Akon, the Grammy-nominated music megastar, triumphantly returns after a five-year hiatus with a new single, "Akon's Beautiful Day".
The uplifting anthem, which was released on Friday, October 4, and features a viral hook from a young Jamaican student named Edwards, aims to spread positivity and unity across the globe amidst challenging times.
The release comes on the back of the musician taking a five-year sabbatical.
His last album “Konnect” was released in December 2016, and, since then, he has been spending his time running his record company Konvict Muzik, which has signed the likes of megastars like Lady Gaga and T-Pain.
The Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, record producer and businessman has also worked with African musicians such as the late Costa Titch, Black Coffee as well as Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Wizkid.
But the 51-year-old is ready to step back into the spotlight with his single, which features an interpolation of the viral hook, sung by Edwards, who was 10 years old at the time.
It was released in 2014 after he performed it at school and it went viral.
Akon has since added his own signature elements to the track, including his trademark “Smack That” phrase and his famous catch phrase “Konvict Music”, which is the introduction to many of his hits.
“I like to reference myself metaphorically in my music,” he said.
“Akon’s Beautiful Day”, which is a collaboration with Jkash, JR Rotem and Phillip Phever, also wraps his smooth vocals around this melody as he transforms it into a stadium-style anthem with the support of a choir of children’s voices.
The track blends Akon’s unique sound with a powerful acoustic guitar arrangement, building to a feel good beat and chorus that invites the world to sing along.
It is also being released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of his debut album, “Trouble”, which first launched him into global superstardom with hits like “Locked Up.”
This new track is a powerful message that no matter what you are going through, you can always find light and beauty in life as it centres around the themes of unity and positivity.
In an interview, the “Lonely” hitmaker explained that as the world faces wars, challenges and other hardships, the song is a way to bring people together again.
“I want to bring positivity and spirituality back to music again because to me, music is a spiritual and peaceful thing and I want to use my talent to make people feel good again.”
He added that he has already witnessed the power of his music as he has previously performed in war zones where a ceasefire was only called for the duration of his concert.
“The song is about gratitude, resilience and unity and I hope that it brightens up the darkness that we are all facing and that we focus on the good things and know that every day is a beautiful day,” he added.
And as “Akon’s Beautiful Day” is centred around the hook of Edwards’ viral song, its embodiment of joy during a time of conflict across the globe are sure to resonate with many from all walks of life.
The track, with its uplifting lyrics and catchy beat, has received millions of views across fan videos which were created prior to its release. This signifies the song’s potential to go viral.
Akon described it as “the anthem the world needs right now” and added that it is to remind listeners of the power that music has to heal.
This song has all the makings to bring Akon even greater success.
His career is marked by several achievements, including being the first artist to hold both the number one and number two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 twice. He was also the first to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, his unique style blends Pop, R&B, hip hop and EDM, earning him a massive online following of over 130 million and worldwide sales of 35 million albums.
With five Grammy nominations, 45 Billboard Hot 100 hits, four Diamond records and more than 300 collaborations with legends like Michael Jackson, David Guetta, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne and Eminem, Akon’s influence is unmistakable.