Following the runaway global success of his ‘Last Daze of Summer’ EP – spawning the global underground hit ‘Kontrol’ which has amassed well over 50 million streams in just over a year – and his recent critically celebrated tracks ‘Been Calling’ and ‘Pon My Mind’ which lead to him receiving two MOBO Award nominations for Best Male and Best African Act at last November’s ceremony, the British-born Nigerian artist and producer Maleek Berry has returned with the release of his highly anticipated new EP ‘First Daze of Winter’.
Written and produced by Maleek, the EP features the already popular, vibrant and club-ready songs ‘Been Calling’ – which he released last summer and has clocked up over 10 million streams – and his latest single ‘Pon My Mind’ which is already causing a stir with his dedicated and ever-growing fan-base. Showcasing Maleek’s unique and addictive sounds which sublimely fuse R&B, African, reggae and hip-hop influences and were recently described by The Guardian as ‘fresh as well as rich and vibrant’ as they tipped him as an artist to watch for 2018, the EP also features the previously unheard tracks ‘Own It’, ‘Sisi Maria’, ‘What If’ and ‘Pulling Me Back’, which are set to cause a storm as he unleashes his one of a kind sonics to the world again.
Speaking on the ‘First Daze of Winter EP’, Maleek said:
“’First Daze Of Winter’ is pretty much me wearing my heart on my sleeve and being more vulnerable in songs but at the same time I wanted to make the songs more danceable.
Its concept is similar to Last Daze, telling the story of the emotional rollercoasters we all go through in relationships.”
Following electric performances in the summer to packed crowds at his sold-out headline show at London’s Scala in July and also Philadelphia’s Made in America festival and Encore Festival Amsterdam, Maleek is set to launch his ‘First Daze of Winter’ UK and Europe tour which commences in London with a sold-out date at the iconic KOKO on February 1st before heading to Birmingham and Manchester and taking in dates in Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Berlin and Oslo before culminating with a show in Brussels on February 28th.
Born and bred in south London, Maleek was influenced by the iconic R&B and soul acts he grew up listening to including Michael Jackson, Jodeci, Boyz II Men, and Tevin Campbell which led to him singing in church and subsequently forming a group with two of his friends where he started to hone his performance, writing and production skills. Following a family trip to Nigeria in 2011 he was introduced to Lagos’ thriving music scene through good friend and artist Davido which sparked his journey to becoming an international music producer as he went on to produce one of the biggest singles in Nigeria that year with Sauce Kid’s ‘Carolina’ featuring Davido, before going on to executive produce Wande Coal’s second album ‘WANTED’ in 2015.
Maleek’s debut as a solo artist saw him enlisting the talents of UK rap artist Sneakbo on the popular ‘For My People’ (2015) which paved the way for last year’s ‘Last Daze of Summer’ EP which has amassed a staggering 70 million plus combined streams and thrust him firmly into the international spotlight. Also collaborating with the likes of Wale, Wizkid, Davido, Runtown and Iyanya, he has most recently collaborated with Jidenna – appearing on the track ‘Bambi’ alongside Migos’ Quavo, taken from Jidenna’s brand-new ‘Boomerang’ EP – and Burna Boy.
With the launch of more new music and a set of live dates he is set to bring his must-see stage presence to, Maleek enters 2018 again confirming his position as one of music’s hottest and most exciting properties.