In 2017, NIKI garnered attention after being the first female artist signed to Asian American record label 88rising. Since then, NIKI has continued to make waves in the music industry. At just 25 years old, the Indonesian singer-songwriter has performed in various music festivals, featured on a Marvel soundtrack, and sold out her own tour. From her genre-less repertoire to her unyielding duty to the Asian community, NIKI has nothing but her incredible passion to thank.
In anticipation for the release of her upcoming single, “Too Much Of A Good Thing,” EnVi has put together seven facts we think you should know about NIKI.
Before NIKI
Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nicole Zefanya has been singing for as long as she can remember. Influenced by her mom’s singing at her church, NIKI wished to be entangled in the world of music by any means possible. With the introduction to the sound of R&B and admiration for pop icon Taylor Swift, she picked up a guitar and a pencil, stirring the beginning of a loving relationship between language and words. Slowly gravitating towards the indie, folk, and country scene further down the road, Nicole’s proficiency in sound and singing continued to take shape through her years as the front woman of her private Christian school’s band. It wasn’t until her performance in Taylor Swift’s concert where the blossoming musician discovered her love of performing.
The Birth of the MOONCHILD
Winning a nationwide music contest hosted by the ice cream brand Cornetto, the fifteen-year-old singer obtained the opportunity to serve as the opening act for Taylor Swift’s The Red Tour show in Indonesia. Through this momentous event, NIKI not only solidified her fondness for performances, but it kickstarted her ambition to document her musical journey via personal YouTube channel nzee24. Nicole took advantage of this media medium and used it as her second outlet of expression where she uploaded life vlogs, behind the scenes, song covers, but most importantly, original song pieces. Invested in the folk and indie genre, Nicole freely expressed her deepest emotions and innocent adolescence one upload at a time.
After graduating from her secondary school, Nicole moved to Nashville, Tennessee where she studied music at a Christian liberal arts university. She had no initial plans and solely relied on the traditional life route – attend a college, attain a degree, and figure it out the rest she goes. Before making her arrival in college, the artist buried her musical testimonies from her channel and left Nicole behind with it. In July 2017, though, NIKI made her official debut with her first R&B single “See U Never” catching the attention of renowned Asian American record label 88rising. As she began her relationship with the label, NIKI began to work with the team and became the first female artist to sign with 88rising. NIKI traveled between locations in Nashville and Los Angeles, causing her to miss class and split her life in two. NIKI eventually came to the courageous decision to halt her education and pursue her long awaited professional music career in the City of Angels alongside various talented producers and fellow creatives.
Nicole
Although now archived, NIKI’s old songs made an appearance for her sophomore album Nicole – an emotional project paying tribute to her younger self. Across twelve tracks with the artist’s distinguished R&B-pop infused sound and peaks of folk-inspired instrumentations, NIKI invites her high school student self to take over the album’s narrative full of adolescent reflection, emotional turmoil, and self-navigating through your youth. Taking inspiration from Taylor Swift’s remasters on her classic hits, NIKI re-recorded and reinvisions her favorite original productions (which old fans may be familiar with) and fresh new original tracks which were never made public. The emotive story-packed album was produced during the peak of pandemic in the midst of lockdowns and isolation, a pause in time where she allowed herself to look back on her past and re-position herself in both life and artistry. Until today, Nicole stands as one of NIKI’s most streamed albums in her discography with fans continuing to accumulate millions of streams day by day.
La La Lost On NIKI’s Genre-less Sound
One thing that makes NIKI stand out is her non-existent tie between her music and categorized genres. Exploring various sounds through numerous blends of genres, instruments, and poetic lyricism, NIKI has never feared experimenting different kinds of music in order to create the by-product of her mind, emotions, and artistry. With examples of old-school R&B with underlying pop and neo-soul elements in her album Zephyr (2018) and alternative R&B mixed with the fusion genre of electro-pop in MOONCHILD (2020), NIKI showcases her appreciation towards music as she designs arrangements as a representation of her musical upbringings.
NIKI’s passion for music shines brightly throughout her vulnerable and raw self-composed tracks, both conceptually and environmentally. On a mission to always be authentic and truthful in her music, NIKI hopes to have listeners live life by similar means. Through her cathartic songwriting sessions, the singer crafts poignant and relatable lyrics which have listeners hanging on every word. From the scarring heartbreaks to the pivotal events in life, each song carries a pictorial narrative enabling listeners to resonate and self-reflect alongside NIKI.
wanna take this to COACHELLA?
Making history in one of the largest music festivals in the United States, NIKI became the first Indonesian female artist to perform in Coachella 2022. She performed hits from her repertoire with fan-favorite tracks such as “Every Summertime,” “La La Lost You,” and “Indigo.” In addition to her fiery setlist, NIKI presented a special performance covering a classic song of the veteran rock-pop band Andra and The Backbone’s “Sempurna” in dedication to her family who were in the crowd and on behalf of her hometown Jakarta, Indonesia. Rocking both elegant and glamorous outfits in her riveting performances, NIKI entranced a crowd of thousands with her unfiltered playful charisma and heavenly vocals from beginning to end, proving her tied fate to shine on stage. NIKI doesn’t stop here as proceeded with her impactful performances in acclaimed music festivals and concerts such as Head in the Clouds, Lollapalooza, NPR’s Tiny Desk concert, and her sold out world tour.
The Symbol Of Asian Musicians
Undoubtedly, NIKI has paved a path for a generation of Asian artists and visionaries in the creative industry. Her transparency in lyricism never goes unnoticed. Not only does NIKI pose as a physical portrayal for many, but she is also an influential figure in media and music who uses her voice to tell the stories, culture, and experiences of members across the Asian diaspora. As she celebrates heritage and community through music and visual production, NIKI hopes to motivate Asian faces everywhere and push the message that you can pursue your dreams.
Newsflash! Introverted Performer?
Many times in life we are told to fake it till we make it, but NIKI does this every time she has to step into the daunting spotlight — she tricks her brain into thinking her anxiety is excitement, and her body follows suit. It’s a pretty popular belief that if you’re famous, then you must love the attention. But for NIKI, this couldn’t be further from the truth. At her core, NIKI is an introvert in every sense of the word. NIKI has shared that being introverted is something she has grappled with ever since she was a teen, and once she was thrust into the limelight it became much harder for her. Despite her desire to not be perceived, NIKI adores music and it’s this passion that pushes her out of her shell. Creating music reminds her why she endures the discomfort being a public figure brings because not many people get to do what she does. She feels as though music is bigger than her, that it’s a universal language that brings people together and she can’t sacrifice that for anything — even if it’s difficult at times.
Make sure to pre-save NIKI’s upcoming single “Too Much Of A Good Thing” out on May 3 here! Catch up with NIKI and follow her on X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook!
Want to add more female artists in your playlists? Check out EnVi’s seven things installment about Palestinian Canadian artist Nemahsis here!
