| Imanbek | |
| Native Name: | Иманбек |
| Birth Name: | Imanbek Maratuly Zeikenov |
| Birth Date: | 21 October 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Aksu, Kazakhstan |
| Occupation: | DJ, Record producer |
| Years Active: | 2019–present |
Imanbek Maratuly Zeikenov (Kazakh: Иманбек Маратұлы Зейкенов|İmanbek Maratūly Zeikenov, in Kazakh pronounced as /əjmɑnbʲek zʲejkʲenəf/; born 21 October 2000), known professionally as Imanbek, is a Kazakh DJ and record producer. In 2019, he became known for his remix of Saint Jhn's "Roses". In 2021, Imanbek won a Grammy for his remix of "Roses", becoming the first Grammy recipient from Kazakhstan, and the first Grammy award winner in a non-classical category from within the CIS.
Born in Kazakhstan, he comes from Aksu and has played the guitar since the age of 8. He studied and worked in rail transport (at one point he worked at the Aksu railway station), but has been engaged in music production since 2017. His remix of "Roses" by Guyanese-American rapper Saint Jhn brought him international attention. (The remix was done without Saint Jhn's involvement as Zeikenov's attempts to contact him on Instagram failed and he did not receive a reply.[1]) It has appeared in the charts throughout Europe including Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, India and Sweden, becoming number 1 on Shazam World.[2] Based on the success and popularity of the remix, the original song recorded in 2016 appeared on the US Billboard chart, the UK Singles Chart and other charts in Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and Ireland in 2019. He has signed with the Russian label Effective Records [3] and released his first song on KSHMR's label Dharma Worldwide, a sublabel of Spinnin Records. On 24 November 2020, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Remixed Recording for his remix of Saint Jhn's Roses.
On 12 February 2021, Imanbek released Bang, a collaborative 4-track extended play (EP) with English singer Rita Ora. It was released simultaneously alongside its lead single "Big" with French DJ David Guetta and featuring American rapper Gunna. Argentine trap artist Khea features on the song "Mood" which also appears on the EP.[4]
On 15 March 2021, Imanbek won a Grammy for his remix of "Roses", becoming the first person from Kazakhstan to win a Grammy.[5]
In May 2021, Imanbek won the 2021 Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. He received the award for his remix “Roses” originally released by Saint Jhn in 2016.[6]
On 11 June 2021, Imanbek released his new song "Sweet Dreams" with English-Norwegian producer Alan Walker. The music video was uploaded to Alan Walker's official channel. The music video currently has 24 million views. He released a remix contest of Sweet Dreams in partnership with the digital workstation, FL Studio and Alan Walker.
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS [8] [9] | AUS [10] | GER [11] | ITA [12] | NLD [13] | NZ [14] | SWE [15] | SWI [16] | UK [17] | US [18] | |||||||
| "Roses" (Imanbek remix) (with Saint Jhn) | 2019 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | While the World Was Burning | ||||
| "I'm Just Feelin' (Du Du Du)" (with Martin Jensen) | 2020 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | 99 [26] | — | — | — | rowspan="4" | ||||
| "Brother Louie" (with Vize and Dieter Bohlen featuring Leony) | — | — | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Blackout"[27] (featuring Tory Lanez) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Too Much" (with Marshmello featuring Usher) | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Kill Me Better"[28] (with Don Diablo featuring Trevor Daniel) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Forever | |||||
| "Goodbye" (with Goodboys) | 124 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | — | ||||||
| "Big" (with Rita Ora and David Guetta featuring Gunna) | 2021 | — | — | 95 | — | — | — | — | 68 | 53 | — | Bang | ||||
| "Bang Bang" (with Rita Ora) | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Leck" (with Morgenshtern and Fetty Wap featuring Kddk) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="3" | |||||
| "Dancing on Dangerous"[29] (with Sean Paul featuring Sofia Reyes) | 17 | — | — | 37 [30] | 44 | — | — | 90 | — | — | ||||||
| "Baddest"[32] (with Cher Lloyd) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Sweet Dreams" (with Alan Walker) | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Walker Racing League | |||||
| "Fighter"[33] (with LP) | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="9" | |||||
| "Runaway"[34] (with Hollywood Undead) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Go Crazy"[35] (with Lil Xan and Kddk) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Ordinary Life"[36] (with Wiz Khalifa and Kddk featuring Kiddo) | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Belly Dancer" (with Byor) | — | — | 7 | — | 12 | — | 92 [37] | 16 | — | — |
| |||||
| "Ocean of Tears"[38] (with Dvbbs) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Fake"[39] (with Crazy Donkey and Brando featuring Paradigm) | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Sunglasses"[40] (with Baby B3ns) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "No Sleep"[41] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | ||||||||||||||||
Imanbek has a number of other releases, most notably:
| Award | Year | Nominee(s) | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | 2021 | "Roses" (Imanbek Remix) | Best Remixed Recording | [44] | |
| UK Music Video Awards | 2021 | "Goodbye" (with Goodboys) | Best Dance/Electronic Video - UK | [45] References |