Born and raised in Mumbai, singer-songwriter Nikitaa who has spent her recent years in LA mastering her art, is poised to be a breakthrough star on the independent music scene. Nikitaa combines ethereal Pop/RnB with a subtle nod to the South-Asian soundscape to bring a new genre she calls Goddess Pop.
Deeply inspired by her family’s ties to Indian classical music as well as the years she spent learning and studying RnB and Pop at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, her music invokes the universal image of the Goddess in all of her forms, moods, and states. In her own words – “Every person has that Goddess power within them that honors the feminine within and without. I hope to remind people of this and uplift and empower them with my music, giving them space to express all their feelings no matter what it is they feel.”
Her first 2 independent singles “Honest” and “Exodus”, written, sung and composed by her had garnered a total of just about half a million Spotify streams along with being spotted on ‘Spotify Editorial Fresh Finds’. Her first Punjabi single in India – “Vichoda Yaar Da” – was critically acclaimed and garnered just over a million YouTube plays, and was followed by a successful mashup cover of the legendary songs Aa Jaane Jaan and Piya Tu – a release sponsored by HMV.
Featured on New Music Friday’ playlists across the world for her award-winning third English release ‘Majesty’, the music video for which was nominated and won at film festivals across India in the music video category – Lake City International Film Festival (2019), Ayodhya Film Festival (2019), Cafe Irani Chai International Film Festival (2020).
She has recently released a new video called “Goddess,” scroll down to the bottom to watch!
Here’s 5 fast facts about Nikitaa!
Her favorite showbiz moment is blend of Gen Z and traditional!
Taking over Rolling Stone India’s IG handle for a whole day and going Live on there! It was such a fun experience. I think every artist sees a Rolling Stone feature as a milestone in their career, and I certainly have. It felt sort of surreal!
She somehow survived THIS embarrassing moment:
I performed at a really big corporate venue once, and the sound system was malfunctioning. I was hearing doubles on the stage monitor and I was so thrown off I forgot my words and ended up having to improv for a good 30 seconds! I think I saved face, but I do wish I could go back and get myself to keep a cool head and sail through that performance!
She has healthy ways of dealing with all the pressure young people face these days.
There’s so much pressure on young people to have their whole life figured out, and practically zero attention paid to the fact that so much of what helps fortify our mind and soul to do that is often out of reach – sometimes financially, sometimes socially. Those of us that give due attention to our mental health, sociopolitical issues and to trauma healing (and how the 3 are deeply linked) are often called “too sensitive.”
I’ve learned to be very careful who I surround myself with, and to be firm with drawing boundaries with those who I cannot avoid interacting with. Apart from that I devote myself to practices that help – of course being a songwriter helps immensely but I also journal, practice movement meditation etc. I’ve spent years developing a really intimate relationship with myself – body, mind, soul and intuition – and I continue to focus on that so I can show up better and in a more wholesome way within the world.
Her eventual life partner will be well fed, that’s for sure.
I love to cook and bake! I rarely ever talk about it, but it’s something I’ve loved since I was a child. It helps me think when I’m going through something intense internally. Since I’m back home with my family, I’ve taken to baking cakes for them every once in a while like I used to do when I was younger. The last one I made was vanilla and lavender!
She likes fruit.
Watermelon!!! Or coconut water! I love the simpler things when it comes to food.
Can we get a selfie of whatever you are doing at the moment?
The selfie I’m sending is literally me right now, cutting vocals for new music with my home studio setup!
Instagram – @Nikitaathewild
Twitter – @Nikitaathewild
Facebook – @TheWildNikitaa