Mnek

MNEK WENT FROM WRITING HITS FOR THE SATURDAYS AT THE SPRIGHTLY AGE OF 15 TO WORKING WITH BEYONCÉ AND MADONNA LESS THAN FIVE YEARS LATER…

WORDS: CLIFF JOANNOU PHOTOGRAPHS: LEIGH KEILY FASHION: JOSEPH KOCHARIAN & CARRI MUNDEN

‘FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC’

BREAK THROUGH ARTIST

It’s difficult to find an example of a previous artist who has had the same sort of career trajectory as MNEK. Running straight home from school to work on music, he would jump on MySpace and send his tracks to everyone he could think of. While other kids were kicking about town, MNEK — aka Catford-born Uzoechi Emenike — had one overriding passion: to be in music.

Not just to work within the music industry but to live, breathe, speak, sleep and be music.

Meeting him at our shoot ahead of the Attitude Awards, a musical energy dances out of him; the Wrote A Song About You singer exudes a rhythm that, like his melodies and lyrics, is beguilingly infectious.

He bounces into the studio, beaming a smile that sings out with glee. He’s tall, with an imposing stature, but he’s instantly joyous to speak to. It’s the second time we’ve met, the first was when he and I were judging Miss Sink The Pink, at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, in London. (Obvs.)

MNEK is a busy man. Beyond judging drag pageants, the past six years have seen him work with (deep breath): Beyoncé, Madonna, Kylie, Diplo, Zara Larsson, Lianne La Havas, Rudimental, Little Mix, Sub Focus, Bastille… I could go on but you have Google for that.

The point is that his abilities and skill-set, when it comes to music, is genre-busting and broad.

His career kicked-started when NME featured one of his records. It caught the attention of Miranda Cooper, of Xenomania, who, with Brian Higgins, has been behind many of the biggest hits of Cher, Kylie, Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes and Girls Aloud.