For me, it is the least interesting debut overall, although it has some amazing tracks on it. I will never get tired of the singles (bar Lullaby) and Pack Your Shit and Feel Me Now are really good. The rest is dispendable and like you said, generic, unfortunately.

 

I think this might be the first time I've seen someone compliment Feel Me Now.

 

I might be too harsh on that one. Even though I just ranked it low, when I'm talking about songs that could have been handed to literally any r'n'b singer...I'm more referring to the three Teddy Riley tracks and Hell No.

 

I think the main little bit "and I could have had anyone...but you're the one..." is actually really pretty. Even though it reminds me a lot of slow jam Janet, I do think Jam n' Lewis made a genuine attempt to give Mel songs that played to her vocal abilities. It's not a Teddy Riley situation...where he insulted her singing ability after handing her songs that weren't right for her...and then just had background singers do a lot of heavy lifting (the session singers are a bit too present for me on the two Sisqo tracks too).

 

Plus...she probably needed to have a song referencing her legendary...libido. Lol.

 

If I'm remembering this correctly, only Feels So Good, Tell Me, Lullaby, and Feel Me Now actually have Mel's writing credits on them. I'm sure an album with her better collaborators...with all tracks co-written with her...would have made a much different, better album. Y'know. If she could be coaxed into sitting down and concentrating for that long...

 

I think this might be the first time I've seen someone compliment Feel Me Now.

 

I might be too harsh on that one. Even though I just ranked it low, when I'm talking about songs that could have been handed to literally any r'n'b singer...I'm more referring to the three Teddy Riley tracks and Hell No.

 

I think the main little bit "and I could have had anyone...but you're the one..." is actually really pretty. Even though it reminds me a lot of slow jam Janet, I do think Jam n' Lewis made a genuine attempt to give Mel songs that played to her vocal abilities. It's not a Teddy Riley situation...where he insulted her singing ability after handing her songs that weren't right for her...and then just had background singers do a lot of heavy lifting (the session singers are a bit too present for me on the two Sisqo tracks too).

 

Plus...she probably needed to have a song referencing her legendary...libido. Lol.

 

If I'm remembering this correctly, only Feels So Good, Tell Me, Lullaby, and Feel Me Now actually have Mel's writing credits on them. I'm sure an album with her better collaborators...with all tracks co-written with her...would have made a much different, better album. Y'know. If she could be coaxed into sitting down and concentrating for that long...

 

 

I didn't realise those were the ones she co-wrote, those are the best ones too, even Lullaby it's a sweet song just wasn't really right as a single. Only Hotter is as strong as those tracks, she should have been more involved in the album. Makes me wonder how much input she actually had into the Spice Girls music if she couldn't be bothered to be fully involved in her own material?

I didn't realise those were the ones she co-wrote, those are the best ones too, even Lullaby it's a sweet song just wasn't really right as a single. Only Hotter is as strong as those tracks, she should have been more involved in the album. Makes me wonder how much input she actually had into the Spice Girls music if she couldn't be bothered to be fully involved in her own material?

 

I've wondered before if how much the girls wrote of their solo work...is a good indicator of how much they contributed to the group writing.

 

If I'm not mistaken, Geri co-wrote everything of her own except her few covers. Mel C and Emma have co-written the vast majority of their original material outside the covers (and Mel C, of course, would have written the most material overall). If I'm remembering correctly, Victoria co-wrote all but three or four songs off her debut. And it's been a long time since I saw the credits for her second album sessions...but I'm pretty sure she co-wrote quite a lot of her pop material...including My Love Is For Real, Generate the Flow, Should Have Known Better, I'd Give It All Away, and Be With You. Don't quote me on that. But I'm pretty sure that's what I saw. Meanwhile, I don't think she co-wrote any of the Damon Dash stuff.

 

Anyway. To be totally fair to Mel B, she clearly had a moody collaborator in Teddy Riley and...while I don't know all that went on there...I don't know if them writing together was on the table. And what was she supposed to do? Turn down Teddy Riley songs? The guy wrote and produced some of the biggest hits of the 90s...including Michael Jackson classics. Also. Uh. With the exception of Today, Mel had a writing credit on the rest of LA State of Mind. Maybe not the best example...

 

 

 

I think Mel B has and always will be the Spice Girl who wants to always be a spice girl and her solo career was a side project where as the others it turned into their main focus.

