Omi celebrates 10 years of ‘Cheerleader’; gets attention from ‘Swifties’
Published:Tuesday | August 27, 2024 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
In the era of all things Taylor Swift, Jamaican singer, Omi, has been lucky to grab some headlines in the UK press, which is approving of every move the leader of the ‘Swifties’ makes.
On August 15, the same day Swift’s Eras Tour kicked off in the UK, the Mirror, the Daily Record and the Liverpool Echo all echoed similar stories – but with different headlines – proclaiming just how honoured Omi was to perform his smash hit, Cheerleader, with Taylor Swift in 2015. They also mentioned that it was 10 years since the release of Cheerleader.
“My dreams came true when I performed with Taylor Swift – I want her to invite me again” one headline said, while another stated, ‘Taylor Swift invited me on private jet – that’s not the only dream she fulfilled’ and the third noted that ‘Cheerleader’ singer Omi asks Taylor Swift for duet in lead-up to Liverpool anniversary show’.
“Taylor is currently on her record-breaking Eras tour, which will bring her back to London on August 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20 - and people have been going wild for it on social media. After her gig in Wembley in June, Taylor herself tweeted a picture of herself, her boyfriend Travis Kelce, Prince William and Princess Charlotte, with the caption: ‘Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start’,” all three news outlets gushed.
Omi shared stories about “hanging out” with the multi-Grammy award-winning American singer/songwriter “on her private jet after the show” and his shock at how big his song really was.
“That’s one of the moments it really hit me, the magnitude of the Cheerleader track how it quickly became a worldwide hit! I remember thinking to myself ‘Taylor Swift invited me! To perform with her! what!’” Omi is quoted as saying.
The “reflection” from the Hula Hoop singer comes while he is celebrating the tenth anniversary of Cheerleader, his mammoth global hit which has enjoyed five times platinum status, following its Felix Jaehn remix. Cheerleader was released in November 2014.
Currently,, there is more going on for Omi other than going back in time. The present sees him gearing up to visit Japan in October courtesy of DME World and Contractor Music, and he is super excited. “I am looking forward to meeting all of my fans and having a great time. I cannot wait to see you all and celebrate 10 years of Cheerleader and more,” said Omi, whose new single, Poker Face, will be released on August 30.
CEO of Contractor Music, Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards, shared how the Japan link came to life.
“An associate of mine has been in Japan for 27 years and he needed an artiste I’m associated with to perform over there. I wanted Sean Kingston but because of his legal troubles I opted out. But I needed an artiste with global appeal and Cheerleader by Omi was a global hit. I know Omi’s manager well. He is the son of Clifton Specialist Dillon and so I contacted him, and everything worked out smoothly,” Edwards said.
He added that the Japan stop will be a part of Omi’s official Cheerleader Anniversary Tour.
Omi has performed in reggae-loving Japan before, doing concerts at various clubs a few years ago. “This time around I even incorporated a show at a military base,” Edwards shared.