News: Melanie C Announces New Album ‘Sweat’ And 2026 London Show
3 min read
Before she became Mel C of the Spice Girls, she was Melanie Chisholm of “The F**king Yeah Four”, a group of 18-year-old friends dancing through the Costa Brava rave scene in the early ’90s. Those nights of breakbeats, sweat and freedom would shape her forever. Decades later, Melanie C channels that same raw energy into Sweat – her ninth studio album and most euphoric record to date, due for release on May 1, 2026 via Virgin Music Group. A special show at O2 Academy Brixton show has also just been announced and Melanie will be hosting a live Q&A on Instagram ahead of the ‘Sweat’ video premiere today at 4pm.
Announced today with the album’s title track and lead single, ‘Sweat’, is an irresistible electro-house banger primed that samples Diana Ross’s ‘Work That Body’ and channels vintage workout video energy. “Sports, raving, finding joy – these elements are such a huge part of my personality,” she explains. “What works in the club works in the gym – there’s a real crossover.”
Recorded between London, Stockholm and LA, Sweat is a celebration of joy, movement and community – a fusion of Melanie C’s pop legacy and her more recent evolution as a DJ. “I’ve done a lot of soul-searching,” she says. “Now I just want to have some fun and get people dancing again.”
Sweat captures the spirit of a generation that 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.” It’s an album that remembers the joy and the ache.
In 2018, a chance invitation to DJ at queer club night Sink The Pink reignited Chisholm’s connection to dance culture. Within a year, she was spinning at Ibiza institutions like Pacha and Café Mambo, and commanding festival crowds across the globe. “I love being able to mix anything I want, you can take things apart and build them again, just like in life.” That same year, she rejoined the Spice Girls for their landmark 2019 reunion tour, culminating in three sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium.
With Sweat, Melanie C unites every part of her story: the athlete, the pop icon, the underground DJ, and the teenager who fell in love with rave culture. It’s a record about resilience and joy in dark times. “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.”
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON SHOW – OCTOBER 23, 2026 TICKETS HERE
Tracklist:1. Sweat
2. Drum Machine
3. WCPGW
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
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