COLLABORATION: MNEK with Zara Larsson.

By Geoffrey Rowlands


MNEK already has three UK chart-toppers to his name. He produced Wings for Little Mix and wrote Need U (100%) for Duke Dumont featuring A*M*E plus Gecko (Overdrive) for Oliver Heldens featuring Becky Hill.
But MNEK, pronounced Emeneekay, is now heading towards the top spot in his own right, or at least in partnership with Swedish singer Zara Larsson. Their track, Never Forget You, which they co-wrote with Worcestershire-based songsmith Astronomyy, has now climbed to number seven.
“It’s an exciting time for us,” smiled London-born MNEK, real name Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike. “I was with Zara doing an interview when I got a phone message saying our track had made the UK top 20. It was high fives all round then so things get better every time we rise a few more places.”
Despite celebrating his 21st birthday last week, MNEK is already a music business veteran. His first highly successful credit was in 2011 when he wrote and produced All Fired Up for The Saturdays. The song reached number three on the UK chart. Since then, he has written or produced tracks for artists ranging from Rudimental through Kylie Minogue to Madonna.
As a performer, MNEK has been the featured vocalist on songs by Rudimental, Far East Movement and Gorgon City’s 2014 smash hit single, Ready For Your Love. The EP, “Small Talk,” is his own output. Three tracks were released as singles with the most successful being his UK top 40 hit, The Rhythm.
“I love working with other artists but I have plans to release a lot more material under my own name. The success I’m having now with Never Forget You should help to broaden my fanbase so I hope more people will be aware of me when I release my next solo work.”
In contrast to her musical partner primarily making his name behind the scenes, Zara Larsson has been in the spotlight since winning season two of the Swedish television talent show Talang. This was in May, 2008, when Zara was just ten years old.
“Everyone thinks MNEK started at a young age but I’ve got years on him. In fact, I was a finalist in another Swedish talent show called Stjarnskott the year before I won Talang.
“My cover of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, which I’d performed on Talang, was released as my debut single. It hit number seven on the Swedish chart. But my parents were concerned about me becoming a full-time singer at such a young age so my career was put on hold for a while.”
She signed with TEN Music in 2012 and released her five-song debut EP, “Introducing,” in January, 2013. Three tracks became hit singles through digital downloads but the one official single, Uncover, was a smash across much of Europe topping the charts in Sweden and Norway.
A second EP preceded the release last year of Zara’s debut album, “1.”
“I was so thrilled when ‘1’ lived up to its name and hit top spot on the Swedish chart. It’s one thing to have hit singles but getting a big hit album meant I had a fan following who wanted to hear all of my songs.”
She topped the Swedish chart again earlier this year with Lush Life, a track from her forthcoming second album, and has done so again now with Never Forget You.
“It’s great to share this success with MNEK. I’d heard some of his music and he’d heard some of mine so we had a mutual admiration before getting together. The idea was that MNEK would produce some songs for my album and we might also do some writing.
“Never Forget You came about so quickly. We were both vibing on that day. The ideas flowed and the song virtually wrote itself. When that kind of thing happens, you almost always have something special.”

IN BRIEF
Coldplay

Coldplay have announced December 4 as the release date for their seventh studio album, “A Head Full of Dreams.”
Produced by Stargate and the band’s long-time collaborator, Rik Simpson, the new album features a surprising number of guest artists. Coldplay are not known to often work with other performers but Beyonce, Noel Gallagher and Tove Lo are among several guests on “A Head Full of Dreams.”
However, the band perform alone on recently released lead single, Adventure of a Lifetime. No video has been made as yet but an audio posting of the song can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsrpTrQ1x5Y

Santigold

American singer/rapper Santigold has also announced the release date of her next album. “99c” will be available from January 22.
The album cover depicts Santigold lying vacuum-packed among some of her possessions with a 99 cents price tag in the corner. She says the photograph represents our living in a world where everything is packaged.
Like Coldplay, Santigold has just released the lead single from her album. She has also yet to shoot an accompanying video for Can’t Get Enough of Myself. However, an audio posting is available to hear at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShKTT6_bntI
Her previous albums are posted in full on YouTube. “Santogold” is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzQqDxGT_OA while “Master Of My Make-Believe” is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1xj6LpaUiI.

Borns

Garrett the Great. This is how the ten-year-old Garrett Borns billed himself when he performed magic tricks at children parties.
“I was a professional magician,” he smiled. “Not some kid showing off for his friends. I got paid for my performances.”
It wasn’t long before Garrett switched his attention to becoming a professional musician. A mostly self-taught multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, the 23-year-old Michigan native, now known as BORNS, released his debut album, “Dopamine,” last month. It has so far peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200.
The album can be heard in full at www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4GrDOOIIbk&list=PLW_PvYaP50z8gXQF1v82JguhX6ToDeRne
This posting includes the videos for singles, 10,000 Emerald Pools and Electric Love.

Steven Tyler

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has joined forces with Youth Villages to launch Janie’s Fund, a charity to help female victims of child abuse.
The subject has been close to Steven’s heart for many years. It is dealt with in the lyrics of Aerosmith’s 1989 hit, Janie’s Got a Gun. Indeed, the charity name is derived from this song.
A video message from Steven is posted at www.janiesfund.org/. He asks viewers to support the cause by visiting www.prizeo.com/steventyler
Donations can be made here with every donator being entered into a draw to win the “Ultimate VIP Rock Experience with Steven Tyler.” This includes walking down the red carpet with Steven at the release party for his forthcoming solo album and having the opportunity to hang out with all of his musician friends.
Guaranteed prizes are also offered for specific donations. These include everything from limited edition T-shirts through signed memorabilia to dinner with Steven.

Ella On The Run

Ella On The Run sounds like the title of a children’s book. Instead, it is the moniker of a London-based alternative-pop artist who refuses to reveal her real name.
A graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, she majored in music business management and worked in the industry for some years before becoming an artist in her own right.
She initially attracted attention with her song Golden Boys before confirming this promise last year through the “War of Words” EP. Ella is back again now with a new single, Cavalry. The video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9TTq7uAoks
All of her songs are posted at (no www.) soundcloud.com/ellaotr. Videos have been made for each track apart from “War of Words.” They can all be found on YouTube by typing Ella On The Run in the website search box.