Loving the artwork and I'm excited, but gosh it's over half a year to wait for it lol (29 weeks from today).

20 minutes ago, -Jay- said:

Loving the artwork and I'm excited, but gosh it's over half a year to wait for it lol (29 weeks from today).

Well, last time around people said that she should have put up the album for pre-order as soon as Who I Am was released, so seems like she's doing the right thing this time.

True, she took a while with that last time. 29th July 2020 was the previous album's announcement date, with the era beginning with Who I Am on 19th March. Which was more or less 19 weeks of promoting the era before anyone could start ordering the album. The release date came after about 9 weeks of pre-orders. I can't say it didn't work out in the end considering she got to #8 in the UK, although we could speculate that anyone who was casually engaged with the era during the Who I Am and Blame It on Me releases should have had the option to pre-order at those points.

It's the right move to have album pre-orders go up alongside the first single this time, it's just that 7 months overall is quite excessive between launch & release date. It'll be interesting to see how she stretches the era out over that period of time. Going to assume at least 4 songs released in the run up to it (whether they're all proper singles, or some are just promotional singles, we shall also have to wait and see).

Melanie has a distribution deal for this era with Virgin Music Group!

We also know that there'll be a cassette format for this album, it briefly appeared on a German store.

Has the album release date been leaked? Because Melanie hasn't officially announced anything on her social media profiles yet.

On 10/10/2025 at 15:17, -Jay- said:

It's the right move to have album pre-orders go up alongside the first single this time, it's just that 7 months overall is quite excessive between launch & release date.

It's not that uncommon. For example, Tom Grennan announced his new album in late January, and it came out in mid-August.

18 minutes ago, Babyboy said:

Has the album release date been leaked? Because Melanie hasn't officially announced anything on her social media profiles yet.

Yes. Unfortunately, nosey and selfish fans leaked the artwork and the release date instead of letting Melanie announce it herself.

Edited October 11Oct 11 by VampFan

Back with Virgin? Never thought I’d see the day!???

39 minutes ago, Spiceboy said:

Back with Virgin? Never thought I’d see the day!???

Virgin Music Group shouldn't be confused with Virgin Records. They are two completely different entities. Virgin Music Group isn't a record label; it just acts as a distributor for independent record labels - in this case, Red Girl.

I’m guessing they are both owned by Virgin though, similar to how EMI was a branch of Virgin too?

They are both owned by Universal, although Virgin was rebranded as EMI a few years ago.

Will be interesting to see what benefits come from Melanie C having a distributor in the UK!

https://scenestr.com.au/music/first-listen-melanie-c-s-new-single-sweat-20251017

Before she became Melanie C of the Spice Girls (Sporty Spice), Melanie Chisholm was swept up in the UK’s burgeoning ‘90s rave scene – and her new single ‘Sweat’ (and album of the same name) is a love letter to those formative days.

‘Sweat’ is an invitation to party, to find community on the dance floor, and to rediscover joy in a dark world. Decades after dancing through the Costa Brava rave scene of the early ‘90s, Melanie C channels that same raw energy. The upcoming ninth studio album is her most euphoric to date.

Currently lighting up Australian screens as a coach on ‘The Voice Australia’, Melanie filmed the ‘Sweat’ music video, and press shots, down under.

The album was recorded between London, Stockholm and Los Angeles.

“I’ve done a lot of soul-searching,” Melanie C says. “Now I just want to have some fun and get people dancing again.”

From the outset, ‘Sweat’ captures the spirit of a generation which 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.”

In 2018, a chance invitation to DJ at a queer club night, Sink The Pink, reignited Melanie’s connection to dance culture. Soon enough, she was spinning at Ibiza institutions like Pacha and Cafe Mambo, and commanding festival crowds across the globe.

The new album unites every part of Melanie C’s story: the athlete, the pop icon, the underground DJ, and the teenager in love with rave culture.

“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.”

‘Sweat’ Track Listing

1. Sweat

2. Drum Machine

3. WCPGW

4. Til’ It Breaks

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

Melanie C’s single ‘Sweat’ is out now. The album is released 1 May, 2026.

Edited October 17Oct 17 by VampFan

Melanie C - Sweat | Rough Trade...

Melanie C - Sweat | Rough Trade - (LP - Opaque Orange, LP...

Discover Sweat by Melanie C on Red Girl label. A love letter to '90s rave scene, fusing past and present. Vinyl records exclusive.

Orange LP, Black LP and CD

https://melaniec.tmstor.es/

I am sure there will be other 'exclusives' too...

The song is terrible so for now, I wont be buying anything from this campaign unless she releases better music. I will listen to the album when it goes on streaming though, I could see it working as a whole body of work if she goes the Confessions or Renaissance way where all the songs flow together.

22 minutes ago, ilovepollo said:

https://melaniec.tmstor.es/

I think I'm gonna grab a bundle with signed vinyl and a Sweat T-Shirt for when I'm at my running club!

Decided to hold off on the Tshirt for now, wait and see if it reduces first!

I think I’m just gonna buy the orange signed LP. I’m not really into this era, so…

HMV has an exclusive CD and Opaque Orange Vinyl, and Amazon has an exclusive signed CD too...

I will try and update the original post with all the variants soon