Melanie C - Sweat | ALBUM REVIEW

Melanie C is back with her ninth studio album, 'Sweat', and it’s a banger of an album. If you were expecting 'two become one', 'northern star' or even 'when you’re gone', you’re in for a real surprise.

Words by Iain McClay

This is a full on clubbing, dancing, beatastic, euphoric record. The only issue I can see with it is this amount of high energy on one album could prove too much for some people, someone should warn the casualty wards there’s incoming.

If Mel C wanted to make it obvious that she’s still relevant, still capable of putting out new music that people wanted to move to, to dance to, to work out to, then she’s succeeded - this is the album many younger artists would love to be able to make but fail to achieve.

Melanie C has long been the most musically successful of her former band mates and responsible for half of the solo albums they’ve released, mostly because she’s the most talented, but also because she has been a chameleon throughout her solo career moving from indie to rock to pop to dance and a number of other destinations in between including even singing with Jools Holland. She has always had a great voice, but she’s now decided she’s going to make you sweat big time and, trust me, she will make you dehydrate very quickly!

The move into dance pop has become more pronounced over the last few years, the indie days appear to be behind her, but this album cements her as a pop dance leader, she isn’t messing about here, The chorus’s are punchy, the beats full on, the singing perfect.

This album is getting toured later this year, if you get the chance to, go see the tour you really have to, I can only imagine it’s going to be a gigantic party with some of her greatest hits thrown in for good measure. I’ve been lucky enough to see Melanie C live in the past and she has amazing stage presence, but this album will let her take her live show to another level.

Northern Star, her debut solo album, was a massive success and a real break from the Spice Girls, this album proves she’s gone so far past her 90’s self that when she sees herself from then it must seem like a different person altogether to who she is now.

There are some particular standouts like the title track (watch above) and 'WCPGW' but there isn’t a weak link, although you’re so busy dancing along to it, it’s hard to pick favourites. I also really liked 'Attitude', 'Good for Nothing', 'Undefeated Champion' and 'Free to Love' myself but I suspect there are a number of floor fillers on here, it will be really easy to find your own favourite.

The songs on this album should find themselves being added to a number of workout playlists. Although given how high energy some of them are, be careful not to burn yourself out.

Interestingly, after the first couple of listens which make you want to get up and move, I started to pick up on the lyrics and the themes, Melanie C has always been a great writer but there’s something very emotionally honest about this album. This is the sound of someone making peace with who they are, who they’ve been and their future self. There are themes of self-discovery, self-awareness, growth and emotional honesty, which means this isn’t just an album to dance to, but music to feel empowered by.

The singles have been having an impact already on radio, the rest of this album should make sure that we keep listening to Melanie C and, personally I think that’s a very good thing.

If you want to feel good, both about yourself and your zone minutes, put this on and get going.

Listen to 'Sweat' by Melanie C on Spotify here: