Mel C on overcoming depression, eating disorder and low self-esteem
Melanie C
During their peak in the 1990s, the Spice Girls had to deal with the paparazzi and, at times, became fodder for tabloids. Still, Melanie C is thankful that she and the rest of the girls didn’t have to be subjected to the magnifying lens that’s social media.
“We were young, and we were going out. We were having fun and we were making mistakes. And they were not documented. Of course, we had to deal with paparazzi. But I just feel for young artists these days, because they’re so exposed,” the singer told the British newspaper Daily Star.
With social media, Mel C feels that up-and-coming talents have “nowhere to hide anymore.”
“When you’re young, you do silly things you don’t want the world to know,” related Mel C, who, together with Melanie B, Victoria Beckham, Geri Haliwell and Emma Bunton, comprised one of the biggest girl groups of all time.
But that’s not to say that they had it easier back then.
“We didn’t have social media, but at the time, the UK tabloid media was difficult,” she told the Irish radio program “Brendan O’Connor Show.” “That seems to have eased now, but I think every generation has new things to deal with.”
And being under that kind of scrutiny does, at some point, take its toll on one’s mental health.
“I remember reading a lot of things about myself, which were very hurtful. Some of the language they used, they’d never get away with now,” observed Mel C, who first put out a solo record in 1999.
“[There’s a] huge life change that comes with becoming well-known in the public eye. There was a lot of traveling, being under pressure to perform… There was a lot for us to deal with as young people,” Mel C added. “Unfortunately, some of the aspects of that I did find quite difficult to deal with.”
In fact, one of her newest singles, “Who I Am,” was inspired by her own internal struggles and how she rose above them.
“I have had depression over the years. And when I was younger, I suffered from an eating disorder. When you finally allow yourself to be proud of some of the difficulties you had overcome, then you can find that place where you can start liking yourself a bit more,” she related. “Reach out to people. It really helps to get it all off your chest.”
