Akon Reveals His Viral Resurgence & New Music Plans on The Spout Podcast

Akon Reveals His Viral Resurgence & New Music Plans on The Spout Podcast – Listen Now!

Legendary music artist Akon has made his highly anticipated return to the music scene, and he sat down for an exclusive interview with Nick Major on The Spout Podcast to discuss his first official release since 2008, the viral resurgence of his hit song “Akon’s Beautiful Day,” his upcoming projects, and his love for bowling and movies, plus so much more.

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During the interview, Akon opened up about the journey behind “Akon’s Beautiful Day,” which gained newfound popularity thanks to a viral TikTok video. The track, originally an old demo from over a decade ago, was reworked after being brought to Akon’s attention by his longtime producer JR Rotem. "I went to Miami to work with JR, and he was like, ‘Bro, I just heard this new record, man. It’s on TikTok; it's viral. You gotta redo it—sounds like something you would do,’" Akon recalled. "When he played it for me, and I was like ‘Oh My God! This is one of our older records.’ It felt like the perfect time... and I feel like this was a sign. And plus, the time that we were in, it needed a message like this, for sure.”

As for his musical future, Akon is far from just dropping a single. He’s planning a full album, titled Not Guilty, with a release likely to arrive in February 2025. But before that, Akon promises new music for his fans, revealing his next single. “So, every time we drop the record, we always attach it to a major full body of work and give you a full experience because our idea is to bring back music and in a scope to where there's a theme that's attached to it that actually, you can go away with, you know, really reflecting on yourself in a, in every way that you can imagine,” he explained. He urges his fans to get ready for the next single, “Akon’s Money” saying it “will probably drop next month or early January.”

When asked about potential collaborations on the new album, Akon teased some major surprises. “Collab is what I do best. I definitely be surprising you guys with some most amazing collabs in 2025. So, look forward to it,” he said, hinting at some big-name artists joining him on Not Guilty.

Reflecting on his legendary career, Akon recalled some of his most iconic collaborations, including “Sweet Escape” with Gwen Stefani and his unforgettable partnership with Michael Jackson on “Hold My Hand.” When asked how it feels to collaborate alongside some of the industry's most iconic figures, Akon told Major that it’s “hard to describe.” He explained, “As a child, you grow up listening to this, you grow up looking up to this person, and then you get the chance to actually create with this person. It’s a surreal environment that you actually face. And then it, like, you lose words on how to even explain it but just know it’s probably the best feeling you’re ever going to go through."

The interview also touched on Akon’s role in discovering and nurturing new talent like Lady Gaga and T-Pain. He shared the story of how he first heard T-Pain, noting how his brother introduced him to his music, and Akon thought it was his own voice on the track. "It was interesting because when he brought me the song that T-Pain did, it was a re-invention of ‘Locked Up’. His was called ‘I'm F'd Up’... And then when I heard it, you know, we was all shocked. We actually thought it was me on the record,” says Akon about the first time he heard T-Pain. “He sounded so much like me, man. I was like, ‘Man, this kid is out of here.’ But then when I heard all the other records that he was working on, I felt like this was somebody we wanted to add to the family.”

Akon also offered advice to up-and-coming artists hoping to break into the industry. "Stay as original as possible," he urged. "The more original you are, the quicker you’ll be to stand out.”

The conversation also delved into Akon’s philanthropic efforts, particularly his groundbreaking Akon Lighting Africa initiative. What started as a project to bring electricity to remote African villages has now expanded into a profitable business, lighting up 16 countries across the continent, and improving the lives of millions of people. “It’s been one of the most impactful projects I’ve ever been a part of,” Akon shared.

When he’s not in the studio or on the road, Akon revealed that his downtime is spent indulging in two favorite hobbies: bowling and going to the movies. "I'm a huge movie buff. You’ll find me in a movie theater wherever I’m at,” he said with a laugh. "And when I’m not at the movies, I love to bowl.”

Akon did not have any movie recommendations due to this hectic schedule but shared his excitement for the upcoming Gladiator II movie, starring Denzel Washington. "I'm looking forward to going to see that Gladiator with Denzel," he said.

Tune in for the full interview with AKON on The Spout Podcast NOW. The Spout Podcast can be heard on Spotify, iHeart, Apple Podcas t, Amazon Music, or any other major podcasting platform.