In a south-east London warehouse, Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike, more commonly known as MNEK, is sitting on a bench in a makeshift locker room surrounded by semi-naked men. One particularly muscular individual suggestively adjusts a jockstrap, while another, taller and toned, removes his vest before eyeing MNEK with a loaded gaze. It’s a lot of sexual tension for a Tuesday morning.
But such is the life of a pop star on the set of a music video. The video being filmed is for the fittingly titled Muscle Marys.., the third single from the 31-year-old south Londoner’s second album, Bulldozer!! In one corner of the warehouse, behind a large vanity curtain, a group of dancers are being hosed down while filming a shower scene.
The water, a runner has assured me, is warm. The album is MNEK’s first solo record in eight years and its title is confrontational. I mean look at where we are right now …” He gestures at the low-ceilinged room.
But that’s the reality of being as large as I am. Bulldozer came about because it’s one of those words that I found very triggering. But because of that, it felt like the right title.” No one can argue against MNEK’s outsized impact on pop music.
He signed his first publishing deal aged just 14, and as a writer-producer has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Little Mix and Flo. His songs – Never Forget You, a duet with Zara Larsson, and Head & Heart, a 2020 collab with DJ Joel Corry – have amassed more than 1bn streams. Earlier this year he was nominated for his second Grammy for Larsson’s song Midnight Sun, which he co-wrote and produced.
As a solo artist, however, things haven’t always been so big. His debut album, 2018’s underrated Language, peaked at No 81. But my solo music is also something I care about.
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