 

I feel like Mel B would have released an album eventually but I feel she would have been more happy releasing spice stuff and just throwing out the odd single and collab than wanting to do a full on album campaign. I mean Mel C wouldn't have had her solo album released 6 weeks before a Spice album. She seemed peeved at the time that This Time's promo and era was cut short by the 2007 reunion and she was a flop by then.

I think Mel B has and always will be the Spice Girl who wants to always be a spice girl and her solo career was a side project where as the others it turned into their main focus.

 

I feel like Mel B would have released an album eventually but I feel she would have been more happy releasing spice stuff and just throwing out the odd single and collab than wanting to do a full on album campaign. I mean Mel C wouldn't have had her solo album released 6 weeks before a Spice album. She seemed peeved at the time that This Time's promo and era was cut short by the 2007 reunion and she was a flop by then.

 

I think this is probably true.

 

Mels B and C had such different ways they spoke about their solo music at the time Forever was released. In late 2000, I remember Mel C saying she was more proud of Northern Star than Forever...which is a completely understandable perspective. But. When you're talking about the work of a lot of people...that a record label spent a lot of money to produce...it probably isn't the best thing to blurt out unprovoked when the group album has JUST been released. On the flip side, Mel B readily admitted Forever was better than Hot in 2000.

 

I noticed Mel C brought up the This Time era being disrupted by the Return of the Spice Girls tour in one of her recent Q and As. I think she said something about her European record label being upset about it or something. I mean. The album wasn't doing so hot even before the tour announcement was made. I guess one could say her solo work got overshadowed by the tour. But you'd think the increased profile could have possibly helped her? I'm not sure the Carolyna and This Time singles were destined to set the charts on fire no matter when they were released...

I think this is probably true.

 

Mels B and C had such different ways they spoke about their solo music at the time Forever was released. In late 2000, I remember Mel C saying she was more proud of Northern Star than Forever...which is a completely understandable perspective. But. When you're talking about the work of a lot of people...that a record label spent a lot of money to produce...it probably isn't the best thing to blurt out unprovoked when the group album has JUST been released. On the flip side, Mel B readily admitted Forever was better than Hot in 2000.

 

I noticed Mel C brought up the This Time era being disrupted by the Return of the Spice Girls tour in one of her recent Q and As. I think she said something about her European record label being upset about it or something. I mean. The album wasn't doing so hot even before the tour announcement was made. I guess one could say her solo work got overshadowed by the tour. But you'd think the increased profile could have possibly helped her? I'm not sure the Carolyna and This Time singles were destined to set the charts on fire no matter when they were released...

 

 

Tbf Carolyna didn't do too bad in Europe it was a top 40 hit in Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland, (going top 10 in Italy and Portugal and top 20 in Germany Switzerland), but more importantly it was a big radio hit. This Time though I don't know what the thinking behind that one was, it's ok as an album track but as a single, especially when they had Understand, Your mistake, Protected even Already gone the B-side was vastly superior and more commercial!??

 

I suppose a solo tour of This Time in Europe would have helped it continue to sell as she was still quite high profile in Europe at the time, so I can understand the record label being a little annoyed, especially as this was an album they pushed for.

 

This time was such a bizarre single choice ! It was even revamped !

This Time the single was one of the biggest crimes of her career. It came after the reunion announcement so she was actually pretty sort after hot property, I remember her getting an interview on radio 1 and them playing it and Graham Norton having her on and playing a clip of the video and holding the single.

 

The video is terrible (I know it was in honour of someone but it is still terrible) and the song is dull. I think I'd have picked any song over it to be a single. It limping in the charts at 90 something with a cd and vinyl release was painful. I know IWC and Carolyna weren't smash hits but they did ok but This Time just bombed horribly with higher profile promo.

Edited May 24, 20205 yr by sammy01

This Time the single was one of the biggest crimes of her career. It came after the reunion announcement so she was actually pretty sort after hot property, I remember her getting an interview on radio 1 and them playing it and Graham Norton having her on and playing a clip of the video and holding the single.

 

The video is terrible (I know it was in honour of someone but it is still terrible) and the song is dull. I think I'd have picked any song over it to be a single. It limping in the charts at 90 something with a cd and vinyl release was painful. I know IWC and Carolyna weren't smash hits but they did ok but This Time just bombed horribly with higher profile promo.

