Bubbling synths, propulsive rhythms and unmistakable saccharine vocals populate addictive bop “No Cry” – so it’s really no wonder that newcomer Nykki has been making waves since she infiltrated the industry.

The Czech Republic native has nailed the magic formula; her production and vocal finesse undoubtedly going hand in hand with her pop dream visuals (check the neon-drenched scenes in the music video for “No Cry”).

She’s an artist on the rise, showing the extent of her range with every release. “Lost My Mind” shows a moodier, simmering departure. Watch this space.

We caught up with NYKKI below…

When did you first realise music is what you wanted to do?
Music was always my biggest love and passion. Since I was a little kid I was a big showman. I would love to start acting in the future as well but music always comes first for me. I was very nervous to start my solo career, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. To be honest, growing up my biggest fear was that  I will not have the opportunity to make music as a job, so I am extremely thankful now whenever I am working and I will give it 100%.

Who did you listen to growing up? 
The first artists I remember listening to are Britney, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Enrique Iglesias. My first music love was Taylor Swift. I remember being obsessed with her music and still am. I grew up listening to a lot of pop music. I know not everyone likes mainstream pop music, but that’s the truth. I also like more alternative music, I listen to a lot of Rap, R&B, pretty much anything new and interesting.

How would you describe your genre? 
Pop music with energy sometimes mixed with a lot of emotions. I would like to experiment a little bit more in the future, but I’m pretty sure I’ll still keep it very poppy. When I am listening to music I tend to go for slower tempo songs, maybe it has something to do with me being a big daydreamer. I would love to write big ballads in the future as well. 

How has your background influenced your music?
To be honest, not much. Even though I was born and still am living in Prague, I have always listened to global music. I remember watching Disney Channel with Miley, Selena or Demi and all those songs were in English. In my dancing class we were dancing to music from all around the world.

What inspires your music? 
Probably a very cheesy answer but I am inspired by everything around me. Today I was listening to a podcast and had an idea for a song just by listening to that. I’m a terrible overthinker and a super sensitive human and it does help me to have some lyric ideas for my songs. I always bring an idea into the studio, all the 25 notes I have written to my phone over the past few weeks and we start working from song.  

What is “Lost My Mind” about? 
“Lost My Mind” is a song about the things you thought you would never do for anyone but you did. It’s about losing control over a situation and knowing you are losing your mind. It is a very emotional song but I really love it. To me it’s very strong and powerful and I hope people will feel the same and connect to those emotions when listening to it.

How does it feel making yourself truly vulnerable and reaching in to extract those emotions for your music? 
Not going to lie, it’s hard. I remember going in the studio for my first session as a solo artist and the producers I was working with asked me “what is the most powerful feeling or situation you have ever been in” and back then I just had my heart broken and couldn’t think about anything else but that and it was really hard for me to tell them my story. But those kind of songs are my favourites, not just my songs, even from my favourite artists. 

How involved do you get with the creation of your music videos? 
I was very involved with the video for my new single “Lost My Mind”. We wanted to emphasise that I have actually lost my mind. When you see the video, you will know what I am talking about. I take the video making process very seriously, because I have always loved watching other artists’ videos. Sometimes the first thing in my mind when creating music is how the song would translate into visuals. I just know how I want my video to look like and I make a song for it. I have been more involved in creating this video and I am planning to be even more involved with future videos.

What’s next for you? 
More music! I still feel like I am at a very beginning of my career. I cannot wait to start touring, get on stage, make cool live shows with my dancers and keep releasing new music. My third single is coming out soon…