"Alma" Is Nicki Nicole's Intimate Third Studio Album
Featuring Rels B, Young Miko, and YSY A.
Argentine superstar Nicki Nicole’s 10-track new album ALMA is a panoramic view of personal sanación — the Spanish word for healing. Traversing diverse musical territory, the singer, songwriter, rapper and Harper’s Bazaar-cosigned “musical powerhouse” combines imaginative reggaetón beats to irresistible electro-pop and velvety ballads on her third studio album – listen here!
On ALMA, Nicki presents all the feelings that life brings including darkness, fullness and happiness. Nicki writes “It’s a really beautiful album, I feel like people are going to like it a lot. So many people I admire formed a part in it, producers as well as others in the industry. I truly feel that it’s a great album, it took a while, but it was worth it.”
The project highlights the versatility of the 22-year old FADER-deemed “dexterous shape-shifting MC”’s sonics with a matured, personal touch. Nicki reveals how, after an emotional downturn, she was born anew. In the early album sessions Nicki asked herself, “What can I learn from this?” The answer was in the music: “I started creating this album believing it would save me,” she says. As much a concept album as it is a true story, ALMA — which translates to soul — centers on the connection between spirit, heart and mind. It’s represented by the recurring motif of a triangle, inside which all three components, when thoughtfully cultivated, can harmoniously coexist.
The triangle makes a cameo in the music video for new hip-hop fused single, “DISPARA***” with MILO J. Nicki sounds vengeful as she calls out the copy-cats and fakes, offering her words as weapons, plus some thoughts for an ex — but then recalibrates. Realizing she’s impervious to their malicious intent, she raps, “I'm still shining, even if you want to put out my light” (“Yo sigo brillando, aunque quieras apagar mi luz”)– watch here!
ALMA was introduced with two first offerings. Hyperpop flourished on “NO voy a llorar :'),” which showcases personal strength in romantic boundaries and dives into Nicki’s process of discovering what it means to be alone. The New York Times described the track as “a preemptively defensive breakup song” that mixes Latin R&B with “a whiff of hyperpop helium.” The second single, “qué le pasa conmigo?,” is a collaboration with Spanish rapper RELS B that reflects the back-and-forth of relationship uncertainty.
The album opens with a sweeping, dramatic ballad, “Ya No,” relating to a need for self-love and Nicki’s journey learning to be alone. “I’m the one I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. I can’t not be able to be with myself.” The album moves from snappy tracks like “8 AM” with rising Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, to hypnotic R&B cuts like “Se va 1 llegan 2,” to dance floor-ready electro numbers like “Caen las Estrellas” with fellow Argentinian YSY A. Nicki even honors her period of self-exploration with a song that soundtracked her journey: a cover of Rodrigo Amarante’s bolero “Tuyo” puts the spotlight on her powerful vocal range and further emphasizes her message.
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