Melanie C has been feeling nostalgic lately, and it’s easy to see why: last spring, she reunited with her fellow Spice Girls for a blockbuster U.K./Ireland stadium tour that celebrated all things ’90s.
In the fall, her solo debut, Northern Star, turned 20 years old. But she’s also been doing plenty of self-reflection as she readies her next studio album — and takes that idea to literal extremes with her latest video.
In the clip for new single “Who I Am,” the pop legend strolls through a kind of Sporty Spice museum, gazing at old photos and living sculptures that celebrate her most iconic moments as she sings about finally finding comfort in her own skin.
The sparkling dance track, a follow-up to last year’s anthemic “High Heels,” is a full-circle moment behind the scenes as well: Mel co-wrote the song with Richard “Biff” Stannard, a longtime collaborator who famously had a hand in many of the Spice Girls’ biggest hits, from “Wannabe” to “2 Become 1.”
Reflecting on the past hasn’t always easy been easy for the singer, who told Billboard last year that she was initially anxious about the emotions and memories a Spice Girls reunion would bring up.
“Through the years, we’ve often talked about getting back together, and part of me was nervous because it would mean revisiting things that were quite painful,” she said. “But now we’re a little bit older, and being a mum as well, I’m in a different phase in my life. I just feel more and more proud of everything we’ve achieved. When you have success as a young person in the industry, you’re so overworked, you’re in survival mode.
“I don’t think you ever have time to fully appreciate what you’re doing. It’s cathartic to go back and celebrate all the success that we’ve had. It’s strange how long it took for me to feel brave enough.”
Watch the video for “Who I Am” below.