It’s been 30 years since the Spice Girls first topped the charts with their hit 1996 single “Wannabe.”
When the UK Royal Mint released a commemorative coin in March to celebrate, it credited the iconic girl group with defining ‘90s pop culture.
Singer-songwriter Melanie C, also known as Sporty Spice, is still keeping busy. She’s a mom, a DJ and a solo artist. Her ninth studio album, “Sweat,” is out Friday.
Melanie C said she’s been finding joy and resilience on the dance floor even when life feels heavy. She said girl power has evolved in the decades since the Spice Girls formed, but it’s as beautiful as ever.
“I witness in my daughter a generation, knowing her friends, of young women, that are very outspoken and have no doubt they can go out and do whatever they want in the world,” Melanie C said. “It’s lovely that the Spice Girls kind of were the poster girls through this beautiful movement that was already happening and making it more digestible for younger people.”
It’s been 30 years since the Spice Girls came onto the scene in 1996. How does that feel?
“It feels amazing. And I think the most exciting part for us girls is we meet young people — and I mean really young people, like 5-year-olds — who are just discovering the Spice Girls. And for us, it’s probably the proudest thing of everything we’ve done, is this beautiful legacy that we’ve left. And yet 30 years has gone by in a blink of an eye. But [I’m] so, so proud of everything we’ve achieved.”
What do you think of young children joining the fandom now?
“I remember back in the ‘90s, because when we started to release music, the record label [was] really surprised at how young the fanbase started. And I think the color and the energy and the chaos really appealed to very young people, and it’s just been beautiful to see that continue.”
As the mother of a teenager, what advice do you have about motherhood?
“Parenthood, isn’t it the most difficult thing? You know, being a mom is the hardest job that I have. I have several jobs, but it’s also the most rewarding.
“I think my advice to new moms would be, trust your instincts. I remember when I had Scarlett in 2009, there was a big push toward having routines and sleep training and all these things. And I tried those things. But I think every baby is so different. They have their own personality. And my daughter does what she wants when she wants. She did as a baby. She does as a 17-year-old.
“And I had to just give up. I had to give up because it was stressing me out. She wasn’t doing all the things. And the minute I allowed her to do her thing, and for me to let go of the expectations and listen to my instinct, the whole thing became more pleasurable.
“So, I say, ‘don’t put pressure on yourself’ because it doesn’t last forever. Those weeks and months when they’re not sleeping or feeding at the right times, I think you’ve just got to go with the flow. Just be in the moment.”
Your past songs with the Spice Girls often focused on friendship and sisterhood. What kind of vibe are you going for with this album?
“This album has been so much fun to work on because what I was trying to achieve was this world where all of my passions came together. So, I’ve been DJing for about eight years, and I play a lot of house music. I DJ over in Ibiza and festivals all over the world.
“But as a musician and a solo artist, I’m very much a pop singer and songwriter. So, I just wanted to try to bring those worlds close together, try and express the joy that I’m having right now, being out there performing, DJing and just living my best life. And I think I’ve achieved it.”
You are fully embracing Sporty Spice here. This album feels like a workout soundtrack. So how are you thinking about body acceptance in a time when there’s so much emphasis on social media, about weight loss drugs and skinny culture?
“I feel like in the ‘90s there was a real aesthetic that people were trying to aspire to. And it was a big time for heroin chic. And, you know, we got to a point with culture where we became so much more celebratory of all different shapes and sizes because not every person can look a certain way. And I love now, you know, being strong is celebrated, being curvy is celebrated.
“And then, of course, we do have these weight loss drugs which do incredible things for people that need them for medical reasons. But I think, as humans and the way we consume things with social media, sometimes things do get abused. And it’s a shame because I just felt like we were gathering pace in a really positive way… I think my feed is lots of people taking collagen and creatine and hydrating and things like that. So yeah, I think there’s never a quick fix.”
There are a lot of hard things that girls and women face right now: income inequality, sexual violence, war. Why not make music that’s more political?
“I’ve been alive for 52 years, so I’ve seen lots of different things happening. And it feels like a particularly troublesome time at the moment. And in times like that, sometimes it feels like, ‘Wow, is my music frivolous?’
“And then I just thought, ‘You know what? When things are difficult out there in the real world on a global scale, music is important and being able to step away from that,’ you know?
“That’s what I love so much about club culture. We all work so hard, and it’s a great way to have a release. I think humans need release. And for me, music has always given that to me. So, I feel really good about releasing an album which is upbeat and fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. And I’ve never really seen myself as a political artist. I obviously have my political beliefs. And when I make music, I want to do it more for entertainment than for expressing my political opinions.”
You have your own solo tour coming up this fall. There had also been hopes from fans that there would be a Spice Girls 30th reunion tour, but you squashed those rumors in some interviews earlier this year. What do you think it would take to get everyone back together again?
“I think it’s just a matter of time. To be honest with you, we are constantly talking. We always have lovely opportunities that come up, and we discuss everything, and we’re just waiting to all agree on exactly what we want to do. And I think the issue thus far has been so precious to us, and we just want to make sure whatever we do, it’s the best thing.”
Do you have any other life goals that you want to achieve?
“I absolutely love what I do. I hope I can keep doing this. Obviously, you kind of have to adapt a little bit as you get older, but continue making music, continue playing live, DJing and traveling all over the world. You know, one of the things I’m so grateful for being a Spice Girl is we had international success, and I love to travel. We have fans everywhere. And it’s so incredible to be able to see those people we’ve known for 30 years. So yeah, more of the same is what I would like.”
This interview was edited for clarity.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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