Why have you called your solo album 'Hot'?

I actually don't know why I've called it 'Hot'! I think because, you know, it's just full of energy, literally, full of hot energy, the whole album.

It's been two years since 'I Want You Back' - how has the album come together since then? Well, when I did 'I Want You Back' I was on tour and I literally got a call from Missy saying 'Melanie I've got this track for you,' da da da, and I wasn't even thinking of doing any kind of solo project. So after I did that I thought mmm, I quite like the idea of you know singing and going down that kind of route. I had a word with the girls and it was like 'yes, go on, go ahead and do your own solo project.' And the reason why it's taken so long is 'cos I've been married, divorced, had a baby, relaxed, done the Spice Girls album, done a few videos. So if I was to condense it all I think I could have done it in what, three four months? But it took slightly longer.

Where did you record and with whom?

I mean the people I worked with were a bit all over. Like Sisqo was in LA, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in Minneapolis, Teddy Riley in Virginia, so I was like here there and everywhere. But every time I went I took my daughter and I kind of made it like a little bit of a holiday and it was lovely. I really got to work with some talented people and I asked them and they said yes, I was like 'ahhhh!' It was good. And every person I've worked with I've learned something and they've kind of taught me how to sing more or they've brought some... a bit more of this out of me or a bit more of that out of me. And then obviously when we get together as Spice Girls kind of you're more confident, all of us, 'cos we've all done our own little bits. And then you know it obviously makes the Spice Girls album more mature and kind of vocally stronger.

Why did you decide to make an R&B album?

I've had an urge to kind of you know go down the R&B route and you know see if I could you know do it and see if it felt comfortable for me and you know give myself a chance at it and that's what I've done on this album. I mean I love R&B music, soul music, I mean I love pop music, but that is the kind of area that I've chosen, R&B pop, 'cos that's the kind of music I listen to anyway. I've listened to it since God... God knows how long.

How would you best describe the mood of your album?

I describe my album as, you know, it's got pain in there, it's got love, it's got laughter, it's got almost hate, it's got passion, it's got everything that you know your average person goes through in life anyway. It's just I've chosen to write about it. It's like that, my album's like that, up, down, up, down, which is me. But now I suppose I am more balanced, you know I've got a daughter, I've sorted my personal life out, you know my career's, like, perfect, I couldn't ask or wish for anything more.

Is there any significance to the order of the tracks - do they tell a story?

Virgin helped me out there. They were kind of like 'this kind of line-up flows better than this line-up.' I mean the line-up I had was all hotch potch, fast slow, slow fast, and they kind of did like a few examples and I listened to it and I was like 'yes you're right, I'll go with that one.' Every song is a moment in time and there's no particular order as to what things happened to me as opposed to what song I've put on there. God that's very... that would be good wouldn't it! Why didn't I think of that? (laughs)

Did all the emotional upheaval in your life inspire you to write?

Well I think I would have been able to write a song anyway whether I had been through what I have been through. And even though I've been through you know ups and downs it's made me the person I am now, you know. I wouldn't be able to sit here like this full of joy and happiness if I hadn't had been through what I'd been through. And the kind of person I am, you know, I mean I kind of attract chaos and madness anyway!

Has making this album been a process of self-discovery?

I am very lucky to be able to have done what I've done on this album and I'm very, very proud of it. And even lyrically it's so autobiographical, I've literally gone like that, here I am. But that's the kind of person I am anyway so it's kind of you've got... each song tells a story and a time in my life and you know it's like doing your own therapy.

What was your starting point for these lyrics - the good times or the bad times?

Each song describes a moment in my life so there were times when I was full of happiness and you know there wasn't one thing that I could complain about and then on the other end of the scale it was horrible, it was dowdy, but that's life. I mean I'm not the first person to go through what I've been through and I'm not the first single parent mother I'm sure.

When and where do you usually write your lyrics?

I've been keeping a diary since I was about 13 years old. I'm a big believer of sitting there and writing down your thoughts and feelings for the day. So you know to put it into a song, an album context, it was the most natural thing for me to do. I wait 'til I go to bed and I'm sleepy and I'll think about what I've done during the day and I'll write my diary and then, you know, when it comes to writing it, it will be like 'oh I want to talk about that feeling that I had 'cos that really stuck in my mind.'

Did you ever feel awkward opening your heart to your co-writers?

I mean with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, they just left me to write and they helped me with like the melodies. But I had like a set programme like when I worked with Teddy Riley I knew I was doing three songs with him and I wanted to pick a topic for each song so they kind of worked with me and I was like 'I want to get this across in this song'. And I think the best way you can deliver a song with conviction is if it comes from what you've been through as a person. That is the only way to do it and that is the only way the Spice Girls have done it like for ever anyway.
You open the album with 'Feels So Good' - that's a very positive track... That song is the only really pop song that I've got on the album. So you know I mean I'm a big lover of pop and I still wanted people to know that you know I'm not ignoring that bit. And to work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, you know, that's what they do best. They do good pop slightly R&B and it was great, I loved it, it's very kind of sunshiny. (laughs)
Tell us about your new single 'Tell Me'... Well 'Tell Me' was the last song that I wrote on the album. The producer was Rodney Jerkins and Fred Jerkins who have done about eighty per cent of the Spice Girls album as well, and they're just really cool down to earth people to work with. And for me that song had to be the first one to be released 'cos it's very up to date. It's very now for me personally and you know it's like got a groove in it that just gets your head nodding and that was the song I wanted to be the first one.

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