Jamaican singer Omi had a global multiplatinum smash this summer with Cheerleader, which has been number one in 20 countries. The Jamaican pop star explains why his debut album Me 4 U is full of metaphors
Hello Omi! Where are you?
I’m in Ibiza. This is going to sound strange, but there’s a tub in my bedroom and I’m lying in the tub — in my clothes — looking out at the ocean.
It took seven years for Cheerleader to become a hit (1). What is it about the cultural and political landscape that made 2015 the right year for it to break through?
It’s down to the perspective an artist writes from. It’s good that a song can go through time — it’s always good to have some of your songs that are not seasonal, that don’t have an expiry date. The quality of a timeless song is that it’s catchy, meaningful and relatable.
The original version of Cheerleader is great. How did you feel when the label came to you and said: ‘We’ve had it remixed — we’ve fixed it’? Did that make you sad?
You know what, this song is still me. What I love about this particular remix is that Felix really kept true to the essence of the song — he didn’t take away from it. It has all three verses; people are able to sing along; it’s at a reasonable tempo.
Beyond songs about ladies, what’s on your album?
Oh, man, there are so many topics! It’s an album! I made sure not to put too many songs about girls or love. The album is called Me 4 U — it’s like a gift from me to my fans.
The sort of gift for which the recipient can expect to pay?
[Laughs.] No, but it is! And there are other people involved — they all need to get paid.
Seriously, though, what other topics are on the album?
You know, like, what people go through personally. I’ve always been very big on singing from a metaphoric standpoint. You’ll hear a lot of that on this album.
What’s the best metaphor on the album?
That would mean giving away a song title! And I don’t want to give that away just yet. I want it to be a surprise. It’s a gift — I want it to be unwrapped!
Well, your next single is called Hula Hoop and it’s about love winding you up “like a hula hoop”. Would you say feeling like a hula hoop is good or bad?
Well, it’s such a fun song. We had Cheerleader — that was named song of the summer by Billboard. We wanted to do a song that would take us out of summer.
You recently sang Cheerleader on stage with Taylor Swift. What happened? Did she phone you up and say: “Hiya, what are you doing tonight?”
Something like that. What means so much to me isn’t just that this is Taylor Swift, one of the biggest acts in the world right now, but that she wanted me to come on stage. It was a privilege and an honour.
Do you need her?
Do I need her? It depends what you’re talking about ...
Do you think she’s pretty?
I do think she’s pretty.
Does she make you feel like cheating?
No, not really.
In a recent interview, you said you were looking for a woman who knows when to be objective, and when not to be. What does that mean, and is it on your Tinder profile?
I think everybody wants someone who understands them and is able to compromise and meet them halfway. I mean, it goes both ways, you know?
In Cheerleader, you claim to be “the wizard of love”.
Yes, I had a song titled Wizard of Love — that’s where that line comes from. The song was never released ... or at least not yet.
Cheerleader currently has 250m YouTube views; Hula Hoop is on 757,000. How are you going to make up the missing views?
I’ll put in the same amount of work I put into promoting Cheerleader. We’ve captured a fan base now and that’s paved the way for everything else, but we still need to put in the work.
Imagine I’m the genie you mention in Cheerleader. What are your three wishes?
I would try to play the genie: “Grant me three more wishes!” But there’s so much to wish for! You wish for love! You wish for long life and prosperity! You wish to see the people you love become happy! You can’t cover it all in three wishes.
