Growing up in Santa Cruz, California, Melaku started writing and singing before he was even 5 years old, and developed a passion for 60s and 70s retro sound, which he now transforms into creative, spiritually-enriched pop music. His new single, ‘The Underdog’, was produced by Melaku, and written by Gary Benson, and urges listeners to channel their energy into rising above even their hardest challenges.
Melaku moved to New York City, where he attended Columbia University, and did an internship with Jive Records. From there he signed a management deal, to write songs for a range of major label producers, leading to his own desire to produce original songs. After spending a few summers recording in LA, back home in California, he started releasing his own music, independently, in 2018. He caught the eye of indie magazines, and started charting on indie radio around the US, with his thoughtful lyricism, imbued with a Motown feel, giving listeners a nostalgic and relatable sound to vibe with.
‘The Underdog’ was originally written as a reggae track, but with Melaku and Benson’s collaboration, it was turned into a touching ballad, perfect for Melaku’s gorgeous tones, and the simple piano melody, laid back percussion, and electric guitar ensuring its transformation. The way Melaku is able to relate to the song is patently clear – the artist has felt like an underdog in the past, having health struggles, and living as a mixed-raced person, meaning it wasn’t the easiest thing to break into the music industry – and so he’s always supportive of the underdog, the one who “ain’t gonna break, ’cause that’s who he is”. He’s singing about himself as much as anyone else.
In the music video for ‘The Underdog’, produced by Melaku, we see him in clips standing centre stage, behind the mic, joined by his friend, Michael Martinez on piano, as he pours out his whole heart into the lyrics. These scenes are overlaid with clips of vintage sports, featuring some of the greatest athletes of all time, who were at some stage considered underdogs. Beautifully inspirational, both song and video showcase what it means to be able to stand up for what you believe in, and keep fighting, and never give up, no matter what challenges are in our way.
You can watch the beautiful music video for ‘The Underdog’ below, and follow Melaku online for more about this wonderful artist and his music, on his official website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
