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Niykee Heaton

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Niykee Heaton
Niykee Heaton in 2015
Born
Nicolet Aleta Heaton

(1994-12-04) December 4, 1994 (age 29)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • model
OrganizationNaturyl by NBK[1]
Spouse
Jeff Logan
​
(m. 2019)​
Children2
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active2011–present
Labels
Websiteniykeeheatonmusic.com

Nicolet Aleta Heaton; born December 4, 1994), better known by her stage name Niykee Heaton, is an American singer, songwriter and model. She was discovered through her YouTube channel after uploading acoustic guitar covers of contemporary hits, most notably hip hop songs, that went viral. In 2014, Heaton released her debut single "Bad Intentions" and an extended play of the same name. The single charted on Billboard and became gold-certified by the RIAA.

Heaton embarked on her first headlining concert tour, The Bedroom Tour, in late 2015, and released the similarly titled mixtape, The Bedroom Tour Playlist, on March 18, 2016. The mixtape compiled remastered material she had previously shared online for free streaming and debuted for her live shows during the tour. Her follow-up EP, Starting Over, was released in 2018 through Capitol Records.

Early and personal life

Nicolet Aleta Logan was born on December 4, 1994,[2] in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Geneva, Illinois, but she has noted she has a stronger connection to the time she spent in her mother's native South Africa.[3][4]

After writing her first song at age five and teaching herself to play guitar at nine, Heaton dedicated her childhood years to making music. Despite realizing early on that she wanted to be a musician, she never saw herself as a performer and just wanted to make music, developing a stage fright. She gave herself vocal training by singing along to a Diana Ross greatest-hits CD, since her family couldn't financially support her musical education. Heaton has an older brother and also had a sister Rachel, who beat liver cancer but died in 2007 at age 21 while waiting for a second liver transplant, whom she regularly notes taking inspiration from. Heaton also struggled with bullying throughout her school years. She married actor, model, personal trainer and entrepreneur Jeff Logan on July 14, 2019, and gave birth to their first son on May 1, 2020.[5][6][7][8]

Career

Heaton (right) performing at the El Rey Theatre as part of the Bedroom Tour in 2015

In 2011, while still enrolled in high school, Heaton began uploading clips recorded in her bedroom on YouTube, including covers of contemporary hit songs along with occasional originals, for which she accompanied herself on acoustic guitar. In December 2012, her cover of Chief Keef's "Love Sosa" particularly was featured on the website WorldStarHipHop, promptly helping to propel Heaton to prominence, and subsequently taking meetings with several record labels.[9][10] Heaton graduated high school six months early and self-financed the recording of a host of her own songs, opting to take a step back and build "a catalog that we were proud of" with her manager Lauren, eventually signing with All Def Digital in 2014, a YouTube-based label founded by Steve Rifkind and Def Jam-founder Russell Simmons, in partnership with Capitol Records.[5][10][11][12] She topped Billboard's Next Big Sound chart on April 24, 2014.[13]

On September 23, 2014, Heaton released her debut extended play, Bad Intentions, digitally in the United States, topping the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart and reaching the top ten in the U.S. iTunes Store on the day of its release.[14][15] On April 28, 2015, she posted an open letter online expressing frustration with her label and explaining the delay for her music.[16] On June 13, 2015, she launched a website, NBK (Naturyl Born Killers), stating "NBK is the movement," where new music was then independently released for free regularly in following months.[17][18][19][20][21] Heaton later clarified, "We are now in a place where we can create music that I want to create, and we are no longer tied to the people that were holding me back," revealing she had started producing music herself as well.[11] On October 20, 2015, she premiered her debut music video for a song titled "Lullaby," on Apple Music.[22] Also in October, Heaton announced her first headlining concert tour, The Bedroom Tour, with twenty dates throughout the United States and Canada, beginning on November 13 in Houston, Texas and concluding on December 18 in Los Angeles, California.[23][24] On March 18, 2016, Heaton released The Bedroom Tour Playlist, a mixtape titled similarly to the tour, compiling remixed and remastered material she had shared online and debuted on live shows in previous months.[25][26] In a mid-2016 interview, Heaton announced that she was planning her debut studio album, stating "I want my it to be an actual masterpiece... I want my first album to be legendary".[2] The Centerfold Tour was Heaton's second tour, containing forty-three shows in North America. It began on October 6, 2016, in Athens, Georgia, and ended on December 16, 2016, in Austin, Texas.[27]

