Northern Star (Melanie C album)

Northern Star
Studio album by Melanie C
Released	18 October 1999
Recorded	March–July 1999
Studio	O'Henry Sound (Burbank), CaVa (Glasgow), AIR, Angel, Olympic (London), Cello, Fredonia International Studios, Guerrilla Beach, Sound Gallery, The Studio, The Village Recorder (Los Angeles), Royaltone, Track Record (North Hollywood)
Genre	Pop[1]
Length	53:18
Label	Virgin
Producer	Craig Armstrong Marius De Vries Rhett Lawrence Damian LeGassick Patrick McCarthy Rick Nowels William Orbit Rick Rubin
Melanie C chronology
Northern Star (1999) Reason (2003)
Singles from Northern Star
"Goin' Down" Released: 29 September 1999 "Northern Star" Released: 22 November 1999 "Never Be the Same Again" Released: 20 March 2000 "I Turn to You" Released: 7 August 2000 "If That Were Me" Released: 27 November 2000

Northern Star is the debut solo studio album by English singer and songwriter Melanie C. It was released on 19 October 1999 by Virgin Records.

Recording sessions took place earlier in the year, during a hiatus from the Spice Girls. As the primary songwriter or co-writer of the album's 12 songs, Melanie Chisholm temporarily relocated to Los Angeles and enlisted several musicians and producers, including William Orbit, Rick Nowels, Marius de Vries, Craig Armstrong and Rick Rubin. Additional recording took place in London and Glasgow. Musically, the album combines pop with elements of rock, electronica, trance, trip hop, and R&B, which contrasted with the sound of Chisholm's group.

Upon its release, Northern Star received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised Chisholm for differentiating her sound while noting the influence of Britpop and Madonna's Ray of Light (1998). An international commercial success, Northern Star reached number one on the Swedish Albums Chart and the top ten in countries including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Northern Star has been certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling solo album by a member of the Spice Girls.

Northern Star produced five singles. Following "Goin' Down" and "Northern Star," its third and fourth singles "Never Be the Same Again," featuring TLC member Lisa Lopes, and "I Turn to You" became international hits. Both songs earned Chisholm her first solo number ones in the United Kingdom, while the Hex Hector radio mix of "I Turn to You" earned the Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year. "If That Were Me" was released as a charity single. Melanie C promoted Northern Star via numerous live performances and the Northern Star Tour (2000-01), as well as a Channel 4 documentary. The album was re-issued to feature the single mixes of "Never Be the Same Again" and "I Turn to You".