Just before she changed the trajectory of pop music and culture at large as part of the Spice Girls, Melanie C was out raving.
After discovering dance music as a teenager while on holiday in Spain, the artist got into the scene in her native U.K. during its hallowed early ’90s era, finding the self expression, freedom and high energy of this world aligned with her own interests. While her club kid days were put aside when she was reborn as Sporty Spice, the artist born Melanie Chisolm brought the pep and individualism of the rave into her work as a pop star.
More recently, she’s revisited and honed this early era of her musical evolution when she started DJing nearly seven years ago. Now, Melanie C is taking herself and her music fully to the club via her ninth studio album Sweat. Out today (May 1), the album’s 13 tracks are variously thumping, slick, sensual and stylish. The project comes at a point in Chisolm’s life where she says she’s “really happy,” with her goal being to spread such happiness through the album and its upcoming tour, which will take her across the United States, Europe and the U.K. this summer and fall.
Here, she talks about the new music, how the rave world influenced the Spice Girls and more.
1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
I’m in LA. I’m in an Airbnb, and it’s very lovely to be back in this city. I actually had some writing sessions here, so it always feels special to me, because my first album, Northern Star, mostly was written and recorded here. I have such fond memories, and it’s a very creative place for me, so I always enjoy being here.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
Oh, my goodness. The first album I saved up for, I went to a store in the U.K. called Woolworths, which we sadly no longer have, but that’s where everybody went for their singles and albums. I bought on vinyl The Kids From “Fame”. It’s obviously been very influential in my life, and with this new album in particular, I’ve been able to really lean into that whole ’80s vibe, with “Sweat” especially.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you do for a living now?
My mum has always sung; she was in bands from the age of 14 and continues to perform now. She’s in her 70s, and she’s also done other jobs. She was very busy. She used to work for the NHS, our health service, until a couple of years ago. My dad, when I was a kid, he was a holiday rep. My mum and dad are divorced, and he went to work in France and Spain with holiday companies. As I’ve got older, he went into more sports travel and still does a little bit of stuff with premiership soccer teams. That’s like his dream job. Mum obviously was always super supportive. Dad was a little nervous, thought I needed a plan B, but now, obviously, is very happy that it all worked out.
4. What is the first non-gear thing that you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
The first thing I bought with my very first paycheck, and it was a paper check from Virgin Records, I went and bought some sneakers. Very on brand. I went to JD Sports, which is our high street sports store, and bought myself some Nike Air Max.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what album would you give them?
Oh gosh, that’s a good question. My go-to would be The Prodigy‘s Experience, but I wouldn’t want to scare anybody off, because that’s going in quite hard. Maybe I’d look at something a bit more mellow, like Groove Armada, just to ease them in gently.
6. What is the last song you listened to?
Ooh, a song that I’m loving at the moment is Aluna, Will Sass and Timbaland’s “Houseboy.” Aluna is an artist I love. I’ve listened to a lot of her work and actually did a festival with her a couple of years ago and got to see her do her thing live. You know when you see an artist, and it just completely cements your love for them? I think it’s not until you’ve seen an artist live that you truly understand who they are, and for me there are so many artists where I’ve loved the music, I loved their record, I’ve seen them and then I became obsessed. She’s one of those.
7. How did you first get into dance music?
So I was on holiday, and it was my first holiday without parents. I was 17, and I was with three college friends. We were all at dance college. We were going out to bars and clubs in Spain, and we were hearing this music and seeing people like, really dancing, really expressing themselves in a way we’d never seen before. Because the ’80s in the U.K., everyone danced like, step-touch, step-touch. There was no creativity. So when we were seeing these people who were like, arms everywhere and jumping around, we were like, “Wow.” We just fell in love. When I got back to London after that holiday, we were seeking out all the raves, finding all the flyers, finding out where to go. That was my introduction to dance music in, I would say, 1990.
8. That is such a mythological time and place for dance music. What are your are some of your strongest memories of it all?
I think it was just the community… I feel like raving, and the ’90s, really shaped myself and the other Spice Girls, because it was so important to us to celebrate our individuality, and that was something dance music did. It brought together cultures and communities that had never socialized together before. I think people had been quite separate. That’s what really blew my mind and made me gravitate towards raving and dance music culture, that everyone was just together, unified. That’s a really strong memory of that time.
And also how we just felt like we were so rebellious. When I look back now, it was so innocent, but it felt like a really rebellious time, I suppose because we were doing things our parents hadn’t done before. It was our own revolution after they’d had everything that had happened in the ’60s.
9. When you joined the Spice Girls, did dance music and rave culture remain part of your life?
It was put on the back burner quite strongly, because obviously, going into the band, we had to be so focused. We were spending so much time together, working on material, choreography, building ourselves up as a band. And then, of course, once music was released, we were so busy promoting and traveling around the world. So there wasn’t a lot of time for socializing. But I always had, whether it was The Prodigy or all of my tunes, on my CD Walkman or my little cassette, in the gym keeping me motivated. But, yeah, going out and clubbing took a backseat for a long time.
