Mel C and Bryan Adams reunited to perform their duet "When You're Gone" on Tuesday, 27 years after the single was released.
A short video shared on Mel C’s Instagram account shows the pair singing the 1998 track, which was originally featured on Adams’ eighth studio album, On a Day Like Today. The single reached number three on the U.K. Singles Chart at the time of its release.
In the clip, Mel C, 51, is seen in an animal-print jacket and matching shorts while Adams appears in a short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. Mel C wrote alongside the post, "We always have the best time, love you @bryanadams." The song, written and recorded by Adams, has frequently featured in his live shows, where he often invites an audience member to sing the duet with him.
According to accounts tied to the song’s original making, Adams initially sought American singer Cheryl Crow to record the duet but ultimately asked Mel C after a chance meeting in a Los Angeles elevator. The pair’s studio recording and the song’s music video helped secure its place as one of Adams’ best-known singles of the late 1990s.
The Instagram reunion comes as Mel C prepares to re-team with her Spice Girls bandmates on a separate project: a collaboration with England’s women’s rugby team, the Red Roses. The partnership will bring a licensed range of products to market through England Rugby partners and licensees Castore, Fanatics and Gilbert, including a jersey, track jacket, bomber, T-shirts, hoodies, accessories and a limited-edition Red Roses and Spice Girls rugby ball.
In a joint statement, the Spice Girls said they were "excited to partner with the Red Roses in supporting women's sport," citing the appointment of the first female president of the Rugby Football Union this year. Zoe Aldcroft, captain of the Red Roses, said the partnership was timely and hoped it would help the team and the sport reach new fans, adding that rugby offers "friendship, strength, confidence, power, self-expression and so much more." Initial products from the collaboration were released on Thursday, with further items to follow over the coming weeks.
The reunion with Adams echoes other recent reunions for the Spice Girls; the group gathered at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday last year. "When You're Gone" remains part of Adams’ concert repertoire and the Instagram clip underscores the continued cultural resonance of late-1990s pop pairings and the enduring appeal of cross-generational collaborations between established rock artists and pop singers.