Melanie C on her aborted trip to PH and challenge of releasing new music in these times

Melanie C

Melanie C has a “love-hate relationship” with social media.

Although it has become an indispensable tool for music artists nowadays, she feels that navigating the digital space can be quite tricky, especially when it comes to striking a right balance between what to share and what not to with the public.

“When I first got on Twitter, I was in a honeymoon phase and got obsessed with it. But then, for artists, it can be really strange, because there’s lots of pressure for you to market yourself in all these platforms,” the British singer-songwriter told the Inquirer in a recent virtual interview.

“Especially for young artists, it can be hard to figure out what’s your private life or public life. The line is being blurred,” added Melanie C, who burst onto the scene in the ’90s as a member of Spice Girls, one of the most successful and influential groups in pop culture.

But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdowns that ensued, and the impact they had on the music industry, Melanie C started to really appreciate the value of social media. She became more visible online, doing live Q&A sessions with fans and playing DJ sets at home.

“But during this pandemic I felt compelled to reveal more, whether it be about my home, my life or personality, because I just felt like we needed each other. We need that connection to get through this hard stuff,” she said.

The 46-year-old artist is currently promoting her eighth album, “Melanie C,” which has been earning raves from critics, like The Guardian, which hailed it as “her best work” yet. Featuring the songs “Who I Am,” and “Blame It On Me,” the album revels in dance, electronic-inspired pop beats, and delves into such themes as self-discovery and acceptance.

The current restrictions meant drastic changes to planned promo rollout. With live shows and travel still discouraged, including an aborted stop here in the Philippines, Melanie C and her team were forced to come up with new ways to generate buzz for the album.

Instead of doing a normal launch, Melanie C did a series of live-streamed events, including “Colour and Light,” which had her performing tracks from her self-titled record.

“We had to get really creative: How do you promote an album when you can’t tour and travel? ‘Colour and Light’ was lovely. I love performing new songs,” she said. “I also did a session where I did a meet-and-greet with fans. I spoke to 100 of them before the show. It’s great to have that connection with people.

It can be really hard performing just in front of a camera,” she pointed out. “But that really helped.”

Our Q&A with Melanie C:

How are you doing?

What a strange year. It has been very difficult. I had a trip to the Philippines planned this year. But like any other trip, it had to be moved. So I hope to get to you, guys, when it’s safe to do so. Hopefully, come next year, we can all start getting back to some sort of normalcy.

Your album is getting great reviews. It must be difficult releasing new music in these times.

It’s amazing. I’m so pleased.

My first single, “Who I Am,” was released a few weeks before we went on lockdown here in the United Kingdom. And I did wonder if I was doing the right thing. I worked very hard creating this album, so I didn’t want to let it kind of disappear. But I also didn’t want to be doing something inappropriate by promoting something when the world is in such turmoil.

But what I have realized in hindsight is that the album has a positive nature—about self-empowerment and positivity. It’s also a dance-inspired pop record. So now, I feel like it actually came at a really good time. And a lot of my fans have responded so well to having new music, something to distract them from everything that has been going on. I’m glad I released it.

Your online show “Color and Light” turned out well. What was it like not having that energy from the crowd?

You know, what was hard was actually speaking, because I love interacting with an audience. But when you’re singing, you can get lost in the performance. So those in between bits just felt really strange. I would just remember who was out there, who was really watching, and that helped me make that connection.

Can you imagine having social media back in the 1990s, during the peak of Spice Girls?

I’m grateful social media didn’t exist back then; that people didn’t have phones with cameras!

However, when I think about it now everything we did back then was followed by a documentary crew anyway. You were never not being observed. When you’re in a pop band like the Spice Girls, things can get intrusive—there really aren’t a lot of places where you can hide.

The album talks about self-empowerment, discovery. And in the song “Who I Am,” you talked about finally liking what you see when you stand in front of a mirror. How was that journey?

It took too long. And I have been in this voyage to self-discovery for quite a while now.

When I look back to when I was a kid, I believe that that is who I really am. When we’re young, we are who we are, the essence of who we truly are. But maybe through our teen years and early 20s, we start to get influenced by everything around us—our friends, people’ expectations and our expectations of ourselves. And I think we can get lost in that a little bit.

I had this persona as a Spice Girl and I wanted to move away from that. I wanted to be seen as an individual. So you spend a lot of time trying to be different, trying to be someone else. But when I returned on stage as Sporty Spice last year (for the reunion tour), I realized that that’s me. That’s part of who I am and it was time to embrace that part of my life—every aspect. That was empowering.

Becoming a mom was really important as well, having a little girl (Scarlet, 11).

We have to give ourselves some credit.

We all endure so much in our lives, especially at this moment when life is hard and there are a lot of things we’re concerned in. We need to give ourselves a break. I think we’re too hard on ourselves so I want to celebrate people celebrating themselves. That’s what the album means to me.

Did you want to change your image after the Spice Girls, as you pursued a solo career?

I was kind of frustrated and even kind of rebellious. I cut my hair short, did rock-inspired music. I just felt like I had a departure to be taken seriously. But it’s nice to be back doing this kind of music, I think it really suits me. Right now, dance-inspired pop is good for me.

You have dabbled in other genres. But what’s your favorite?

It has continued to evolve, but in some ways, I have gone back to basics … But the pop-electronic one … that’s the kind I find myself revisiting the most.

You’re the member with the most extensive catalogue post-Spice Girls. Did you really set your mind to it, that it’s going to be music all the way?

There had been times when I questioned what I wanted to do. I have done some theater and I have done some radio and television work. But nothing gives me the same amount of pleasure than making music and performing it live with a band. It’s something I really want to do forever. I’m still doing it, eight albums in.

Has your idea of success changed?

There are different levels of success. Of course, we look at the album sales, chart positions and commercial success. But for me, personally, it’s important to love your work. Success is producing something you’re happy with. I think making an album and being an artist for this long is an achievement in itself. So yes, there are different ways to look at success.

What are your upcoming plans for the new album? Will a tour be possible?

The plan is to tour. I have European dates booked for spring next year. But we will see whether the world is ready for that! And I just want to travel internationally. I have an incredible fan base overseas and I love performing for them. If I can wish anything for 2021, it would be to bring this album on the road.

Melanie C

Like I have said, I was supposed to come over to the Philippines to do some promo. But hopefully next year.

How much do you miss playing a live gig?

So much! I feel like it’s draining my soul, not being able to do it. It’s hard. But with dates organized for next year—even if they end up getting moved—at least that gives me something to look forward to … a light at the end of the tunnel. INQ