For her performance in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar as Mary Magdalene, Chisholm won Best Supporting Actress in a musical at the Whatsonstage.com Awards.
Melanie also has co-written 11 UK Number 1s - more than any other female artist independently or as part of a duo, quartet or quintet, being surpassed by Madonna in 2006.
Melanie started her music career in 1996 as one fifth of the world's biggest girl group, Spice Girls. During their reign of the 1990s, the girls scored nine number 1 singles in the UK, sold over 40 million albums worldwide and made their distinctive mark on pop culture. By 2000, that figure rose to 53 million and preceded the groups’ eventual disbandment as well as Melanie’s burgeoning solo career.
Embracing a new creative direction, her first solo endeavour was the Bryan Adams duet ‘When You’re Gone’, which reached the UK Top 3 and became a huge European hit. Setting the tone for her first ever debut solo album, ‘Northern Star’ followed in 1999 and peaked at Number 4. Spawning 2 Number 1 singles, it was certified triple platinum in the United Kingdom, Gold in Australia and platinum in Europe.
Her second solo album, the Top 5 hit ‘Reason’, followed in March 2003. Containing tracks produced by former New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander and Marius De Vries (Madonna, Rufus Wainright), it boasted a vibrant, coesive sound of increasing musical maturity and rapidly went Gold after the lead Top Ten single ‘Here It Comes Again’.
In early 2004, Melanie founded her own independent label Red Girl Records. So-called after her beloved Liverpool Football Club and propensity to blush easily, it provided undiluted artistic freedom and saw the release of ‘Beautiful Intentions’, Melanie’s third solo LP.
Songs were previewed before fans at a series a Barfly gigs in the summer of 2004 as Melanie became eager to encapsulate the 'live' feel of her new tracks and one such previewed track, Next Best Superstar , was decided as the first single. It scored a top ten hit for Melanie at the start of 2005 and second single Better Alone was released as a download and through the official online shop.
In late 2005, Melanie was asked to record the theme tune to German soap opera 'Julia'. The track, written by Guy Chambers and Enrique Iglesias entitled First Day Of My Life, was then released in Germany where it topped the charts and was certified platinum after selling a massive 400,000 copies. But its success didn't stop there, going on to be number 1 in Spain, Portugal and Austria, it became one of the biggest hits of the year. The huge success of the single reflected on album sales as Beautiful Intentions became certified gold in Germany and platinum in Portugal, where it stayed at number 1 for nine weeks.
In October 2006 Melanie released her first ever Live Hits DVD. Recorded before a sold-out audience at London’s The Bridge, it featured 19 blistering hit singles and showcased her talent as both a writer and live performer.
Fast forward to now and Melanie kicks off 2007 with the challenge of 2 new singles prior to the album release. In Europe, the lead single is ‘The Moment You Believe’ – a beautiful love song written with long-term collaborator Peter Vettese that’s already powering its way up many European airplay charts. "This Time" also features writing and production credits from Guy Chambers, Cathy Dennis, Steve Mac, Stephen Hague, Jill Jackson and two of her own band members Paul Gendler and Greg Hatwell. Melanie played many festivals across Europe during the summer, including the sold out Isle of Wight Festival.
Here, the UK single is a stellar reinvigoration of the 1982 hit ‘I Want Candy’. Produced by Stephen Hague (whose previous credits include New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Robbie Williams) it’s taken from the British film of the same name, which was heralded by Empire as “Fresh and funny a British American Pie”.
The videos for both singles were directed by Tim Royes and have attracted considerable attention. ‘The Moment You Believe’ was filmed in one continuos shot, while ‘I Want Candy’ sees Melanie dancing for the first time since the Spice Girls. As a result, it was the No.1 viewed video on You Tube the day it was added, gaining over 200,000 views.
In November 2007, Chisholm reunited with the Spice Girls for a Greatest Hits album release and a four-months world tour. When the tour reached its first two-day break, Chisholm performed an acoustic solo set at The Mint in Los Angeles on 6 December and another one in The Grand Ballroom in New York City. On the last show of the tour, Chisholm did her famous "Sporty Spice" backflip as a surprise to the fans, as well as the other Spice Girls. In February 2008 Chisholm returned to her solo career. She released her fourth album "This Time" in Canada on April 8 2008, followed by a full Canadian tour in May 2008. The first single was Carolyna. "Understand" was released as a second single in Canada on July 25th. The video was filmed largely in Toronto, but several live clips were included from her various Canadian performances as well.
