First Listen: Melanie C’s New Single ‘Sweat’

Before she became Mel C of the Spice Girls (Sporty Spice), Melanie Chisholm was swept up in the UK’s burgeoning ‘90s rave scene – and her new single ‘Sweat’ (and album of the same name) is a love letter to those formative days.

Melanie C - Image © Charles Dennington

‘Sweat’ is an invitation to party, to find community on the dance floor, and to rediscover joy in a dark world. Decades after dancing through the Costa Brava rave scene of the early ‘90s, Melanie C channels that same raw energy. The upcoming ninth studio album is her most euphoric to date.

Currently lighting up Australian screens as a coach on ‘The Voice Australia’, Melanie filmed the ‘Sweat’ music video, and press shots, down under.

The album was recorded between London, Stockholm and Los Angeles.

“I’ve done a lot of soul-searching,” Melanie C says. “Now I just want to have some fun and get people dancing again.”


From the outset, ‘Sweat’ captures the spirit of a generation which found itself on the dance floor.

“When we were young every weekend we’d go out dancing all night long,” she recalls. “In a room of friendly strangers we found the place where we belong.”

In 2018, a chance invitation to DJ at a queer club night, Sink The Pink, reignited Melanie’s connection to dance culture. Soon enough, she was spinning at Ibiza institutions like Pacha and Cafe Mambo, and commanding festival crowds across the globe.

The new album unites every part of Melanie C’s story: the athlete, the pop icon, the underground DJ, and the teenager in love with rave culture.

“There are so many horrific things going on in the world, when you make pop and dance music, it can seem almost churlish. But music is what gets me through tough moments. I’m really happy I am bringing out a joyful record at a very dark time.”

‘Sweat’ Track Listing

1. Sweat
2. Drum Machine
3. WCPGW
4. Til’ It Breaks
5. Pressure
6. Emotional Memory
7. Attitude
8. Good For Nothing
9. Undefeated Champion
10. Cashmere
11. Free To Love
12. One Track Mind
13. Flick Of The Wrist

Melanie C’s single ‘Sweat’ is out now. The album is released 1 May, 2026.

This story originally appeared on our sister site, scenestr.