While most 21-year-olds spent the last two years of the pandemic hunkering down in their childhood bedrooms, accumulating mind-boggling screen time hours on TikTok, Nicki Nicole did what she knew best: She made music.
Born Nicole Cucco, the Argentine singer has come a long way from the days (barely two years ago) when she was releasing music on YouTube, growing to become one of the faces for an emerging, vibrant music scene in South America. It’s hard to pin down her momentum as one of Latin music’s rising stars—the artist has already had a massive mainstream commercial collaboration with Christina Aguilera and Becky G, performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series, been nominated for Best New Artist at the 2020 Latin Grammy Music Awards, and is officially on the lineup for this year’s Coachella Music Festival. You know, just regular Gen-Z things.
Her sophomore album, Parte De Mí, feels like a love letter to her place in this world, with a diverse mix of silky R&B, heartfelt ballads, and unapologetic trap. The album’s lead single, “Sabe,” with Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Rauw Alejandro, is an explosive hit, while the titular track, “Parte De Mí,” is a soft-spoken hymn to a lost love—evidence of Nicki’s tendency to fuse genres in defiance of a music industry that often relies on cookie-cutter pop sounds.
Below, we catch up with Nicki Nicole as she wraps up an exciting year and discusses what’s to come.
What a year you had, with so many projects and collaborations and your album, Parte De Mí, finally coming out. What’s your fondest memory from 2021?
So many things happened this year—I learned a lot as an artist and as a person. The most incredible experience that this year brought were my shows in Argentina where I could meet my fans and people who have been following me.
And you ended the year with Parte De Mí. I can imagine it took months and months of care to put yourself into that album. Now that it’s finally out, how are you feeling?
It feels like everything is falling into place now that the album is out and people can enjoy it. And on top of that, I’m finally ready to work on more music. There were so many eras of myself I wanted to show people, but COVID and distancing and protocols prevented me from doing that. But now that the album is out, I feel really relaxed.
Rodrigo Gonzalez
Parte De Mí was crafted during COVID, as so many artistic projects were this past year. What was your biggest takeaway from such a period of loss, and how do you think that affects your music moving forward?
Thankfully for me, COVID didn’t cause too many problems in moving ahead with my music. In fact, it was in the middle of COVID where I started to realize my artistry and my potential to reach more places after I released my song, “Colocao.” I made that song with the thought that everyone was at home, so it was the perfect time to release music to ease people’s minds, and luckily, that’s what happened. COVID also brought some challenges—I couldn’t see my family and friends, but in terms of my music, I feel really lucky.
Your album feels like such an exploration of genres. Did you have a particular artist, sound, or era in music that influenced the project?
So many artists inspired this album, but in particular, Amy Winehouse. Her music has always inspired me, since the beginning of my career, so there’s small tributes dedicated to her throughout my music. We played with funk, jazz, and R&B on this album without losing my essence as an artist. Experimenting with different sounds and musical inspirations is one of the best parts about making music.
It feels like the young Argentine music scene is so vibrant. How does it feel to be recognized as a trailblazer in that space?
What’s happening right now in Argentina is so unique. My generation is so collaborative and makes music with their own style. It’s incredible having so many colleagues that have helped me represent Argentina. Truthfully, it’s a responsibility, but it’s something I enjoy rather than seeing it as a heavy weight I have to carry.
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As a young woman working within the constraints of a male-dominated music industry, are there any unspoken challenges that you face? How do you deal with those?
Obviously, it’s a struggle to make sure women’s talent is valued. Even though it seems like it’s been male dominated, it’s only because female talent wasn’t as celebrated as males’ was. Nowadays, because of great efforts, that’s not the case. It’s something we still fight against so that the women who come after us have the space and recognition. So many women before me fought so that I could take my place, and they taught me that no one could take that away. For the day a new woman comes into the industry, I want to teach them the same thing that I was taught—that we’re united and that they deserve to be here.
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There’s a trend recently where artists release listening guides to the best way to enjoy their projects, whether it be in a car on a long drive or with friends at a party. Is there any perfect way to listen to Parte De Mí?
The great thing about my album is that people can make it their own and put it together like a puzzle in their own way. Yes, there’s songs that thematically fit together, but there’s no specific order or concept. You can start to listen to the album in any order, and at the end of listening, you can still understand what the overall message is.
You’re so young, and you have your entire life and career ahead of you. Where do you see yourself in five years? What’s on the horizon for you?
First off, a ton of music and new styles I’m trying out. There’s so many tour dates across the world—something I’ve wanted to do forever. I want to meet everyone who follows me and who’s always been there, and also meet fans along the way who are just discovering me for the first time.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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Nicki Nicole Is a 21-Year-Old Musical Powerhouse in the Making
Source: Filipino Journal Articles
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