On 22 August 2008, Melanie announced on her offical website she was pregnant and would start writing songs for her fifth studio-album.
In September 2011, she released her fifth solo album "The Sea". In September 2012, she released her sixth solo album "Stages", a collection of song covers from various musical theatre shows and films. In October 2016, she released her seventh solo album "Version of Me".
The Sea
Melanie C Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Losing my grip and I slip now he's pulling me under
Drowning in my old friend
Caught in the swell I have to keep my nerve
Swallow me whole
Your control leaves me dead in the water
Dead in the water
I catch my breath and wait for dawn
I catch my death I'm back for more
As the tides they bring me home
(Waves crashing down over me)
Feelings I should leave alone to the ocean
(Floating to the surface from the blue)
Like the sea as it leaves me cold
(Waves crashing down over me)
Your spirit has been overthrown and it's drowning
I am the one I am strong kept my head above water
Sailing away from you
Your love is like a hurricane
Devastating, wracked with pain
I won't be scared I'm not afraid
As the tides they bring me home
(Waves crashing down over me)
Feelings I should leave alone to the ocean
(Floating to the surface from the blue)
Like the sea as it leaves me cold
(Waves crashing down over me)
Your spirit has been overthrown and it's drowning
As the tides they bring me home
(Waves crashing down over me)
Feelings I should leave alone to the ocean
(Floating to the surface from the blue)
Like the sea as it leaves me cold
(Waves crashing down over me)
Your spirit has been overthrown and it's drowning
The song "The Sea" by Melanie C depicts the struggle of an individual who is caught in the whirlwind of an uneasy relationship. The lyrics show that the singer is filled with fear, losing her grip, and slipping while being pulled under by her partner. She feels like she is drowning in her friend, and she has to keep her nerve to stay afloat. The lines, "Swallow me whole, your control leaves me dead in the water," hint at the idea that the singer is becoming suffocated under the control of her partner, who leaves her feeling helpless.
The song continues with the singer being washed ashore on a stormy night and catching her breath while waiting for dawn. She is back for more, even though she knows it might be her death. In the chorus, the tides bring her home, while the waves of the sea are crashing over her. She realizes that her feelings are best left to the ocean and like the sea, she leaves her cold, pulling her away from her partner who is depicted as a hurricane, devastating and wracked with pain. The singer declares her strength, saying she won't be scared, and she sails away from her partner.
The song's lyrics and melody work together to evoke the feeling of being caught in a storm with crashing waves, and feelings that are too strong to be tamed, like the sea. The song talks about relationships that are destructive, leaving the singer feeling like they are drowning. The song suggests that the singer has been through a rough time, but they have found their strength, and they won't be scared anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
Filling with fear I'm getting cold again
I'm scared and starting to feel numb
Losing my grip and I slip now he's pulling me under
I'm losing control and he's dragging me down
Drowning in my old friend
I'm sinking in my familiar fears
Caught in the swell I have to keep my nerve
I'm stuck in the chaos, but I have to stay strong
Swallow me whole
I feel like I'm being consumed by my emotions
Your control leaves me dead in the water
Your power over me has left me helpless
Dead in the water
I feel like I'm not moving forward in life
Stormy night I'm washed ashore
I'm overwhelmed and need to rest
I catch my breath and wait for dawn
I need to pause and regroup
I catch my death I'm back for more
Even though it hurts, I keep returning to the pain
As the tides they bring me home (Waves crashing down over me)
The natural ebb and flow of life is bringing me back to my roots
Feelings I should leave alone to the ocean (Floating to the surface from the blue)
I shouldn't hold onto these emotions but they keep resurfacing
Like the sea as it leaves me cold (Waves crashing down over me)
I feel empty like the sea sometimes does
Your spirit has been overthrown and it's drowning
Your soul is struggling and suffering
I am the one I am strong kept my head above water
I am in control, I am resilient
Sailing away from you
I'm leaving you behind
Your love is like a hurricane (Devastating, wracked with pain)
Your love is intense and destructive
I won't be scared I'm not afraid
I am brave and won't let fear control me
Contributed by Makayla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.