Artistry

While talking about her songwriting, Heaton said, "My music is a direct reflection of who I am. My writing is everything to me because that's all I had growing up. I had a really tough childhood and at a point when I was very young, I sort just stopped speaking because I stuttered," mentioning her inability to have friends, causing her to always be alone due to her mother staying with her sister in the hospital, her father being drunk and the rest of her family living in South Africa, so she "would just write all the time."[28] "Even when I'm not writing literally about things that have happened to me, all the pain of my childhood and losing my sister ends up getting pushed into my music," she adds about her creative inspiration and wanting to be proud of the message in her music, "It shapes my songs and builds this deeper meaning under everything, which is one of the most important things to me."[5] She has mentioned being heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and Tom Waits and is also a fan of hip hop, pointing out rappers like Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Jay Z, Drake and Nicki Minaj as other inspirations.[28][29]

Heaton addressed claims regarding her social media presence in platforms such as Instagram overshadowing her music saying, "If I can use what I have aesthetically to draw people in, then why not use it? I'm not going to put on a turtleneck just to prove a point, or to make people feel more comfortable according to society's standards."[30][31] Heaton notes her writing style and musical roots come from growing up with "older siblings who listened to a lot of soul and bluegrass and alternative," and her sister's love of poetry, having discovered rapper Lil Jon when she was ten, which sparked her interest in hip-hop music, describing her sound as "those two worlds colliding, like folk, rhythm, and Shakespeare sonnets mixed with Kanye trap beats."[8]

Discography

Main article: List of songs recorded by Niykee Heaton

Studio albums

List of extended plays, with selected details and chart positions
Title Album details
The Lullaby Album
  • Release: 11/15/2021
  • Label: Independent
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details and chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[32] 		US
Digital
[33]
Bad Intentions[34] 38 17
Starting Over[35]
  • Released: October 5, 2018
  • Label: Capitol Records
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
 – –

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected details and chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[32] 		US
Digital
[33]
The Bedroom Tour Playlist[25][36] 39 8

Singles

List of singles, with selected details and chart positions
Title Year Peaks Certifications Album
US
Pop
Digital
[37] 		US
Rhythmic
[38]
"Bad Intentions"
(featuring Migos) 		2016 28 25 The Bedroom Tour Playlist

Promotional singles

List of singles, with selected details and chart positions
Title Year Album
"Infinity"
(original or Infinity House of Chords remix) 		2016 The Bedroom Tour Playlist
"Finally" 2019 TBA
"Go to Sleep Little Baby" 2020 The Lullaby Album
"Renegade"

Special releases

Title Year
"Free" 2019
"Set Me Free"
"Won't Stop"
"Check On Me"
"Little Bit"
"Angel In A Centerfold"
"Gimme"
"Young Angeline"
"Next Kill"
"Good Girls"
"Firestarter"
"Dollar Bills"
"Damage"
"Remember It All"

Music videos

List of music videos, with selected details
Title Year Director(s)
"Lullaby" 2015 Niykee Heaton[40]
"Bad Intentions"
(featuring Migos) 		2016 Daps[41]
"Meicate (Remix)" (unreleased)
(with DJ Nomad) 		2017 Unknown

Tours

Headlining

  • The Bedroom Tour (2015)[23]
  • The Centerfold Tour (2016)[27]

