NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Get your heart pumpin’. She’ll
Such is the promise sung by the artist known as Melanie C, of the game-changing 鈥�90s girl group Spice Girls, in the lead single from her ninth album of the same name. Atop a sample of 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 deejaying, reinvigorating her love of rave and dance music 鈥� early loves that predate her girl group days. 鈥淒eejaying is so much fun, and it鈥檚 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,鈥� she told The Associated Press.
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. 鈥淏efore I was part of the Spice Girls, I discovered rave culture,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 was 19. I went into this nightclub. I was on holiday with some friends. I heard this music. I saw people dancing. It was like this utopia I鈥檇 never experienced.鈥�
which makes 鈥淪weat鈥� an unusual release for her in at least one very specific way: 鈥淚 feel like I brought some of my life pre-Spice Girls into this album,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hich is something I haven鈥檛 really done before.鈥�
Dance floor therapy
Melanie C was hard at work on 鈥淪weat鈥� for two and a half years, writing and recording across London, Stockholm and Los Angeles, a period that proved to be uniquely transformative. 鈥淢y life had twists and turns. You know? I had a long-term relationship that ended. I had a management change. I鈥檓 back with Virgin Records,鈥� she lists. 鈥淚鈥檓 in a new relationship. So, there鈥檚 been difficult moments within it and there鈥檚 been great times. And all of that is reflected in the album.鈥�
Appropriately, catharsis appears to be a major theme. Like on the song 鈥淎ttitude鈥� 鈥� with its sample of Inner Life’s 鈥�80s classic, 鈥淢oment Of My Life鈥� 鈥� where she cheers, 鈥淓very night鈥檚 a Friday!鈥�
Or, even more directly, the song 鈥淧ressure.鈥�
鈥淯nder the pressure,鈥� she sings on the explosive electronic track, before offering a one-word solution: 鈥淩elease.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e under such incredible pressure and I think we put ourselves under it, too. And that鈥檚 why I鈥檝e loved bringing in this joy of, you know, the club,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or me, as a human, that is the release.鈥�
There has long been a connection between dance music, joy and resiliency 鈥� particularly in queer club culture. Melanie C says honoring has always been key to her work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a community that鈥檚 been important to myself and the Spice Girls for such a long time,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s always going to be a big part of the music that I make.鈥�
From Sporty Spice to Melanie C
If 鈥淪weat鈥� is an album about the freedom of a dance floor, it’s a destination Melanie C has worked hard to arrive at鈥� particularly considering her life now, three decades removed from the Spice Girls’ heyday. For many, she is still Sporty Spice. And she understands that.
鈥淚鈥檓 not Sporty Spice or Melanie C; I鈥檓 both of those things. And not just some of the time, but all of the time,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important to acknowledge that,鈥� to embrace her legacy and build a new one.
鈥淚 want to make people feel good,鈥� she says of this 鈥淚 want to empower them. I want to motivate people.鈥�
But she also hopes they use 鈥淪weat鈥� as a break, an escape, some downtime.
鈥淩ecovery is a really important part of working out,鈥� she laughs.
Spoken like Sporty Spice 鈥� and Melanie C.
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