By Ryan Bazinet
If you want to truly know who you are, sometimes you need to go back to your roots. For
the singer Nikena, those roots are in Jamaica, though she was raised in Brooklyn, NY. On
her forthcoming full-length album, This Is Me, her influences find their full expression.
One single off the album, “Hold Me,” starts off with a sparse and sexy backing track,
teasing a Caribbean beat while a marimba plays four chords on a loop. The singer,
Nikena, sets the scene: she locks eyes with a man across the room as she dances – or
“wines,” as they say in the West Indies.
Once Nikena and her admirer approach one another, the dancehall reggae beat drops.
Nikena invites him to use the beat, singing “show me what you can do.”
The way you’re watching me wine
I can tell you like the way I move
It’s you and me on the dance floor
Boy, show me what you can do
Hold me… hold me like you know me
The blueprint for Nikena’s sound was established when she burst onto the music scene in
2019 with the infectious “Water.” The song featured an upbeat rhythm, steel drum
accompaniment, and lyrics describing a dance floor – or moment with a dance partner –
so hot that the singer needs “more water.”
Those elements combined with a modern R&B sound to establish Nikena’s distinctive and
sultry sound. “Water” will be featured on the forthcoming album, which makes sense:
Nikena says the album was born with this song.
“This is me was born when I released my first single, ‘Water’… I knew then that I wanted to
create a full project to introduce myself to the world”
Now, after six singles in 6 years, Nikena is set to release her album, This Is Me, in August.
If the first singles are any indication, This Is Me will feature a diverse tapestry of sound.
While “Hold Me” and “Water” have strong Caribbean flavors, the sweet love song
“Surprise” explores a different style range, with a laid back vibe and a catchy electric
guitar riff reminiscent of Ed Sheeran or John Mayer. A music video for “Surprise” is slated
for June 20th.
The diversity of the album reflects the complexity of the artist herself. Raised on R&B
divas like Brandy, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, and Aaliyah – who she says first inspired
her to become a singer – Nikena also loves the music of her homeland. She always loved
Bob Marley as well as dancehall artists like Vybz Kartel and Elephant Man, and says
female dancehall singers like Ce’cile and Alaine helped inspire her sound.
“Alaine always stood out to me because she brought that R&B vibe to reggae,” Nikena
says. “At that time, there weren’t many female singers in dancehall. It was mostly DJs. So
seeing someone like her with a voice like mine was incredibly inspiring.”
Much of Nikena’s songwriting is focused on love and heartbreak, but with the new project
she is pushing into uplifting themes of spiritual and personal growth. “I want to write music
that helps people through hard times,” she says. “That lifts them out of depression or
anxiety, like Bob Marley did for me growing up.”
That quote points to the deeper purpose behind This Is Me. On the surface, listeners may
hear songs about heartbreak. But underneath it all is a yearning to connect – with her
listeners and herself; with her roots and her present sound.
“It’s about embracing who I am right now,” Nikena says. “Even if it doesn’t fully represent everything about me, it’s honest to this moment. And that’s okay. As I grow, I’ll keep revealing more. For now, this is me.”
Follow Nikena on her website and on social media to be sure you don’t miss This Is Me.
It’s sure to make your summer extra hot.