REVIEW
Melanie C
Sweat/Live at Union Chapel
You’ve got to hand it to Sporty, aka Melanie C, when it comes to hard work and staying power. While her fellow Spice Girl have (mostly) long since abandoned their solo careers, she’s now on album number nine.
As a devoted Spice Boy, I’ve always had a soft spot for Mel (as I do all of them). While I don’t know every one of her solo records beyond the singles, I of course love her classic debut Northern Star. More recently, both Version of Me and 2020’s self-titled Melanie C were enjoyable listens too.
In fact, 2020’s lockdown-soundtracking Melanie C found her in possibly her strongest form since that debut. Lead single Who I Am is up there with the best of her solo singles, while tracks such as the R&B-influenced Overload showed an artist sounding both confident and contemporary. That album felt textured, with darker undertones and a variety of moods.
By contrast, Sweat — as Mel herself has discussed extensively during the album’s promotional campaign — is firmly focused on a clubbier, more upbeat sound.
The title track arrived as the lead single back in October, kicking off a slickly executed build-up campaign that saw three further tracks released ahead of the album. Heavily dance-influenced, with 90s rave sounds filtered through a shiny contemporary electronic sheen, Sweat samples Diana Ross’s 80s keep-fit anthem Work That Body. Unfortunately, while it desperately wants to be a dancefloor slap, it never quite gets there, ending up as a case of style over substance.
Second single What Could Possibly Go Wrong comes much closer to hitting the spot. An old-school electro-pop stomper, it boasts a genuinely banging chorus. Sadly, it loses momentum when it drops into the hook, complete with retro computer-game bleeps that feel more distracting than effective.
Drum Machine is pleasant enough and takes a more subtle approach to the dance influences. It’s one of a handful of tracks that celebrate Mel’s happiness with her new relationship.
As with much of the album, my main issue is a too frequent absence of a proper melody. There are lots of self-empowerment messages and lyrical platitudes, particularly on tracks such as Free to Love and Undefeated Champion. Too often, the songs feel built around slogans rather than memorable songwriting.
These upbeat, empowerment ‘anthems’ and would-be dance bangers tend to sound as though they could have been recorded by almost any female pop artist from any point in the last three decades.
They’re perfectly listenable as a background soundtrack to a party or a workout but offer little to grab onto or revisit. In fact, some of them feel like songs that may have worked better had they been delivered by Mel’s (former?) band.
Cashmere is a welcome change of mood, an understated ode to getting it on with her new lover, it takes its cues from late-90s Madonna and Kylie, complete with Eastern-inspired flourishes and
However, it’s when exploring the other side of the emotional coin that Mel convinces most. She has spoken about how some of the songwriting of the album was informed by the breakdown of her previous relationship, and it’s on these more reflective tracks that the album truly comes alive.
Honest and vulnerable’ Sporty sounds far more convincing than when she trying to be sexy or serve attitude. It also brings out a gentler and more pleasing tone to her voice.
Emotional Memory plays it straight with heartfelt lyrics, a lovely melody and subtle electro-pop backing, making it the album’s standout track for me.
One Track Mind works well too. With shades of Massive Attack and early Sugababes in its DNA, it’s hardly groundbreaking, but it’s pleasing on the ear and, crucially, feels real.
Of the more overt dance tracks, album closer Flick of the Wrist is a late surprise. It genuinely sounds sassy and compelling, with dark rave beats underscoring biting lyrics as Mel dismisses the no-good ex-lover. It’s one of the few moments where the attitude feels fully earned.
As an aside, I was also luckily enough to catch one of Mel’s exclusive mini live acoustic shows to the promote the album last month at Union Chapel in London – where she delivered a blinding nine song set (including a melody).
She performed a handful of tracks from ‘Sweat’, some solo classics like ‘I Turn to You’ and ‘Never Be the Same Again’, plus a couple of Spice bangers to keep us all happy. Clearly a perfectionist, Mel was beating herself up about her voice not doing what ‘it should’ – due to tiredness from a relentless week of promotion. She needn’t have worried though, her vocals were strong, impressive and on point.
Full of energy and moving like a woman half her age, she looked and sounded every bit the seasoned performer. With Sweat on course for a Top 3 chart debut — ultimately becoming her highest-charting solo album to date — she seemed genuinely grateful to still be doing what she loves. Her down-to-earth, sweary banter between songs only added to her likeability.
This performance neatly summed up Melanie C in 2025: hardworking, grounded and still capable of delivering when it matters. Sweat may not be a career-defining masterpiece, but it contains enough flashes of quality to remind us why she has enjoyed such longevity.
Reviewed by James Leon
