Melanie C said the Spice Girls “made history” as she reflected on the “incredible legacy” of the chart-topping group.
The 52-year-old, known to fans as Sporty Spice, also discussed how the digital evolution of the music industry “makes it more difficult (for artists) to have longevity” as she looked back at the evolution of her career ahead of National Album Day this weekend.
The singer, whose real name is Melanie Chisholm, skyrocketed to fame in the 1990s girl group alongside Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Lady Victoria Beckham and Geri Halliwell-Horner.
The Spice Girls perform on stage at the Brit Awards (PA)
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In an interview with the Press Association, the star said: “I feel so grateful that I’m part of that incredible legacy.
“What the Spice Girls did for young people… We gave a whole generation girl power, which is a very beautiful thing.
“We gave them somewhere to feel like they belonged.
“We gave people the courage to go and be themselves, whatever that was.
“Aside from that, the music is amazing and I think sometimes we forget what incredible songs we have as the Spice Girls.
“History has been made, and I feel very lucky that I was a part of it.”
The girl group dominated the charts for years with hits such as Stop, 2 Become 1, Who Do You Think You Are? and Viva Forever – and went on an indefinite hiatus in 2000, two years after Ginger Spice announced her shock exit.
They have since reunited for a tour in 2007, again in 2012 for the closing ceremony of the London Summer Olympics, and embarked on their Spice World tour in 2019.
Chisholm, who has pursued a career as both a solo artist and a DJ since her Spice Girls fame, also told PA: “I think my whole perspective on music changed a lot when I became a DJ.
“I’ve been out there for so many years as an artist playing Spice Girls songs and my own solo work.
“As a DJ, you can play anyone and anything you want to.
“It’s given me the opportunity to see how other people’s music affects a dance floor and audience – which has made me approach music quite differently in the studio.”
Melanie C plays a DJ set during the Glastonbury Festival (PA)
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Reflecting on the digital age, she added: “I think it makes it more difficult to have longevity.
“I think our appetite is that we want something new constantly, and we don’t fully appreciate what we have.
“We are exposed to so much now so quickly – sometimes things have a moment and pass by so quickly. We don’t fully appreciate things.”
Citing why she is so drawn to National Album Day, Chisholm continued: “I think that is the beauty of having an album.
“There’s also something so beautifully aesthetic about a vinyl that has never been recreated.”
She added: “The album always felt so important to me because it felt like this magical world you can get lost in that the artist has created.
“I don’t think that any other format has the ability to do that.”
Chisholm is among the stars participating in celebrations ahead of the ninth National Album Day, an annual event commemorating the art and significance of albums.
National Album Day will take place this weekend on October 17.