Friends Like These: Zara Larsson and MNEK

How did both MNEK and Zara Larsson both end up singing on their smash-hit single ‘Never Forget You’? Well, it all came down to them writing a song so good that they both wanted it.

Meeting at a session in LA in March 2015, they crafted the electro-pop banger in a matter of hours. “After we wrote ‘Never Forget You’, I was just like, ‘this shit’s easy’” Zara jokes of their time writing together. “I couldn’t have asked for a better first session!”

MNEK adds: “And you know what’s crazy, once we had the song done we were both like ‘oh this is so exciting, we love this song’. We had your demo version that we recorded on the day, and I went back to the UK, and I was like ‘I wouldn’t be mad if I sang this song, it’s a pretty decent tune, it’s a bit of a banger!”

“It worked out so well,” says Zara of the final product. “I think we both just add our own different flavour to it, and together it sounds so nice, as obviously we have very different voices. Them coming together, it’s so soothing to my ears”.

MNEK agrees: “I still love that song, and I have so many memories of us performing it, and me coming to Sweden, and doing it in America. I’ve always enjoyed doing this song with you, especially after we got to know each other after doing promo together!”

Five years on, the two artists have continued to work together (on Larsson’s ‘Ain’t My Fault’ and ‘What They Say’) and remain pals. For NME‘s Friends Like These video series, the pair interviewed each other about their karaoke anthems, what motivates them as a musicians and their new songs ‘Love Me Land’ and ‘Head & Heart’. Watch the full video above.

Zara Larsson’s ‘Love Me Land’ and Joel Corry x MNEK’s ‘Head & Heart’ are both out now