New York, NY (Top40 Charts) With less than one week to go until the release of MNEK's debut album, Language, comes new single "Correct" and the accompanying official video. Capitol Records will release Language on
September 7. Fans who pre-order the digital album will instantly receive "Correct" plus the singles "Crazy World," "Tongue," "
Paradise" and "Colour" featuring singer/actress Hailee Steinfeld.
"Correct" is the next track to be shared from Language before it's official release. Within its fierce 4 minutes, MNEK manages to bottle his feelings about the industry pressure that is loaded on his shoulders with his debut album and twist it into a hard-hitting pop explosion, laden with as much sass and charisma as we've come to expect from him. And the video, directed by MNEK himself and Luke Biggins is, of course, totally extra - a satirical yet playful glossy-glimpse inside the mind of a man who's been in the center of the pop world since he was 14, looking and sounding more fabulously commanding than ever.
"Correct" is yet another fascinating taste of what's to come from Language, and the underlying message of the album is clear. It's an imaginative and powerful statement from a man who's been in the music industry for 10 years, with a weight of expectation on his shoulders - while "Correct" openly addresses the pressure of delivering his debut, he openly expresses the struggles of being an out, gay,
Black man in this ever-challenging "Crazy World." But Language is playful too. Recent release "Tongue" brings a blend of
Bobby Brown's creative peak reinterpreted through the technicolour glow and wit of RuPaul's Drag Race, while "Colour" is a fantastic skip beyond the rainbow of love's possibilities. In fact, as a 45-minute whole, Language is an album that constantly strives to subvert preconceptions, cleverly playing on its own extensive pop knowledge and reframing it as something brand new.
But MNEK's greatest skill on Language - and there are many - is to make the strange sound familiar and old references sound fresh; to take the imagination of the underground and make it sound as if targeted straight to the bullseye of the mainstream. Hook after hook, the album is full of surprises - a swift pitch-shift of a vocal, an urgent change of pace or cadence, a brace of acapella, the blast of a horn - each economically employed in service of the song.
"This album is so special to me because it's something I've put my heart and soul into writing and producing and singing (and apparently rapping too!)," says MNEK. "I've waited for the day my debut album is released my entire life, so naaaaturallyy I've designed it to be listened to from start to finish - so every song flows into each other in a way that tells a sonic story. I've learnt so much as a musician over the years and most importantly as a young man - and I'm excited to share with you all what I've learnt so far! This is Language."
MNEK signed his first publishing deal at age 14. At 23, the U.K. artist now has one billion streams to his name, between his early material and wider collaborations. "Never Forget You," MNEK's duet with Zara Larsson, topped Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and has been certified 3x Platinum in the U.S. He featured on Duke Dumont's "Need You (100%)," which earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Dance Recording. The list of artists MNEK has written and produced for includes Beyoncé, Dua Lipa,
Little Mix, Madonna, Diplo, MØ, Rudimental, Julia Michaelsand Stormzy, to name but a few.