References

  1. ^ "Naturyl by NBK".
  2. ^ a b "Exclusive: A Day in the Life of Niykee Heaton". Rap-Up. June 13, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  3. ^ "Interview: Niykee Heaton Takes Us On Her Journey From The 'Net To A National Tour". Vibe. April 27, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  4. ^ "Niykee Heaton's Sexy Image, In Tears Over Sister's Passing + Performs on Ladies First". Youtube.com HOT 97 (11:40). April 20, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Niykee Heaton Biography". Niykeeheatonmusic.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015.
  6. ^ "Niykee Heaton's 'Bad Intentions' come from a good place". Redeyechicago.com. November 17, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "Pop star Niykee Heaton stops in hometown Geneva". Mysuburbanlife.com. September 24, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton on the 'Gift & Curse' of Social Media & Her Kanye-Meets-Shakespeare Music". Billboard. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  9. ^ "Meet Niykee Heaton, the White Girl Who Covered "Love Sosa"". Complex. December 10, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton Recalls the Random Time Kanye West Sang for Her, Talks Instagram + Music to Come". VH1. June 22, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  12. ^ "Universal Music looking to cater to the YouTube crowd". New York Post. July 20, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  13. ^ "Next Big Sound - Analytics and Insights for the Music Industry". Next Big Sound. April 24, 2014. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015.
  14. ^ "Niykee Heaton Heats Up, With Assistance From Russell Simmons". Billboard. September 29, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  15. ^ "Rumor Mill - Heaton". Hits. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  16. ^ "Niykee Heaton Expresses Frustration With Her Label, Says Kanye West Told Her To Never Change". Complex. April 29, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  17. ^ "Niykee Heaton - NBK". singersroom.com. June 15, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  18. ^ "Niykee Heaton Puts The Focus Back on Her Music With Gorgeous Acoustic Ballad "Infinity"". idolator.com. June 18, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  19. ^ "Niykee Heaton's "Say Yeah" Is Astoundingly Good: Listen To The Rule-Breaker's Latest Gem". idolator.com. July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  20. ^ "Niykee Heaton Gets Serious With Dark, Sprawling "21 Grams": Listen". Idolator.com. August 10, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  21. ^ "Niykee Heaton Ups The Tempo With Catchy Banger "Best Thing Ever"". Idolator.com. October 18, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  22. ^ "Niykee Heaton Releases Debut Music Video for "Lullaby"". Hypetrak.com. October 20, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  23. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton Posts Donut-Covered Nude, Announces 'The Bedroom Tour': See All The Dates". Idolator.com. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  24. ^ "Niykee Heaton Heats Up The House of Blues in Houston, Texas: Live Review". Idolator.com. November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  25. ^ a b "The Bedroom Tour Playlist by Niykee Heaton on iTunes". Apple Inc. March 18, 2016.
  26. ^ "Niykee Heaton Releases New Mixtape via Capitol Records, "The Bedroom Tour Playlist"". Theearlyregistration.com. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  27. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton Announces 'Centerfold' Tour: See the Dates". Idolator.com. August 29, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  28. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton's 'Bad Intentions' Reveal The Struggles Behind Her Best Intentions". Huffington Post. October 1, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  29. ^ "Bad Intentions: Meet 19-Year-Old YouTube Sensation Niykee Heaton". Elitedaily.com. October 23, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  30. ^ "Niykee Heaton Has Everyone on Their Thirst Behavior". Complex. April 1, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  31. ^ "Who Is Niykee Heaton? Singer Ignites Instagram With Bikini Pictures". Ibtimes.com. April 3, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  32. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton - Chart history - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  33. ^ a b "Niykee Heaton - Chart history - Digital Albums". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  34. ^ "Bad Intentions - EP by Niykee Heaton on iTunes". Apple Inc. September 23, 2014.
  35. ^ "Starting Over - Single by Niykee Heaton". iTunes. October 5, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  36. ^ "Niykee Heaton - The Bedroom Tour Playlist [LP] - Amazon.com Music". Amazon. July 29, 2016.
  37. ^ "April 9, 2016 – Pop Digital Songs – Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2016. (subscription required)
  38. ^ "Niykee Heaton - Chart history - Rhythmic Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  39. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  40. ^ "Lullaby - Niykee Heaton - Vevo". Vevo. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  41. ^ "Video: Niykee Heaton feat. Migos - 'Bad Intentions'". Rap-Up. June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
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