Happy 4th of July everyone! I wanted to be early to type up my next review but I wasn't sure which one to due today. I eventually decided on "Melanie B's" first album "Hot". The album was released near the end of 2000 and didn't do so well because it was released only 3 weeks before the "Spice Girls'" third album "Forever". You do have to give her credit though since she did promote both albums around the same time, even though promotion for "Forever" basically ended after the album's chart position was announced. That allowed "Melanie" to properly promote "Hot" and it's singles. Here is my track by track review of the album:
1) Feels So Good: The fourth single from the album. The song was produced by "Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis" who have produced songs for "Janet Jackson", the late "Prince", the late "Michael Jackson", and even for "Melanie B's" group the "Spice Girls". The song is an upbeat happy song about love that peaked at number 5 in the U.K. and is also my favorite song on the album. 10/10
2) Tell Me: The third single from the album. The song was released a year after her cover of "Word Up". It is an angry song, said to be about her ex-husband "Jimmy Gulzar" that peaked at number 4 on the U.K charts. I'd hate to have been in his shoes when this song was released. 10/10
3) Hell No: After two upbeat songs we get a ballad. In this song "Melanie B" pleads to her lover to not leave her even though both have made mistakes in the relationships. It also sounds like R&B singer, "Brandy" is singing background vocals on the song. Sadly the song gets pretty boring. 5/10
4) Lullaby: This song was the fifth and final single from the album. It is a ballad that "Melanie B" co-wrote about her first daughter, "Phoenix". It's a cute song but unfortunately "Melanie B" received a lot of criticism because the media at the time thought she was using her daughter as a marketing tool for the promotion. I think that's stupid and can't believe the media would be so cruel and even think about that. But sadly it caused the song to peak at number 13 in the U.K. and her label dropped her, which is kinda stupid when 13 isn't a bad position and wasn't the worst peak position for a "Spice Girls" solo single. 8/10
5) Hotter: While it's not the title track, the album's name does come from the song. In this song "Melanie B" asks a man if he can satisfy her mentally, emotionally, and physically or in her words "make me hotter". The song was supposed to be the sixth overall single from the album, but label scrapped this because of "Lullaby's" chart position. Sad because this is my second favorite song on the album. 10/10
6) Step Inside: After two great songs, we get a weak song. It's very forgettable and "Melanie B" even sounds bored on this song. The beat is pretty good though. 4/10
7) ABC 123: This song has a little bit of a "Janet Jackson" vibe to it but the beat is very distracting, plus the person rapping sounds little out of place. 5/10
8) I Believe: The music is really good and the song is sweet, but whoever doing that weird backing vocals in the chorus sounds very weird which leads to a low rating. 5/10
9) I Want You Back (featuring Missy Elliott): This song was the first single from the album and also made "Melanie B" the first one from "Spice Girls" to release a solo single. The song features "Missy Elliott", however she's barely on the song much at all but she did write most of the song so it makes up for it. The song peaked at number 1 in the U.K. and was also on the "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" soundtrack. The video was a little weird but the song is still pretty good. 10/10
10) Word Up!: The second single from the album. It is a cover that was originally performed by "Cameo" back in 1986 and was also on the "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" soundtrack. The song had two music videos and is the only song where "Melanie B" was credited as "Melanie G" but she reverted back to "Melanie B" after her divorce. The song peaked at number 14 in the U.K., which was considered a disappointment due to other solo "Spice Girls" singles peaked no lower than number 5 on the charts at the time of its release. I still think it's a pretty good version of the song. 10/10
11) Pack Your S**t (featuring Eric Williams): In this song "Melanie" tells her lover to leave because she believes he's been unfaithful while "Eric Williams", from R&B group "Blackstreet" sings he's never cheated and he's been faithful. "Melanie" does not believe him and continues to tell him to leave. I was honestly hoping the song would sound similar to "Tell Me" but it's still pretty good. 8/10
12) Feel Me Now: This is a slow song were "Melanie B" does more talk-singing than actual singing. It's very intimate lyrically but it feels weird as an album closer. 6/10
"Hot" peaked at number 28 on the U.K. album charts with mixed reviews. She would release her second album, "L.A. State of Mind" which not only failed to chart but received terrible reviews, with one review calling it "one of worst albums of the decade". To this date "Melanie B" is the only "Spice Girl" to not have a top 10 U.K. album, which each "Spice Girl" has done, but she was the first one to get a solo number 1.
These days "Melanie B" is raising three daughters, working as a judge on "America's Got Talent" and is trying to get a "Spice Girls" reunion started because she wants a reunion probably more the "Spice Girls" fans do.
My favorite songs on the album are: "Feels So Good", "Hotter", "Tell Me", "I Want You Back (featuring Missy Elliott)", "Word Up!" and "Lullaby". Out of 120 points I give the album 91 which is 75%, a C+.
Thanks for reading this review and have a great 4th of July!
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