 

 

I have to agree with every word tbh, TT has more publicity than either of the other two singles but it got what it deserved, definitely a weird choice for a single. For me Already Gone was just screaming to have been a single during that era and instead it was a B-side wtf :blink:

I like it!

"Hell No" has been my favourite for years now, I couldn't help but agree when someone once said this song was Mel B's "We Belong Together" :rofl:

 

By the way, there was another artist's album cover that used the same background as Hot. Do you guys remember which one was?

Mod Edit: Moved posts from Throwback (which was focusing on Tell Me's anniversary) to here.

 

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Tell Me is OK but all wrong as album launcher.

 

Feels So Good definitely was the right choice to launch, Virgin felt the same Mel B however wanted Tell Me.

 

 

I 100% agree with this tbh. Tell me is a good song and I really like it (as I did at the time) however Feels so good would have made more of an impact and given the album a better head start than Tell me did. The evidence is there when you see Feels so good outsold Tell me even after the album release.

 

I would have gone:

 

1. Feels so good

HOT release

2. Hotter

3. Tell me (probably wouldn't have been seen as so 'bitter' if it were not a lead focus, but also got the publicity as being a personal song)

4. Lullaby (I don't think any other song on the album would work as a single tbh, this as a double a-side with a new track would be best option)

I 100% agree with you Spiceboy. Feels So Good should have been the lead single. Hotter definitely should have been the second single released in the sunmer.

 

Most of Hot sounds like rejects given to her. Mel B deserved better material.

Mel B definitely deserved better solo material for her album.

 

For me, she had the best first 4 run of singles of the group. However the album as a whole just isnt very good unfortunately. It sounded rushed and like she was given the left over tracks from hot producers and you could tell..

 

She should have definitely led with Feels So Good but im not sure that Hotter would have done much. Probably with a single mix... Definitely not Lullaby as a single WTF :nono: releasing 2 weeks before Forever was WILD. What a waste...

 

I think you could tell that Virgin wanted to get rid of her. At the time, she mentioned that she wanted to find a more urban record label. Shame she never went that route, cos judging from I Want You Back, Word Up and some of the songs in the album, it would have really suited her.

Mel B always saw her solo career as a side project to the Spice Girls which is why it was all so half hearted. Forever took forever to come out as Melanie C was riding her solo success, she would never have released an album 6 weeks before Forever.

 

In some ways it is great Mel B was so dedicated to the band but it's a shame we never really got to see how good she could be as a solo artist. I want you back is top 3 solo Spice, it still sounds great. Also IWYB, word up, tell me, feels so good is such a great singles run.

Edited September 26, 20204 yr by sammy01

Mel B always saw her solo career as a side project to the Spice Girls which is why it was all so half hearted. Forever took forever to come out as Melanie C was riding her solo success, she would never have released an album 6 weeks before Forever.

 

In some ways it is great Mel B was so dedicated to the band but it's a shame we never really got to see how good she could be as a solo artist. I want you back is top 3 solo Spice, it still sounds great. Also IWYB, word up, tell me, feels so good is such a great singles run.

 

 

I agree with all of this.

Mel B always saw her solo career as a side project to the Spice Girls which is why it was all so half hearted. Forever took forever to come out as Melanie C was riding her solo success, she would never have released an album 6 weeks before Forever.

 

In some ways it is great Mel B was so dedicated to the band but it's a shame we never really got to see how good she could be as a solo artist. I want you back is top 3 solo Spice, it still sounds great. Also IWYB, word up, tell me, feels so good is such a great singles run.

 

This is so true. And the way she OWNED those Stadiums last year! You just know she would have been an incredible artist given a proper change!

 

I know the Throwback thread naturally leads to discussion based on the particular release being focused on, however I thought it would be a good idea to move some of the posts that were more about Hot overall, into the Hot thread! Probably a good idea to have this on the first page as we approach the album's 20th anniversary anyway!

Mel B really could have thrived as a solo artist from 2003-2007 when rnb and hip-hop was dominating the charts. An album in the same vein as Nelly Furtado's Loose would have been great for Mel. Imagine her singing Maneater or Promiscuous.

Hey does anyone know what happened between Mel and Sisqo? Why was there bad blood between them? :blink:

'HOT' streaming party this week to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary

 

Who's in and what day and time would suit everybody?

 

Happy to do this both here and for fans to do a tweet-along on Twitter

 

#HotStreamingParty :)

Edited October 10, 20204 yr by Spice Girls Net