MNEK

Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike came into the world in 1994 in Lewisham, a South London district, to Nigerian parents. Although he began operating under the MNEK name in 2008, he had already spent four years shaping pop rooted in 1980s and 1990s soul. EMI Publishing extended him a songwriting agreement in 2009, yet another two years passed before Moshi Moshi Records issued his first solo single, “If Truth Be Told.” Brian Higgins of the Xenomania team drew on his input for the Saturdays’ “All Fired Up,” a U.K. Top Ten single whose lyric later supplied the title for the British-Irish group’s third album, On Your Radar.

Further traction arrived in summer 2012 when MNEK co-wrote and produced “Home Run,” the debut single by Manchester-born Misha B, an eighth-season X Factor semifinalist. Little Mix, winners of the same series, also used his programming on their July 2012 U.K. number one, “Wings.” Early the next year he co-authored Duke Dumont’s house-flavored U.K. chart-topper “Need U (100%),” while contributing to four tracks on Home, the debut album by London electronic outfit Rudimental.

MNEK’s vocals appeared on Gorgon City’s 2014 British Top Five single “Ready for Your Love,” and his own “Every Little Word” and “Wrote a Song About You” also registered on the U.K. singles chart. These cuts, together with “The Rhythm”—his first solo U.K. Top 40 entry—formed the core of the 2015 EP Small Talk. A July release featuring Swedish vocalist Zara Larsson, “Never Forget You,” climbed to the Top Ten across Europe, reaching number one in Larsson’s home country and on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Electronic chart. Subsequent singles included “At Night (I Think About You)” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” in 2016, followed by “Deeper” with Riton and House Gospel Choir in 2017. Early 2018 brought the single “Tongue,” which appeared on his Virgin EMI debut album Language. He later joined Years & Years for their 2019 single “Valentino.”

A British-Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer, MNEK has collaborated with numerous pop, dance, and R&B acts while securing his own chart entries. Early impact came through co-writing early-2010s hits for the Saturdays and Duke Dumont; his soulful voice then featured on Gorgon City’s 2014 Top Five single. Partnerships with Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, and Madonna followed, and his 2015 joint effort with Zara Larsson, “Never Forget You,” became a global success. Enduring collaborators include Rudimental, Becky Hill, Shift K3Y, and Little Mix. An ASCAP Vanguard Award arrived in 2016, and he appeared on Stormzy’s 2017 Top 10 track “Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2.”