Having been M.I.A. for the past few years, Melanie C returns in February with a new album, The Sea, and shows in the Belfast Limelight (March 4) and the Dublin Olympia (5).

“I’m very excited about the record because it’s quite diverse in styles,” our fave ex-Spice Girl reflects. “I’ve worked with lots of new writers, people I haven’t worked with before. There’s still very much a pop element, and I’ve got some lovely ballads, some rock inspired tracks, some more dancey stuff, some acoustic stuff, and production wise there are some very atmospheric moments.”