Omi comes out on top for 2015
TO say 2015 was big for singer OMI would be an understatement. German producer Felix Jaehn’s remix of his 2012 song, Cheerleader, was one of the year’s biggest hits.
Cheerleader transformed OMI’s fortunes and made him a global star. The single topped charts in more than 15 countries including major markets in the United Kingdom (for five weeks) and the United States where it was number one for four weeks.
“It was a great year for me. I can’t complain. Between the release of my debut album and the epic stages I was so privileged to grace, it’s hard to select a particular highlight,” he told
Splash.
OMI joined an elite band of Jamaican artistes who have made number one in the US. That list includes Shaggy and Sean Paul.
“Getting a number one song in the US is a dream for every artiste. The business is tough and it takes a lot of work, so it definitely is a major accomplishment,” he said.
Cheerleader has been certified triple platinum (sales of over three million copies in the US). It went six times platinum in Sweden, four times platinum in Australia, two times platinum in Denmark, three times platinum in Germany, double platinum in the UK, and two times platinum in Canada. It was certified gold in South Africa.
It earned OMI a guest spot on pop star Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour. He also performed at the Allianz Arena in Munich, following the German League Cup final between Bayern Munich and Mainz.
Signed to Ultra Music (a subsidiary of Sony Music), OMI’s debut album
Me 4 U was released in October but has not fared as well. It opened with over 8,000 copies in its first week in the United States and debuted at number 51 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
Its follow-up single,
Hula Hoop, peaked at number eight in Australia, where it has been certified gold.
The Clarendon-born artiste plans to step up promotion for
Me 4 U in the new year.
“For 2016, I’m looking forward to keeping on the same track with doing good music and gaining more fans around the world. There definitely will be a lot of touring and promos, so I’m gearing up for that as well.”
