Melanie C Brings the Heat to Kingston
Melanie C Brings the Heat to Kingston
The singer is touring with her new album ‘SWEAT’
Kingston is about to get seriously sweaty. As Melanie C gears up to release her new studio album SWEAT on 1 May, the town finds itself firmly on her radar: not once, but twice. With an intimate appearance in May and a return visit in September, Kingston offers fans a chance to experience this new era up close before it explodes onto bigger stages later in the year.
It’s a fitting launchpad for a record built on connection, movement and immediacy. Because while SWEAT will thunder through major venues come autumn, its DNA is rooted in something far more visceral: the dancefloor. “I wasn’t thinking so much about people sitting at home having a listen,” Melanie says. “It was about them being on the dancefloor… wanting to motivate and inspire people.”
That ethos pulses through every track. After decades at the top of British pop, first as one-fifth of the Spice Girls, then as a solo artist, Melanie C has entered a new creative phase, one shaped as much by DJ booths as recording studios, having played global festivals and holding a residency at Ibiza’s Pacha. The result is an album that feels liberated, physical and euphoric.
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“So many things have changed,” she explains. “Every album I’ve ever made has been a reflection of that moment in my life… and this felt like the time to really put all of those pieces together.” Those pieces stretch back further than many might expect. Long before stadium tours and chart dominance, there was a teenage Melanie discovering rave culture for the first time. “We were in Spain… and we were like, what is this music? Everybody’s so free when they’re dancing.” That sense of collective release left a lasting impression.
With SWEAT, she returns to that feeling, but through a distinctly modern lens. The album draws on multi-genre house and electronic influences, mirroring the sounds she now spins as a DJ. It’s also deeply tied to her identity as a performer. “I wanted to create the music that I want to bring to life on stage,” she says. And stagecraft has always been central to her appeal. The physicality, the energy, the unmistakable drive, traits that earned her the “Sporty Spice” moniker, are embraced here with a knowing wink. “I don’t have to live up to anything,” she says. “I am very energetic.”
That spirit is perhaps best captured in the album’s title track, which she describes as a “fitness banger” – playful, punchy, and designed to get bodies moving. Elsewhere, songs like Undefeated Champion lean into empowerment, offering the kind of emotional lift that has long defined her connection with audiences. “It’s one of my anthems of self-empowerment,” she says. Crucially, Kingston audiences will be among the first to experience this material live in an intimate setting. These smaller shows, alongside her UK-wide in-store tour, offer a different kind of access. In October, Melanie embarks on her headline tour, including a date at O2 Academy Brixton. For an artist three decades into her career, it marks a significant milestone. “I feel quite emotional about it,” she admits. “I’ve never played there as a solo artist… and at this point in my career, that means so much.
Yet even as she prepares for those larger stages, it’s clear that the intimacy of places like Kingston holds a special appeal. After years of fans travelling the world to see her perform, she’s relishing the chance to meet them where they are. “It’s really nice to be able to get to people locally,” she says. “To share that experience with them.” Asked to sum it all up, she says: “Joyous. Energetic. Fun.”
