Interview: Nikitaa Opens Up About Their Journey as a Musician, Being Queer, and More
Music has long been a medium for spreading awareness, bringing joy, and sharing stories. It has served as a powerful tool for those whose voices need to be heard far and wide. Consequently, many queer artists have turned to music to make their presence felt, using their art to advocate for visibility, acceptance, and social progress.
Nikitaa is one such musician. They are an Indian-born and raised musician currently dwelling in Los Angeles. Their music is an attempt to reaffirm feminism and bring a positive change to the fore. Employing addictive tunes of R&B, trance, and electronica and borrowing inspiration from their Indian roots, Nikitaa has created a genre of music called ‘Goddess Pop.’ This genre is a class act on its own.
Nikitaa has had an eventual year so far. They have been steadily releasing new music for the past few weeks, and it seems like there is more yet to come! HALSUG recently had a chance to talk to Nikitaa about their journey as a musician, coming out as queer, and staying true to their beliefs. Nikitaa also revealed a teeny-tiny detail about their upcoming music, so go ahead and check it out!
Q: First of all, congrats on the release of “Pillow Prince.” The layered meaning of the song is admirable. What was the most rewarding aspect of recording this track for you?
Thank you so much! I think for me, both creating the track with Dany and Sal (co-producers for this song) and then mixing the track myself were rewarding experiences! I really love creating super immersive sonic worlds with my songs, and I went above and beyond with production, sampling my own voice and mixing for that to become a reality for “Pillow Prince.”
Q: What invoked your interest in music? What continues to inspire and influence you to make music?
I don’t know if I have a deeper answer than that music has fascinated and entranced me since I was 2 years old, maybe even younger. It’s been my way to express myself, vent, regulate, and bond with people since I was a kid. I love that a simple thought staring out a car window can turn into a song. Or a melody that finds its way into my dreams becomes so compelling I have to record it. I think I’ve always been super in love with the process of creating any sort of art, along with the pursuit of different ways of creating, and that continues to inspire me!
Q: It is not easy being an openly queer artist in this cutthroat industry. Being a South Asian artist who identifies as queer, what has your journey been like? What challenges have you faced?
I mean I didn’t come out until recently because of the fear of being unaccepted at best, targeted and harassed at worst. I’ve had people tell me I need to tone down my cultural and queer identity so many times that I’ve lost count.
And I’ve also had people invalidate who I am because I’m demisexual and nonbinary — ace and gender non-conforming people are often mistreated at rates higher than many other folks under the queer umbrella. But I have always done my best to stay true to who I am, and look at the landscape of the industry today — the artists at the top of their game and those rising to international stardom are femme, diverse and queer.
What felt like a challenge at the beginning of my career — describing my sound, owning my identity, finding an audience — don’t feel as challenging as before. I still think, though, that queer artists of color do not get the kind of praise, attention, fanfare, and industry attention that we deserve. But at the same time, I see many of our white counterparts using their platform to change that dynamic. I feel like I’m slowly chipping away and finding my people in this industry and across my listeners — all of whom are always so excited to feel seen through my music on some level they didn’t feel before.
Photo Courtesy of Jaden Wolfe
Q: From your discography, which song did you enjoy recording the most? What fun or memorable incident can you share with us from any of your recording or filming sessions?
Oh gosh, I have endless stories! A few stories come to mind, though. My first single “Honest” was written in an 18-hour-long songwriting session that ended at 2 or 3 am because a couple of us walked out exhausted. It was originally a session for another artist, but I ended up keeping the song. Everyone eventually went with the original chorus that I had crafted at the beginning of the session.
It was so agonizing and annoying to have all my ideas shot down only to have the very first one chosen, but it taught me a lot about the balance between trusting your gut and being overly meticulous. Sometimes, less is more.
Q: Apart from music, what other interests do you indulge in to keep yourself going in your daily life?
I love RPG gaming! And just game nights with friends as well. I also love reading fantasy fiction and sci-fi and dancing! I recently went to Honey’s at Starlove and danced my heart out. It was so fulfilling.
Q: What does a regular day in your life look like?
Well, I wake up, work out, work on music (depending on the day, I might be writing, recording, mixing, or just polishing a song), plan and upload social media posts, and then try to make time for self-care or community time. I’ve found that regulating my nervous system a little bit every day is necessary, especially as a musician.
Q: If you were given the chance to go back in time and redo or undo one activity, which would you choose and why?
I would find a way to trust my gut over my anxiety or insecurities on every occasion that I didn’t. Those were the only times I felt like I had made the wrong decision in my career, and trusting my gut was the only way to course correct.
Q: The past few weeks have been exciting when it comes to new music from you. What plans do you have for the rest of 2024?
I’ve got so much more music coming out! I have an EP coming out soon called ‘Ascension,’ and I will have more singles later in the year!
You can read HALSUG’s coverage of Nikitaa’s recent music release here.
Q: What message will you give to any queer artist looking to foray into the music industry?
Be discerning with who you surround yourself with. You’ve chosen to be yourself and have that authenticity witnessed by others, so there will be people who feel intimidated, and people who want to see you fail. But there will be people who will defend and celebrate your truth, sometimes even when you feel incapable of doing it yourself. Find those people. They make a difficult industry and career path much easier to bear. And you deserve those people.
Q: What message do you have for your listeners?
I love you! You all make me emotional at least once a day. I hope you know you deserve to be the complex, beautiful, incredible, and sometimes confusing creature that you are just because you exist! And I hope you continue to enjoy my music!
What do you think of Nikitaa’s artistry? Tell us in the comments below or connect with us over Instagram and X (Twitter).
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Artist Facts
Name/Stage Name: Nikitaa
Birthday: November 5
Nationality: Indian
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Sun, Sag Rising
Fave Foods: Mac n Cheese, Fried Chicken, Ramen
Fave Drinks: Ceremonial Cacao
Fave Movies: DEBS, The Proposal, Inception
Day or Night?: Night
Song you’re most proud of: “Throne,” “Godless,” “Heaven,” “Pillow Prince” (I can never pick one!)
Edited by Azat Jumadurdyyev
