Album cover & tracklisting: MNEK - Language

MNEK has been knocking around releasing singles and writing for other people for so long that I forgot that he didn't even have an album out. But, the time has come... *RuPauls' drag race thunder sound effect* and MNEK will finally release his debut album Language on September 7th.



MNEK look as of late has been wearing nightwear looking ass silk tops and bottoms like he's kicking it at home. So it's no surprise to see him boo'd up in silk on his album cover. And for him to be draped by a black man it too? YES. BITCH. You better do that. Every time I walk past his album on display in a supermarket, I'mma be like...

Just going on his looks alone, MNEK has really started epxloring and finding himself over the past couple of years. Seeing him go from that that slightly awkward black boy in "Every little thing" to the confident queer black man we saw serving on a table top in "Tongue", it's great to see. We need more black queers folk in mainstream media and especially pop. So props to whomever came up with this album cover concept, because it's awesome. I hope EMI records blast this image all over billboards and have tube posters of it all over the London underground, because it really is more than just a promo shot or an album cover. It's a representation.

I've not really 'loved' any song that MNEK has come out with, but have liked them. I've always felt the songs that he features on, co-writes and produces for others have more hit potential and are easier to latch onto than anything he gives himself. MNEK has a particular way in which he goes about his own songs. I always find that this songs hook me during the first half, then start to lose me from the mid point on. It's something about the way second verses of his songs are sung with different melodies to that of the first, or that they feature runs and riffs which shift the melody slightly. Many songs do this and manage to keep me hooked. But something about MNEK's don't. It's strange and something I find to be a trait in quite a few of his songs.

1. Background
2. Correct
3. Tongue
4. Gibberish (Interlude)
5. Phone
6. Colour featuring Hailee Steinfeld
7. Body
8. Honeymoon phaze
9. Language
10. Hearsay (Interlude)
11. Girlfriend
12. Paradise
13. Crazy world
14. Be (Interlude)
15. Free
16. Touched by you

MNEK produces all of his own stuff, so there are no other producer names in the mix here. But there are a bevvy of songwriters including Ryan Ashley, Anne-Marie, Zac Poor, Becky Hill amongst others.

"Tongue", "Colour" are both available now as singles. And as a pre-album drop bonus, you can also stream the album cut "Crazy world" on Spotify, Google play music and Apple music.

And if you want to go on an 'MNEK in the liner notes' binge, he's created a Spotify playlist full of songs that he's guest featured on, written and or produced.

The MNEK collection: Stream it now, on Spotify