MNEK Will School You In Pop’s Forgotten Deep Cuts

For the last decade, MNEK has been quietly reshaping pop music, crafting era-defining hits for artists like Beyoncé (“Hold Up”), Dua Lipa (“IDGAF”), and Little Mix (“Sweet Melody”) while establishing himself as a true pop-culture encyclopedia on social media. His latest work with longtime collaborator Zara Larsson on her breakthrough Midnight Sun album — whose title track continues to scale the charts a year after its release — has been the cherry on top for the 31-year-old. “It felt like an extension of everything that she knows of herself, everything that I know of her,” he says. “It could have been a thing of it being a hit really quick on, but it’s something that's steady growing still, which is really affirming.”

Now, MNEK is stepping out of the wings with BULLDOZER!!, his first solo album in eight years (out Sept. 18). Taking inspiration from “house and garage and 2-step and grime and ballroom,” he says, the new project promises to be a guidebook on the performer’s long list of musical influences — the kind he’ll definitely sit you down to watch at Gay Guy Music Video Night.

I used to do Gay Guy Music Video Night a lot in my 20s. It felt like a chance for me and my girls to queen out, pull up YouTube, and watch some sick videos. I’m 31, so I definitely grew up in the moment when Y2K million-dollar videos and performance were a huge part of what made media captivating. Admittedly, I did always prefer to have a night of watching live performances. Two performances come to mind immediately — and they’re both Mariah performances, naturally.

To start, I’m pulling up Mariah Carey singing “Vision of Love” at BET Blueprint: The Return of the Voice. Now you have to remember this was 2005: This was Emancipation of Mimi, this was like her third peak. She had the straightened blonde extensions down to her back, she had the black halter dress, she had the song two keys down — and she’s singing her ass off. You can tell that she’s in her body in a way that she hadn’t been in a long time. In the ’90s, a lot of that time she was very withdrawn because of everything else happening with Tommy Mottola. But now, she’s singing this song as a fully realized diva, and it’s undeniable. The choices that she makes are just as someone who knows herself more than ever. So I know I’m always pulling that one out.

And after that, I’d probably move to her singing “Make It Happen” at the Tokyo Dome in 1996. That has to be played — the vocals are just unbelievable. It’s that very crystal clear ’90s era of music performance, and I feel like if you’re a Lamb, you know that her voice changes with every album. So this is in the Daydream era, but she’s singing “Make It Happen” from the Emotions era, and it’s almost brooding and spooky the way she’s performing. It’s brilliant.

I’m often the gay at music video night who really adheres to the music video that no one’s heard of or that’s really obscure. My favorite genre of pop star is the kind of pop star that charted at, like, No. 57 on the dance charts, and it’s their one and only hit. But does it bang or does it not? It bangs! So, the video I’m thinking about is TG4’s “Virginity.” Now this is a record that has Sevyn Streeter in a girl group in 2002. I’m not going to sit here and earnestly say that it’s the most amazing song, but it’s so enjoyable to watch for everyone who ever comes across it, and the video is excellent. It’s always fun to watch people at the music video night go, “Really? A song called ‘Virginity?’”

Another great example: Did you ever hear Stacie Orrico’s Christian pop album? In 2000, she released an album called Genuine. She was like 14 or something, and the title track and music video from that album is a f*cking banger. It’s literally like TLC and Britney Spears released a Christian pop song. And she sounds like Madonna. Like, why does this have a groove to it? Because you realize it’s all about God, and it’s a very Christian-coded record, but it’s got such a good beat.

Music videos were the thing that made me want to even think about a career in music. I grew up on MTV and VH1, the epicenters of the music video. And I always loved having bits that you could rewind and want to watch again and again, like little performance cutaways. I love when the edit is very rhythmic and musical, when it’s not just a collage of scenes that don’t mesh anywhere. I’m thinking about something like Samantha Mumba’s “Baby, Come on Over” video. Whenever I listen to that song, it has to be the video mix. It cannot be the album mix. It’s just superior. That’s another thing — back then, they’d always make a different mix for the video, and it always hit!

It’s so interesting, because by the time we came of age to start watching music videos, it wasn’t a secret, but it definitely was this little golden thing that was ours. It was a brief moment for you to queen out by yourself. Now, it’s become a chance for us to queen out as a congregation, as a unit. There’s a lot of fantasy in the idea of a music video — it’s very aspirational. And lot of our favorite music videos have a sense of compassion, even if you’re just so happy that this person is performing. And that’s even better when it’s shared with your people.

Keep the Pride party going with more of Bustle’s Gay Guy Music Video Night, featuring interviews with Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers, John Early, Tove Lo, Rebecca Black, Bosco, Eric Sedeño, Myki Meeks, Rose Gray, and the cast of Cats: The Jellicle Ball.