Niki (singer)
NIKI | |
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Born | Nicole Zefanya 24 January 1999 Jakarta, Indonesia |
Education | Lipscomb University Pelita Harapan School |
Occupations |
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Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments |
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Years active | 2014–present |
Labels | |
Nicole Zefanya (born 24 January 1999), known professionally as NIKI, is an Indonesian singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Early life and career
Nicole Zefanya, born 24 January 1999, was raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her music is partly influenced by her mother, who listened to 90s R&B like Destiny's Child and Aaliyah when she was young.[3] She went to Pelita Harapan School in Lippo Village, Indonesia. At 15, she was the opening act for Taylor Swift's The Red Tour in Jakarta after winning a competition arranged by Swift and the ice-cream brand Walls, called Ride to Fame[4]. The gig became a catalyst for her YouTube channel, where she uploaded original songs and covers, gaining over 40,000 subscribers. She published two songs, Polaroid Boy and Anaheim, in 2016 and 2017 respectively, which can be found on Spotify under Nicole Zefanya.
In 2017, Zefanya moved to Nashville, Tennessee to study Music at Lipscomb University. She released two singles, “See U Never” and “I Like U”.[5] under the American mass media company 88rising as an artist under their label.[1] She released the song “Vintage” in May 2018 as the first single for her EP titled Zephyr.[6]
Zefanya has stated that she tries to empower Asians and Asian Americans through her music.[7] In the Head in The Clouds music festival, NIKI took a moment to address the 10,000-plus audience gathered in Los Angeles’ Historic State Park. “I just want to say, as an Asian female, I do not take this day and this stage for granted.[8] My hope is that above everything else today, that you feel heard, you feel understood, but most of all that you feel represented." NIKI's mission is to empower young Asian artists under-represented in the American music industry.[9]
After 88rising announced their collaboration with popular food festival 626 Night Market to curate a food section at Head in the Clouds, Zefanya made a special guest appearance with a meet-and-greet at the 626 Night Market event at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on 11 August 2019.[10]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details |
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Moonchild |
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Extended plays
Title | Album details |
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Zephyr | |
wanna take this downtown? |
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Live albums
Title | Album details |
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NIKI Acoustic Sessions: Head In The Clouds II |
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Singles
As lead artist
Title | Year | Album |
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"Awali Hari Dengan Cinta" | 2014 | Non-album single |
"Polaroid Boy" | 2016 | |
"Anaheim" | 2017 | |
"See You Never" | ||
"I Like U" | ||
"Chilly" | ||
"Newsflash!" | 2018 | Zephyr |
"Say My Name" | Zephyr | |
"Friends" | Zephyr | |
"Spell" | Zephyr | |
"Vintage" | Zephyr | |
"Dancing With The Devil" | Zephyr | |
"Warpaint" | Head in the Clouds | |
"lowkey" | 2019 | wanna take this downtown? |
"Indigo" | Head in the Clouds II | |
"Shouldn't Couldn't Wouldn't" | ||
"La La Lost You" | ||
"Switchblade" | 2020 | Moonchild (upcoming studio album) |
"Selene" |
As featured artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Little Prince" (Rich Brian featuring Niki) |
2018 | Amen[11] |
Tour
Opening act
- Taylor Swift – The Red Tour (Jakarta) (2014)[12]
- Rich Brian – Australia & New Zealand Tour (2018)[13]
- Halsey – Hopeless Fountain Kingdom Tour (Asia) (2018)[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b Methanisa, Katyusha (29 September 2017). "Meet the Latest Indonesian R&B Singer Trying to Take Over the US". Vice. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ "SINDHÈN INTERVIEW: NIKI". 4 October 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ Harfenist, Ethan (14 November 2017). "We Talked to Indonesia's 'R&B Princess' NIKI About 'Going International,' and '90s Nostalgia". Vice. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ Bartleet, Larry. "NIKI: "Name one Asian artist that's popping right now. I want to be the girl that sets that up"". NME. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "In The Studio with NIKI". milk.xyz. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "NIKI Reminisces About a Former Love in 'Vintage' Video: Premiere". Billboard. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ "NIKI Opens Up About the Value of Creative Freedom and Pushing Past Her Anxieties". Popspoken. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Morin, Natalie. "NIKI Wants Asians To Own Their Heritage". refinery29.com. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Indonesian singer's mission to break America's bamboo ceiling". South China Morning Post. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Jackson Wang, iKON, DPR Live, Dumbfoundead Join Head in the Clouds 2019 Festival: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ Maher, Natalie (30 January 2018). "Rich Brian Reveals Track List for Debut Album 'Amen'". Billboard. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ Cung, Danie (5 June 2014). "Lautan Swifties di #REDTourJkt Taylor Swift di MEIS". Creative Disc. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ Newstead, Al (26 March 2018). "Rich Brian announces debut Australian tour". Triple J. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ Jones, Abby (26 March 2018). "Halsey Announces Final Installment of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour". Billboard. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Living people
- 1999 births
- People from Jakarta
- Indonesian female singers
- Indo people
- Indonesian-language singers
- English-language singers from Indonesia
- Musicians from Jakarta
- Indonesian emigrants to the United States
- 21st-century women singers
- 21st-century Indonesian singers
- Indonesian expatriates in the United States