Niki (singer)

"NIKI" redirects here. For other uses, see Niki (disambiguation).

Nicole Zefanya (born 24 January 1999), known professionally as NIKI (stylized all caps), is an Indonesian singer-songwriter.^[1] She is currently based in the United States and signed with the record label 88rising. She released her first full-length studio album, Moonchild, in 2020. It was followed by Nicole (2022) and Buzz (2024). Her debut headlining concert tour, Nicole World Tour (2022–2023), visited over 40 cities across North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

NIKI
NIKI performing in 2022
Born	Nicole Zefanya (1999-01-24) 24 January 1999 (age 25) Jakarta, Indonesia
Alma mater	Lipscomb University
Occupations	Singer songwriter record producer
Musical career
Origin	Jakarta, Indonesia
Genres	Alternative pop alternative R&B
Instruments	Vocals guitar ukulele keyboard piano
Years active	2017–present
Labels	88rising Empire Distribution
Website	nikizefanya.com
Signature

NIKI has garnered global recognition for her songwriting and musicianship and is among the most popular female artists from Indonesia.^[2] In 2020, Niki was listed on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia.^[3]

Early life

NIKI was born on 24 January 1999, and was raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. NIKI taught herself how to play and write music from a young age, after receiving her first guitar at 9 years old.^[4] She attended Pelita Harapan School in Jakarta.

At 15, NIKI won a contest to perform as the opening act for Taylor Swift's The Red Tour in Jakarta.^[5] As a teenager, NIKI maintained a YouTube channel, on which she uploaded original songs and covers, performed on acoustic guitar and filmed in her bedroom.^[6]

Career

In 2017, NIKI moved from Jakarta to Nashville, Tennessee, to study music at Lipscomb University.^[7][8] During this time, she released her first singles under the name Niki through the American record label 88rising.^[9][10]

On 20 July 2018, NIKI appeared on the 88rising collaborative album Head in the Clouds, contributing five songs.

On 24 April 2019, NIKI released the single “lowkey”, leading into her second EP wanna take this downtown?.^[11] In October 2019, Niki appeared on 88rising’s Head in the Clouds II. In support of the album, Niki released a live acoustic EP titled Niki Acoustic Sessions: Head in the Clouds II.^[12]

On 2 April 2020, NIKI released the single “Switchblade” and announced her debut full-length album Moonchild.^[13] This was followed by the subsequent singles “Selene” and “Lose”.^[14] Moonchild was released on 10 September 2020. In support of the album, NIKI premiered a livestream concert titled Moonchild Experience, which aired 10 October 2021, on YouTube and Kaskus TV.^[15] On 15 December 2020, NIKI released a holiday single titled “Hallway Weather”.^[16][17]

On 10 August 2021, NIKI released “Every Summertime”, the lead single from the official soundtrack to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. NIKI contributed four songs to the film's soundtrack, which was released on 3 September 2021.^[18]

Niki in 2022

In April 2022, NIKI made her debut appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival alongside labelmate Rich Brian, becoming the first Indonesian artists to perform at the festival.^[19]

On 3 June 2022, NIKI released the first single from her sophomore album Nicole, titled “Before”.^[20] This was followed by the announcement of The Nicole Tour, her debut North American tour. Subsequent singles from Nicole include “Oceans and Engines” (released 8 July 2022) and “High School in Jakarta” (released 5 August 2022). On 12 August 2022, Nicole was released.^[21] Vanity Fair contributor Delia Cai wrote that Nicole is "a sonic time capsule of a breakup album that explores heartache in perhaps its most devastating form."^[22] NPR discussed Nicole on its All Songs Considered podcast and stated, "Something NIKI does really well is get to the emotional heart of the matter."^[23]

Alongside the album, a short film titled But I’m Letting Go starring NIKI and Peter Adrian Sudarso and directed by Isaac Ravishankara was released through Amazon Prime Video on 18 August 2022.^[24] The short film was supported by screening events in Los Angeles, New York, and Jakarta. In October 2022, NIKI announced the Asia leg of The Nicole Tour.^[25]

Niki performing at Head in the Clouds New York, 2023

In April 2023, Niki appeared on the cover of Vogue Singapore's "Pop" issue.^[26]

In May 2023, NIKI released Live at The Wiltern, her first live album. Alongside the release, she announced expanded tour dates for The Nicole Tour, which included festival performances at Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023 and headline shows across North America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia.^[27] On 31 May 2023, NIKI made her debut appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, performing "Every Summertime" alongside three songs from Nicole. NPR writer and editor Stephen Thompson wrote that the set had him “swaying, swooning and swimming in high hopes”.^[28]

On 12 January 2024, NIKI released the single "24", which she wrote to synthesize her early twenties and many humbling things she had learned before turning 25.^[29]

On 3 May 2024, she released "Too Much Of A Good Thing", the lead single for her third album Buzz.^[30] This was followed by the announcement of The Buzz World Tour (2024–2025).^[31] Subsequent singles includes "Blue Moon" (released on 21 June 2024) and "Tsunami" (released on 26 July 2024). Buzz was released on 9 August 2024.

