If you thought pop music reached its peak in the early 2000s with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, think again. MkX shows that the Y2K sparkle never faded; it’s been reimagined with a hyperpop facelift, blending the Max Martin school of punchy pop with SOPHIE’s futuristic sound design.

With more than 9 million streams and a history on the Billboard charts, MkX is far from the new kid in class. He’s collaborated with Kim Petras, TWICE, Ayesha Erotica, and That Kid. The singer has performed on Pride stages across the U.S. in Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and DC (where he casually opened for Doechii in front of 30,000 people, no big deal.) Long before his solo run, MkX was already a road warrior, opening shows for Ariana Grande and Rixton as part of a duo with his sister on drums.

His new single, “UP,” is pure Y2K chaos in the best way: punchy hooks, glossy production, and more bombastic than you would witness back in the day. Inspired by Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, and NSYNC, and co-written with Myah Marie (Britney Spears, Selena Gomez) and Brandon Colbein (Zayn, Kehlani), the track captures nostalgia while remaining timeless. It’s glitter, it’s sweat, it’s futuristic lasers in your headphones. And yes, MkX did track down Janet Jackson’s exact robot dog from the “Doesn’t Really Matter” video just for his cover art, because details matter, darling.

“UP” follows his explosive single “MAN ON A MISSION,” which arrived with a music video directed by Scott McCullough that aired everywhere from MTV Latin America to LA TV. It also builds on the unapologetically camp “WANT U BAD,” which came with a self-produced hyperpop remix and a dance club banger by Grammy-winner Dave Audé. Simply put, MkX is here to stay, reviving an era many thought was long gone.

If you’ve been craving a pop star who truly understands what made 2000s pop so iconic—the hooks, the drama, the choreography, the unapologetic sparkle—MkX is serving it on a 2025 platter. Y2K is making a comeback, and it’s going UP.

Follow MkX: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

Photo credit: Chris Lee