10. Is this new this album a return to that part of your life? Is it a reclamation?
I would say a reclamation. The whole process of making this album has been so beautiful, because I’ve been DJing for eight years, and as a DJ, I do play a lot of the old stuff I used to rave to as a kid. But what I play as a DJ and what I am as a solo artist are quite different, and I’ve wanted to bring those two worlds together without alienating any of my fans who’ve followed my career and while also being true to who I am as a pop artist, because I write pop music, and I’m a pop singer.
11. How have you done that?
It’s been fun to really play with those genres, and I think it’s something we’ve seen more of in pop music over the years. So this was a moment to acknowledge that that is such a huge influence on me musically. I get so much joy from DJing and viewing music from such a different perspective. I see how other people’s music affects the dance floor, which is very different to when you’re out there singing your own stuff.
That’s really informed this record, and it’s gathered up that little bit of my past I think I had left behind. As a songwriter, I learned how to write songs with the Spice Girls and all of the great collaborators we had, so that’s always there within me. This was just bringing more of my teenage self to this record, which has meant that it’s more fun as well. I found more humor in this album making process.
12. This part from your bio also stuck out to me: “There are so many horrific things going on in the world. When you make pop and dance music, it can seem almost churlish, but music is what gets me through tough moments. I’m really happy I’m bringing out a joyful record at this very dark time.” Will touring and bringing this album to a live setting expand on that idea for you?
I’ve toured forever, obviously, with the girls and then as a solo artist, but not playing the U.S. or many regions in the world for a long, long time. I want to approach the creative very differently. The whole aesthetic of the record is something I want to bring to life. I want it to be a really energetic show, which is something I always do, but I think visually as well… I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ve got a really fun idea about how to approach this differently with the setlist, not just going song, song, song, back to back. I want to get a bit more interesting with it.
13. You kind of just referenced it talking about the introversion of being a solo artist, but your bio also says “I’ve done a lot of soul searching, now I just want to have some fun and get people dancing again.” Unpack that for me. What was the soul searching?
I think as a solo artist and songwriter, it’s something you do. I’ve always used life and the experiences I’m having as inspiration, and it’s very cathartic, isn’t it? You’re drawing off those things and sometimes healing and figuring things out within your songwriting. For a long time I was trying to figure out who I am, and where I wanted to be.
I’ve done that for a long time, and I feel like I’m in a good place personally. I’m really happy in my life, in my work, with my family, and I just want to have fun.
14. Has DJing helped you along on this process in any way?
DJing has done literally so much for me. It’s opened up this part of me that was locked away. This joy, enjoying other people, having a great time. I hope to DJ forever and ever. Last year was the first year I had an equal amount of DJ sets and live shows. [For the Sweat tour] it felt really important to represent that on stage, so I had to make that in the studio, to make that possible.
15. What are your essential tracks when you’re DJing?
The one that always springs to mind, that you know people are going to go off if you play any remix, is Robyn S’ “Show Me Love. That’s just a no brainer. One that I’ve been really enjoying in the last couple of years is Justice vs. Simian’s “We Are Your Friends.” That one always hits. And then the A-Trak remix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll.” If those are in your set, you’re going to have a good night.
Related
The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time: Staff List
16. What are the proudest moments of your career thus far?
Oh, wow. Being a Spice Girl. Obviously, our beginnings were so out of this world. Just the impact we made on the world, the legacy we’ve created. We’re impacted every day, because people will approach me and the other girls. We talk about it all the time, how much we did affect people growing up and new generations that are discovering the Spice Girls. To try and put that in a nutshell, it’s like everything the Spice Girls achieved.
And also breaking the U.S. as a British act. All British artists, really, that is what they want. We were so lucky to have that and the international success that we did. That’s something we’re very proud of. And playing stadiums — in 2019, being able to come back and do a stadium tour. Sadly it was only in the U.K., but that was momentous, and it was also a time for us to really enjoy it, be present and really witness all of that beautiful success we’d accomplished in the ’90s, but sometimes were too busy to fully appreciate.
17. If you weren’t a musician, what would you do for work?
It would probably be in the fitness world. If I’m not working, making musical performing, I’m in the gym. That’s my second happy place after being on stage.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
That was one with the Spice Girls, when we overrode our record company and insisted that “Wannabe” was going to be the first single. Can you imagine that we were allowed to make that decision? But, yeah, they were nervous, and we were like, “No, it’s the first single. Has to be.”
19. Who was your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they’ve given you?
I think it would be my mum. I grew up watching her on stage being so proud of her. It’s so lovely actually, sharing something like performing with your parent, because you understand the love and the passion for it. She rehearses more now than she performs, just because she loves it. It brings her so much pleasure. She always said to me, “Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing.” I think in any industry that is a really important piece of advice, especially the music industry.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Be more present. Enjoy it more. I think that thing about youth — we’re in the present but we don’t think about the thing ending or changing. I wish that there was more appreciation for the moment.
Hence then, the article about 20 questions with melanie c i feel like raving really shaped myself the other spice girls was published today ( ) and is available on billboard ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 20 Questions With Melanie C: ‘I Feel Like Raving Really Shaped Myself & The Other Spice Girls’ )
Also on site :