Melanie C hopes her new solo album will inspire fans to “embrace all aspects of themselves”.

The star, who is set to drop her eighth, self-titled album on October 2nd, tells Hits Radio Pride her “relationship with the LGBTQ+ community” inspired the direction of the record, which kicks off with empowering dancefloor anthem, Who I Am.

“We are so grateful for the love and support we’ve had from the community,” she says. “And to celebrate that on stage, with the Spice Girls last year was amazing!”

Mel continues: “Then to go out as a really proud ally with my drag queens and to work so closely with people from the Pride community, it was an education to me.

“I get so emotional when I talk about it because how it affected me it was profound – I never expected to get from those shows what I did, from those experiences from Sink the Pink,” she adds, referring to her 2019 Global Pride Tour and single High Heels.

Melanie goes on to admit that, while she knew it would be fun, “being with my drag queens, some of my drag queens are non-binary, and learning about how people have grown up, and the obstacles that they have had to navigate.

“Some of the difficulties coming from different communities, and they are so themselves… I’m so grateful to the LGBTQ+ community for accepting me, and allowing me to stand side-by-side with them.”

Melanie C is available to pre-order on standard and deluxe CD, and vinyl, now. Exclusive bundles are also available from the star’s web store.