Melanie C

by Melanie C

Overview

Four years after hinting at taking a more pop-focused direction, British singer/songwriter Melanie C finally took it to the dancefloor with her declarative eighth album, Melanie C. Without missing a beat, she took inspiration from her bold collaboration with drag collective Sink the Pink -- the LGBTQ Pride anthem "High Heels" -- embracing her fun, glam side with a tight collection of empowering dance anthems and defiant, R&B-inspired moments of introspection. Arguably the most skilled singer in the Spice Girls, her earthy vocals put a distinctive stamp on these tracks, which could also perfectly serve artists like Kylie Minogue or Dua Lipa. Setting her above any standard pop fluff, her lyrics concerning personal growth and existential epiphanies add substance and depth to the set. From the outset, she declares "I've got nothing left to hide/I'm comfortable with what's inside" on the rousing "Who I Am." Atop urgent, Robyn-styled synths, she confesses "when I look in the mirror/I finally like what I see" and "I'm ready to drop my armor." To hear a much-loved public figure make such realizations 25 years into a storied career is nothing short of inspirational. The edgy club track "Blame It on Me," the tribal march of "Here I Am," and the retro-dance-funk whirlwind "Good Enough" follow in the same pumped-up motivational vein. Elsewhere, she offers some time to breathe on moments like the woozy, mantra-packed "Escape" and the atmospheric yet ominous "Nowhere to Run." When Melanie C isn't encouraging self-confidence through personal reflection, she turns her gaze outward, bolstering self-worth and standing tall in the face of critics and detractors on the disco-funked "Overload," the sparkling "In and Out of Love," and the slinky, jazzed-up duet with English rapper Nadia Rose, "Fearless." Even on the moving closer, "End of Everything," she manages to spin a harrowing turning point into an opportunity for strength, delivering the strongest vocals on the album as she steps out on her own with head held high. It's a wonder how it took this long for her to make such an unabashed pop album and, with the addition of her emotional insight, her catalog is all the better for it. Relatable and reinvigorated, the catchy and confessional Melanie C is not only a reboot for the artist's sound, but a rebirth for the icon herself. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	10/23/2020
Label:	Red Girl Media / Red Girl Records / Universal
UPC:	0192641069468

Tracks

1. Who I Am
2. Blame It on Me
3. Good Enough
4. Escape
5. Overload
6. Fearless
7. Here I Am
8. Nowhere to Run
9. In and Out of Love
10. End of Everything

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Melanie C   Primary Artist
Jonty Howard   Guitar,Synthesizer
Nadia Rose   Featured Artist
Darren Lewis   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar,Keyboards,Bas Dessus
Joe Murphy   Bass,Drums,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Joe Goddard   Remixing,Remix Engineer
Emma Bunton   Composer
Future Cut   Composer
Tom Neville   Composer
Rick Nowels   Composer
Rui Da Silva   Composer
Ten Ven   Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Jonathan Howard   Composer
Samuel Brennan   Composer
Shura   Composer
Nadia Rose   Composer
Aleksandra Denton   Composer
PBH & Jack   Remixing,Remix Engineer
Benjamin Garrett   Composer
Niamh Murphy   Composer
Rhett Lawrence   Composer
Todd Terry   Remix Engineer
Richard "Biff" Stannard   Composer
Melanie B   Composer
Geri Halliwell   Composer
Gary Kemp   Composer
Victoria Beckham   Composer
Ash Howes   Composer
Alex Metric   Producer
Sacha Skarbek   Composer
Bryn Christopher   Composer
Iyiola Babalola   Composer
Moto Blanco   Remixing
Paul F. Cruz   Composer
Tom Hollings   Composer
Cassandra Fox   Composer
Melanie Chisholm   Composer
Rae Morris   Composer
Jonny Lattimer   Composer
Lorenzo Martin   Composer
Andy Atkins   Composer
Darren Emilio Lewis   Composer
George Reid   Composer
Babatunde Babalola   Composer
Sasha Scarbeck   Composer
Billen Ted   Producer,Remix Engineer,Instrumentation
Lisa Lopes   Composer
Nick Reach Up   Remix Engineer
Karim Naas   Remix Engineer
Poppy Bascombe   Composer
Philip Sinden   Photography
Paul Wilson   Composer,Composer
Poppy Baskcomb   Composer
Poppy Baskomb   Composer
Paul O'Duffy   Composer
Joseph Murphy   Composer
Billy Steinberg   Composer