Discography

Main article: Niki discography

• Moonchild (2020)
• Nicole (2022)
• Buzz (2024)

Tour

Headlining

• Nicole World Tour (2022–2023)
• Buzz World Tour (2024–2025)

Opening act

• Taylor Swift's The Red Tour (Jakarta only) (2014)^[32]
• Rich Brian's Australia & New Zealand Tour (2018)^[33]
• Halsey's Hopeless Fountain Kingdom Tour (All Asia dates) (2018)^[34]

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination

Award ceremony	Year	Category	Nominee / Work	Result	Ref.
MTV Europe Music Award	2022	Best Asian Act	Niki	Nominated	[35]

See also

• Indonesia portal

• Rich Brian
• Stephanie Poetri

Notes

References

1. "Niki on Spotify". Spotify. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
2. "Niki". Kworb. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
3. "30 Under 30 Asia 2020: Entertainment & Sports". Forbes. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
4. "Indonesian singer NIKI opened for Taylor Swift when she was 15 | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
5. "88rising's Niki Is Owning Her Past — And Taking a Cue From Taylor Swift Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
6. "88rising's Niki Is Owning Her Past — And Taking a Cue From Taylor Swift Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
7. "Niki and Rich Brian set to be the first Indonesians to perform at Coachella". Coconuts Media. 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
8. "BAEwatch: Niki The 88rising artist talks about the concept behind her debut album, 'Moonchild.'". hypebae.com. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
9. "In The Studio with Niki". milk.xyz. 1 January 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
10. Methanisa, Katyusha (29 September 2017). "Meet the Latest Indonesian R&B Singer Trying to Take Over the US". Vice. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
11. Liotta, Edoardo (24 April 2019). "Niki's Single 'lowkey' Could Be the Summer's Sweetest Hookup Anthem". Vice. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
12. Rudas, Matthew (13 November 2019). "Niki Strips Back to Bare Her Heart in 'Acoustic Sessions: Head In The Clouds II'". Ones to Watch. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
13. Benjamin, Jeff (2 April 2020). "Niki Shares How 'Switchblade' Opens The Universe Of Her Concept Album 'Moonchild'". Forbes. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
14. Peters, Daniel (13 August 2020). "Niki Shares How 'Switchblade' Opens The Universe Of Her Concept Album 'Moonchild'". NME. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
15. "Moonchild EXPERIENCE, Niki to present livestream concert". Jakarta Post. 6 October 2020. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
16. @nikizefanya (14 December 2020). "'Hallway Weather' out tomorrow 🎄" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
17. "Listen to Niki's melancholic new Christmas song, 'Hallway Weather'". NME. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
18. "Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings' Album Is More Than A Movie Soundtrack". Teen Vogue. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
19. "88rising's Niki Is Owning Her Past — And Taking a Cue From Taylor Swift". Teen Vogue. 8 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
20. "Niki Shares Single, 'Before,' and Music Video". BroadwayWorld. 4 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
21. ""Nicole" is out everywhere now". twitter. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
22. Cai, Delia (18 August 2022). "The Pop Power of Niki's Very Recent Nostalgia". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
23. "New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 12". NPR. 12 August 2022. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
24. "But I'm Letting Go". Amazon Video. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
25. Singh, Surej (16 May 2023). "Niki announces globe-spanning 'Nicole' world tour". NME. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
26. Chai, Amelia (3 April 2023). "Niki on her exhilarating music journey and what ties her to home". Vogue Singapore. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
27. Thompson, Stephen (31 May 2023). "Niki: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
28. Padin, Malvika (23 June 2023). "Niki delves into live album 'Live at the Wiltern', her sonic evolution and tour". Earmilk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
29. News, GMA Integrated (12 January 2024). "NIKI gets real about mid-twenties struggles in new single '24'". GMA News Online. Retrieved 17 August 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
30. "NIKI's Slinky Single 'Too Much Of A Good Thing' Heralds Her New Album". UPROXX. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
31. Grimes, Navier (14 May 2024). "NIKI Announces Biggest World Tour To Date 40+ Markets Across North America, Europe, UK, Asia, Australia + New Zealand". Live Nation Entertainment. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
32. Cung, Danie (5 June 2014). "Lautan Swifties di #REDTourJkt Taylor Swift di MEIS". Creative Disc. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
33. Newstead, Al (26 March 2018). "Rich Brian announces debut Australian tour". Triple J. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
34. Jones, Abby (26 March 2018). "Halsey Announces Final Installment of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
35. "See the Complete List of MTV EMA 2022 Nominees". MTV EMA. Viacom International Inc. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.

External links

• Niki at IMDb