MNEK, REVERSE!! | Beaming with Pride

In the 64^th edition of Beaming with Pride (2026), we highlight “REVERSE!!” performed by British pop singer, songwriter, and producer MNEK. 

[nx_dropcap]A[/nx_dropcap]re you ready to beam with P-R-I-D-E? Beaming with Pride highlights songs by LGBTQ musicians and allies, offering background, analysis, and discussion of the decadent bops served up. All genres are welcome, and both classics and new songs are recognized. So, without further ado, in the 64^th  edition of Beaming with Pride (2026), we highlight “REVERSE!!” performed by MNEK.

[nx_pullquote]“Okay, work, I can make a thug really twerk / I can make a thug really switch, call it Uzo reverse / I can turn his duffel to a purse / He ain’t never been about the booty, but the booty go berserk.”[/nx_pullquote] Wow 😮! Those abilities, MNEK (Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike), have got me totally speechless 😶 and SAT 🪑! “REVERSE!!” is fierce and unique from the first time you listen to it – quite unusual.  But, its unusual nature is part of the charm, not to mention that it’s incredibly G-A-Y 🌈 (“The king is queening out (Is queening out) / Dancin’ like his girlfriend ain’t around”)! Oh, snap! He composed and produced the opener from his sophomore album, BULLDOZER!!.

“REVERSE!!” is a distinct, one-of-a-kind track.  That’s an understatement! It begins with boisterous sound effects.  This marks the first example of ambition that characterizes the backdrop and record overall.  Following those sound effects, MNEK starts going H.A.M. with agile, rhythmic, almost melodically rapped lines, excerpted earlier.  He’s accompanied by a hard-hitting, percussive beat.  Later, an abundance of colorful cues and sounds keeps “REVERSE!!” engaging.  He has transformational power, turning thugs, um, gayer… queerer… He brags, “Make a hood classic sound like a sweet lullaby,” in the refrain, and adds in the first verse, “I could turn a bad boy to a bad bitch in seconds.”

There’s also the striking chorus, excerpted earlier as well, where “He don’t play pop but he’s still poppin’ it.” At times, MNEK’s vocals are smoother, more legato, and more refined.   At other times, vocal sound effects contribute to “REVERSE!!” being one of the production showcases of 2026.  By the outro, MNEK convinces us, “Oh, I can make a thug really twerk for me.” To reiterate, “REVERSE!!” is something else.  I can truly attest to the fact, that in 2026, I have not heard another pop record that sounds like this.