by pankhuri bhutani
photo courtesy of nikitaa
Describing her sound as “goddess pop,” this artist hails from Mumbai, India. Garnering over 2.5 million views on her YouTube channel, NIKITAA is an artist to follow! Having a goddess-like persona in all her songs, NIKITAA has won the hearts of millions of people.
Recently releasing her new track “Clutch,” NIKITAA gained over 1.2 million views in just a span of two months. Being a singer as well as a songwriter, NIKITAA has big plans to pen down songs that shout empowerment, femininity, and power. Having created some magnificent songs, NIKITAA is going way up on the path to success.
To talk about music journey along with her recent single, NIKITAA took out some of her time for an interview with Unclear Magazine!
Hello NIKITAA! Thank you for joining us at Unclear Magazine. Kindly tell us something about yourself.
Nikitaa: “Thank you so much for having me! I’m a singer/songwriter/producer previously based in Los Angeles, and now based out of my hometown Mumbai in India. I like to call my genre of music goddess pop.”
When was the moment you decided to start your journey as a music artist?
N: “I’ve been writing poetry since I was three, started writing lyrics when I was 12. And I’ve had plenty of training of all kinds vocally and musically since early childhood. I remember being three and announcing to my mother that I wanted to be on a stage and perform, but I didn’t take my career as an artist seriously until I was about 19. I threw myself much harder into my vocal training and left the year after for Los Angeles to attend Musicians Institute and then work out of LA! It’s where I found most of the core team I work with now.”
What were the challenges that you faced during this journey and how did you cope up with them?
N: “I think the biggest challenge you face as a woman — and specifically a woman of color — in this industry is people telling you what to do and how your art should look or sound. I cannot tell you how many times I have had my work praised, only to then be told that in order to be successful I would have to shed everything unique about myself as an artist and about my music (including aspects of my culture, my roots) and fit a cookie cutter mould. The only way to cope with it is putting all your faith in yourself, and your vision. Yes, constructive criticism is important, but it is also important to discern between those that criticize to help and those that criticize to influence and sway you. At the end of the day your uniqueness — the things that make you, YOU — are your superpower!”
Who do you consider to be the biggest source of inspiration?
N: “I used to have artists that I drew inspiration from, but lately I’ve been drawing inspiration from my friends and the conversations we share. Apart from that, I always love to draw on powerful feminine archetypes — the Goddess, the High Priestess, the Wild Woman, etc. I draw inspiration from that resilient and magical feminine energy and symbolism that has stood the test of time.”
If you could choose one word to describe your music, what might it be and why?
N: “I like using the word ethereal. To me, my music is definitely a key aspect of my spirituality. You’ll always find me crafting metaphors around archetypes and Goddesses and the Universe. It’s one of the reasons why I call my sound goddess pop!”
What can the fans expect from your music in the future?
N: “They can definitely expect more of it! I have another single called ‘Goddess’ coming out on July 10, and it is definitely cementing the tone of my brand — I want to continue to create empowering, fun, interesting and powerful music.”
What are the things that you put into your mind before creating your music?
N: “Usually if I already have a theme or idea in mind, I start to create a mental storyboard of all the things I associate with that idea or theme — colors, sounds, places, memories, feelings. I then approach the song — the lyrics, melody and production — from that standpoint of invoking and bringing that mental storyboard to life. Sometimes I don’t have a theme in mind and I like to keep my mind as blank as possible. I’ll avoid listening to any music, and to come in with a calm energy. It feels very freeing, like I have the ability to explore and experiment to my heart’s content!”
You recently released your new track “Clutch.” Congratulations on that! What message were you trying to convey through that track?
N: “Thank you so much! I was still in music school in LA when I wrote Clutch. I’m a light-skinned South Asian woman, and I’ve been told very often that I look racially ambiguous. Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by men who started to fetishize me, and fetishize that ambiguity. I viscerally felt them watching me, thinking the way I dressed, talked, walked, everything — was for their consumption. I wanted to write a song to let all of those men know that my body is for me. My pleasure is for me. And that if you’re standing here talking to me, it’s because I’m letting you. It felt like an unapologetic reclamation of power to write a song that outright stated what I wanted especially romantically and sensually.”
Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans?
N: “Thank you all for supporting independent artists like me, and art in general! In times like these — with a pandemic and such powerful movements for justice around the world — art is something that grounds everybody, brings them joy, and creates a space for us to just feel out our feelings or blow off steam. I feel grateful to be one of the many that can bring you that space. I don’t think anyone can imagine a world without art, and I don’t think any artist can imagine any amount of success without the support of their patrons — you guys! I hope you’re all staying safe and doing whatever you feel capable of to help yourself and those around you!”