Melanie C’s new solo era has picked up an unexpected side plot: some vinyl copies of Sweat appear to spell her name wrong.
The former Spice Girl released her ninth solo studio album on Friday, May 1, but fans quickly noticed that the vinyl packaging has a very basic problem. The front cover correctly reads Melanie C, alongside an image of the singer in a red and blue leotard. The spine, however, reportedly says “Melanine C.”
Not ideal. Also, not subtle.
The typo fans spotted immediately
Melbourne-based fan Brad Bellman shared the discovery on TikTok on Monday, May 4, telling followers: “So I think someone’s getting fired.”
Brad said a friend had first tipped him off by asking: “Did you get the Melanine version?”
Showing the spine on camera, he added: “Who the f**k is Melanine? This is actually going to drive me insane.”
It is not yet clear how many copies of the vinyl are affected, but several fans said they had found the same issue on their own editions.
Andrew Isaac, a UK fan, commented: “It’s on all 5 of my vinyl variants 🤣.” Scott Love wrote: “lol I just checked mine and I also have ‘Melanine C’.”
David Hayes also shared a photo of what he said was the Blood Records exclusive variant, with the same spelling error visible on the spine.
Accident or instant rarity?
Some fans tried to turn the mishap into lore. Jimmy McG suggested: “Wait a minute, I’m pretty sure Sweat is her ninth studio album right, so maybe it’s intentional.”
Others said Melanie herself had already addressed it. Desiré Pereda wrote: “It’s a mistake. She just said on the live stream of Banquet Records and she’s going to try to normalise it as some people are asking her to sign the records ‘To Melanine’.”
There were predictable grumbles about quality control, but plenty of fans also saw the possible collector angle. Tilly Capulet posted: “This technically makes it more valuable.” Luke Chambers added: “Hold on to it… it will be expensive in the future.”
That depends on how widespread the misprint is. In the vinyl world, a rare error can become a curiosity. A common one is usually just a production headache with better branding.
Melanie C is back on tour
The typo has landed during a busy week for Melanie C, 52, who is currently touring Sweat around the UK. The album is her first solo studio release since 2020’s self-titled Melanie C.
On Saturday night in Leeds, she gave fans a proper Spice Girls moment when Mel B, also known as Scary Spice, joined her onstage for an impromptu duet of the group’s 1997 number one single Spice Up Your Life.
Melanie C and Mel B were both part of the Spice Girls lineup from 1994, alongside Emma Bunton, Geri Horner and Victoria Beckham.
Clips from the Leeds performance quickly circulated online, with fans commenting on the nostalgia and how little the pair appeared to have changed. “What freaking year are we in? Y’all don’t age 😭,” wrote Cal in a top comment. Diedre said she was “legitmately confused,” while others joked that the footage could have passed for 1996.
After selling more than 39 million albums with the Spice Girls, Melanie C built a solo career that includes number one singles Never Be the Same Again and I Turn to You, plus three Top 10 albums.
A representative for Melanie C has been contacted for comment.
