Meet The Genre-Bending Talent…Niniola

Niniola is an artist that’s not looking to be categorized into one genre. The rising talent delivers a dynamic sound that ranges from Afro-pop, RnB, pop, and folk. Her sophomore record ‘Colours and Sounds’ showcases the songstress versatility and features an array of impressive collaborations from the likes of Timbaland and Nonso Amadi.

Since her debut, Niniola has earned endorsements from Drake and Beyonce, with the later using her music as creative inspiration on her project ‘The Gift’. With her new album making the rounds the singer-songwriter is ready to introduce the world to the new era of Niniola.

We were able to chat with Niniola about everything from her new record, working with Timbaland, and so much more. Read the full interview below…

Hey Niniola. How’s October treating you?

Hiiiii, how are you doing? October has been very good to me with the release of my sophomore album, ‘Colours And Sounds’. I have been very happy and excited. Seeing how everyone is loving it brings more joy to me. Although now, what’s happening in my country Nigeria is kind of distracting, so I have to find alternative ways to promote. But apart from that, it’s a good October.

How have you been staying sane throughout this crazy intense year?

Lol honestly sometimes when I think of that I laugh because I am shocked I stayed sane. OK so naturally I am an introvert (a lot of people don’t know lol). I really don’t go out. All I do is stay at home and play games on my phone. So during the pandemic all I was doing was recording and finishing the album, playing games on my phone, learning new makeup skills, playing with different editing apps on my phone and making wigs (oh I love to make wigs lol). I make my wigs myself, by the way.

Let’s dive into your music! Do you remember the moment you decided to pursue music?

Hmmmm, I guess that will be when I was in high school. Right from when I was a kid, my late dad would call me to entertain him and dance for him while he recorded me with his camcorder to show his friends. That was when I fell in love with music. Then as I grew older, I joined a cultural dance club in school and then I would entertain my classmates in school. I had something like a request show, where my friends will request for songs and I will sing it to them. If I didn’t know it, I would go home and score it. LOL!

Is there any artist that stood out to you and helped shape your own artistry?

Well nah…I kind of learnt how to sing just by listening and mimicking what I was hearing. Then I would listen to Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Angelique Kidjo, the Cranberries (My list is endless lol) and sing like them. Unknowing to me at the time, I was training myself. So, yeah, that was how I learnt how to sing.

We have to talk about your track MARADONA and its influence within the music sphere. How does it feel to have it be covered by Beyonce and be endorsed by Drake and Timbaland?

Oh yes, we have to. That song is a phoenix of a song, just when you think it’s going down it rises again. Hmmmm, how do I feel? I feel honoured, I feel wonderful, I feel grateful… For my music to be listened to by legends is great but then to be covered/sampled is a far greater thing.

And what that has taught or told me is that music is a universal language. As long as it’s good music, it has no boundaries…

You recently dropped your new project Colours and Sounds! Absolutely fantastic by the way! Can you take us through the creative process for the record? What did you want to explore?

Oh yessss!!! My sophomore album… OK so first, why the title? My music is colourful and vibrant, it’s travelled across borders, and it’s being played by different ethnicities, whether black or white. Even though my root genre is Afro-House, I can do it all from R&B, pop, folk. So I am basically a girl of many Colours and Sounds. I chose to collaborate with artists from different regions because I wanted to unite the world on this project. It was very intentional. For example, I have Busiswa representing the South of Africa, Sauti Sol the East, Femi Kuti the West, Afro B the United Kingdom and Ivory Coast and the legend, Timbaland, representing the United States. And I still had myself, Nonso Amadi and Sarz representing the West. This really wasn’t hard to do because like I said, “I’m a girl of many sounds” *wink lol.

What do you want your fans to take away after listening to the record?

So before I released the album, I promised them there was something in it for everybody. Are you an RnB lover? Pop, House, Amapiano, whatever genre you love, I got you… So I want them to be happy, I want them to dance, I want them to fall in love… When they listen to me, what they take away is an unlimited amount of joy and obviously an infectious vibe. You can’t listen to me and not want to remain with me lol…And note there is always a hidden message in all my records.

You’ve worked with Timbaland twice on the record. How did this link-up between you two happen?

OK so it’s actually once, the other records are not out yet…lol. So it all started when he commented on my Instagram page saying “I love your new single,” and my manager’s friend called him and said, “Yo, Timbaland just commented on Niniola’s page.” Immediately, I opened my phone and saw it. I hit the DM straight to thank him and I further asked him which single Sir, and he responded “Designer” and “Bale.” I was shocked and he later said he loved my album. I asked him, “Please Sir, can I work with you?” and he said, “Yes.” That’s how we got here…lol. He is so patient and humble omg.

I’m obsessed with Look Like Me, Oh Sharp, and Addicted. Which track was the most challenging to create? Which was the easiest? 

Hmmm, lol…OK, truth is they were all easy but for the sake of this convo, “Look Like Me” was the easiest because it was just one take. “Look Like Me” was done in 10 mins lol. Then followed by “Addicted.” “Addicted” was also kind of fast maybe because some of my vocals were in the beat hmmmm. Then finally “Oh Sharp,” for this song the minute Busiswa’s vocals came in it was done…lol. So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed hanging out with me…*smiles.

Make sure to tune in to Niniola’s new video for ‘Look Like Me’ and listen to her full album ‘Colours and Sounds’ here…