI was a little bit burnt by my experience with a major label. So many artists are. I was quite determined to do it my own way and have my own independence and be the master of my own destiny,\u201d she says about the decision. While Melanie has never focused on what the distant future holds for her, she feared her passion was no longer going to be sustainable. \u201cThere was one point where I was like, \u2018Fuck, can I afford to continue doing this?\u2019 There was a time when it was expensive \u2014 I was making music and getting no return,\u201d she admits. Things have since improved. \u201cThere\u2019s been a big turnaround over the last, what, 10 years or so. The last 10 years have been a really big lift in everything for me,\u201d Melanie adds. Eager to make things work, her determination led her to find whatever it took at the time to continue working in music. \u201cI\u2019ve done other things to supplement it, you know, because it is my passion and my first love. I\u2019ve done a little bit of telly, a bit of radio, and obviously musical theatre was something I wanted to do \u2014 a bit of a personal challenge. But it\u2019s always been music; music is the first love.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time of our call, Melanie and her fellow Spice Girls \u2013 Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Mel B, and Victoria Beckham \u2013 are celebrating a key milestone: 30 years since filming the music video for their breakthrough smash \u201cWannabe.\u201d Even though she\u2019s someone who doesn\u2019t like to think too far ahead, Melanie isn\u2019t one to shy away from embracing nostalgia. \u201cI don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s my age, but I\u2019ve become very nostalgic. When I think about those moments, or when we\u2019re reminded of anniversaries and things, it still feels really fresh in my mind. I don\u2019t remember everything, of course, but I remember so many things really vividly. And I love it \u2014 it makes me feel very close to it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Decades later, the group remains in the headlines. Whether it\u2019s their personal lives, being referenced by a new generation of stars, or rumours surrounding another reunion, interest in the Spice Girls and their legacy has never felt stronger. Melanie is fully aware. \u201cI totally feel that,\u201d she says. \u201cThe way generations continue to discover the Spice Girls is incredible. I think it\u2019s the thing we\u2019re all most proud of \u2013 the way the music, the ethos, everything has stood the test of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Spice Girls\u2019 debut album Spice approaching its 30th anniversary, speculation continues to grow about how the group might mark the occasion. Melanie previously shut down claims that they will hit the road in 2026 for more shows. However, it\u2019s something she has been vocal about wanting to do again. \u201cI think when we did the stadiums [in 2019], we were really hoping that would lead to more shows because the response was so overwhelming and incredible. It feels almost like a duty. There are so many people all over the world who would enjoy it, and for us it\u2019s such a pleasure. It\u2019s incredible to be up there giving that joy to people,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

A Las Vegas residency at the Sphere has been mentioned regularly, although there\u2019s no confirmed truth to it. \u201cAn offer for The Sphere hasn\u2019t arrived in my email inbox, but I think all of us feel it would be an amazing place to do it. We just feel like that whole Spice World concept would be incredible. We could have so much fun with the creative,\u201d Melanie admits. There\u2019s also that yearly Glastonbury rumour that\u2019s been circling around for a while. \u201cThat would be special,\u201d she insists. However, Melanie is only willing to do it on one condition. \u201cIt would have to be on a Friday because I wanna enjoy the festival. I\u2019d have to lock myself away if it were a Sunday gig,\u201d she jokes. \u201cBut yeah, I\u2019m definitely in for all of it, whether it\u2019s a tour, a residency, or a one-off show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being that there are no concerts on the cards this year, Melanie is asked what the current situation is with the other members. \u201cWell, I mean, we have a lot to talk about,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m sure you can imagine how many opportunities come up for the Spice Girls, and there are some we really, really want to explore. It\u2019s just a case of everybody being on the same page at the same time,\u201d she adds. \u201cBut we are talking more now, probably in more communication than ever, so I think it\u2019s time. We all feel inspired by how everyone else is feeling, and we want to get things moving as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, while the group figures things out, Melanie will be hitting the road alone for her biggest world tour since her debut solo album. \u201cI\u2019m currently working on the creative side, and I\u2019ve got big ideas,\u201d she teases. \u201cI probably need a bit of a reality check at some point. But I definitely want to bring this record to life properly. I also feel like I want to incorporate as much as I can because it\u2019s a world tour, and it\u2019s the first one I\u2019ve done in over 20 years, which is insane. I want everyone to feel satisfied, so it\u2019s going to be interesting. I\u2019m going to try to weave in as many songs and hooks as possible. It\u2019s going to be a challenge getting it right, but in a good way. I\u2019m determined to really do this album justice and give the fans things they haven\u2019t seen before.\u201d Melanie is suggested to perform a dance rendition of 2003\u2019s \u201cYeh, Yeh, Yeh,\u201d an idea in which she doesn\u2019t disapprove of. \u201cI\u2019ll make a note of that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

As our 30-minute video comes to an end, Melanie hopes Sweat will leave listeners feeling two things: positive and motivated. \u201cWhether it\u2019s your gym playlist, whether you\u2019re listening before going out, or I\u2019m playing it on the decks, I just want people to really enjoy it,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd with the shows, I want people to leave exhausted but exhilarated, and really sweaty.\u201d Before the call comes to an official close, however, she points out my vintage Prince T-shirt and how it reminds her of someone special. \u201cHe\u2019s been on my mind a lot recently; he keeps coming up,\u201d she says. \u201cHave you seen the footage of him when Mel B interviewed him?\u201d she asks. \u201cThere\u2019s a clip of him pushing her on a swing. It\u2019s one of the best things I\u2019ve ever seen in my life. He absolutely adored Melanie. He was obsessed with her. It was so sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughs at the memory, still amused by it years later. It\u2019s a small exchange, but one that speaks to something at the heart of her world \u2014 the joy of music, and the people it connects.<\/p>\n

—-Source:<\/strong> www.euphoriazine.com<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Melanie C Cover Story Interview It\u2019s slightly like giving birth, but you forget how painful it is,\u201d Melanie C says with a laugh. On a Friday afternoon in Dublin, the iconic singer is preparing for a late-night talk show appearance, with just one week to go before the release of her ninth studio album, Sweat. … Continue reading<\/a> Mel C – Euphoriazine<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mel-c-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":482,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions\/482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spicegirlssource.com\/SpiceNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}