Melanie C is going back to her roots – and spicing up her solo career with a major new label deal. The former Spice Girls singer (full name Melanie Chisholm) has announced a partnership with Virgin Music Group to release her upcoming music, including a brand-new album slated for 2026. This move reunites Melanie with the label that helped launch her to global fame in the ‘90s, marking what she calls a true homecoming.
“I’m thrilled to be releasing my new music with Virgin Music Group,” Melanie C said in a statement. “It feels like a homecoming after the successes we shared working together with Spice Girls and my first two solo albums.” The deal is in collaboration with her own independent imprint, Red Girl Records, and positions Melanie’s ninth studio album for an international rollout. The project will kick off with a dance-infused lead single titled “Sweat”, which doubles as the album’s name. Recorded between Stockholm and Los Angeles, “Sweat” even samples Diana Ross’s classic “Work That Body”– hinting at an energetic, retro twist to Sporty Spice’s new sound.
Executives at Virgin are equally excited to welcome Melanie back. “Melanie is such a unique force of nature… we are thrilled to welcome her into the Virgin family,” said Vanessa Bosåen, President of Virgin Music Group UK, praising the singer’s enduring star power. The partnership reflects Virgin’s strategy of artist-led deals, giving Melanie creative control while tapping into the label’s global reach. For Melanie C, it’s the start of an exciting new chapter – one that builds on her pop legacy and brings her career full-circle to the label that was there from the Spice beginning.
