The club is closing, the lights come on, and nobody wants to go home. That's the feeling MkX captures in the brand-new video for "MAKE U DANCE", a seductive, unapologetically pop single that takes the afterparty to an empty parking lot.
Who Is MkX?
MkX does everything as loudly as possible. The LA-based singer, songwriter and producer combines an encyclopedic knowledge of pop with a visual world rooted in late-'90s and early-2000s nostalgia and futuristic electronic production. He writes and produces his own music and also builds the multimedia visuals and technology behind his live shows.
His résumé is serious. He co-wrote and produced "Young & Wild" for TWICE, on their platinum-selling No. 1 EP YES or YES, and has writing and production credits for Kim Petras, Ayesha Erotica, 6arelyhuman, That Kid and CupcakKe. His own music has racked up nearly 18 million independent streams, reached No. 29 on the Billboard Dance Chart, No. 25 on the Mediabase Dance Chart and No. 3 on Apple's iTunes Electronic Chart. He's had co-signs from Troye Sivan, SZA and the Black Eyed Peas, and has played Central Park SummerStage, the Troubadour, WorldPride, WeHo Pride and Pride Toronto. Before graduating from Berklee College of Music, he played hundreds of shows and opened for Ariana Grande and Christina Perri.
The Most Unapologetically Pop Song Yet
"MAKE U DANCE" was written by MkX with Brandon Colbein (KATSEYE, ILLIT, Jonas Brothers) and Myylo (Dorian Electra, Zolita), and produced by MkX. In his words, "my goal was to create the most unapologetically pop song in my discography." He also has a theory about it: "There's really a science to creating a song that gets stuck in people's heads." The single is climbing the Mediabase Dance Chart, where it has reached No. 44, with radio adds including Revolution 99.7, KGAY 103.1 and Pulse 87.
A Video Born in a Parking Lot
The video came from a real night out. "Once the club closed for the night, no one was ready to go home. So we all went to the parking lot and made our own club," MkX says. "We blasted music and danced together and it was honestly way more fun than the actual club."
Directed by Andy Koeger and choreographed by Ian McKenzie, who has worked with Lady Gaga, the video channels the larger-than-life pop visuals MkX grew up with. It follows him through full-out dance numbers at a late-night parking lot party, where he crosses paths with a love interest, capturing that instant chemistry of meeting someone on the dancefloor.
A Tip for Independent Artists
Writing, producing and building your own visuals is a lot of work, so the release side should be easy. If you're putting out your own tracks, DistroKid (affiliate link) gets your music onto Spotify, Apple Music and other major platforms, and this link gives you 7% off your membership.
What Do You Think?
What's the best afterparty you've ever ended up at? And which early-2000s pop video still lives in your head? Tell me in the comments!
