Interview with up and coming R&B star Nivea as she releases new single

追加: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]hydrated when you get off the plane, you're tired, you're dehydrated. She's kind of like Oh my god. Where am I? We just need drinks.

[00:00:09]Completely. How's that looking?

[00:00:11]I'm going to start right at the beginning and just ask you sort of like, when did music come into your life? When did you become aware of music?

[00:00:22]Um about age seven.

[00:00:25]My mother is she sings and my father is a musician. He plays guitar and piano and I have two older sisters who also sing. So there there was music always around me in the house. She's walking around singing, playing records and my father was, you know, he's into like country and rock music. My mother's, you know, the more soulful. She's into R&B and opera and jazz and so I got all of that in me, you know, I listen to all types of music cuz it's it was weird but at age seven um I remember watching the Arsenio Hall Show. They used to air over, you know, where I'm from.

[00:01:05]And Mariah Carey was singing Vision of Love for the very first time and that day I went out and that was the very first time I ever bought a CD or album before and I learned all of her songs and I knew from that day on I wanted to sing. I wanted to make people feel the way she made me feel when she sang. So yeah, at seven.

[00:01:26]Was there sort of a competition in your house if everyone was quite musical?

[00:01:30]Well, I was very very shy around other people but you know, around my family members or whatever, we were very all of us there wasn't really competition. We used to just all get together and sing like gospel songs and we have our own little, you know, part to sing or whatever. It was just a lot of fun. It wasn't, you know, really any competition nothing. Just healthy kind of like >> like kind of hanging out with the family or whatever. Yeah, I can imagine. I mean, when my family we used to go on car trips, we'd all sing. Unfortunately, we none of us can sing very well.

[00:02:02]>> [laughter] >> It's just this noise beating out, but then But it was still fun. You enjoyed being together, so yeah. It's a really important part of I think communicating as well, isn't it? And finding your own expression.

[00:02:15]So, going from a kid with just a general love and of music and a family with quite a musical background, how did you get your your break?

[00:02:24]Well, I met my manager in '97.

[00:02:27]And he was affiliated with a lot of the name producers around the Atlanta area, Atlanta, Georgia, where I'm from. And we just basically went in and introduced the situation and I was very very fortunate, very blessed to work with the people that I worked with before my record deal, like Carl Thomas, Toni Braxton, Jagged Edge, OutKast, different people, you know, well-known people.

[00:02:54]And we produced, you know, a 26-song demo.

[00:02:58]And >> [laughter] >> the deal just kind of happened.

[00:03:04]A lot of work. Were you Were you surprised by the reaction your demo got?

[00:03:09]No, because that was, you know, pretty big to be a 7, 16, 17, 18-year-old girl who worked with these name producers and established artists before her deal. So, I You know, they Everyone was like, "I cannot Oh, there's no way she worked with all these people. There's no way."

[00:03:29]But they actually called around and had it verified.

[00:03:34]>> [laughter] >> Yes. Like, "Yes, we worked with her. We love her." Like, it was crazy.

[00:03:39]But it it did happen.

[00:03:41]How did you cope with that? Because like one day you went a stage with somebody who maybe you've you've been dreaming of working with and that there you are. How did you cope with that?

[00:03:51]>> just took it as you know, just a very very fortunate experience for me, you know, a great learning experience and I wasn't necessarily, you know, starstruck or anything. I was just taking it as an opportunity to learn something that's going to enhance me as a singer, performer, writer, whatever, you know.

[00:04:10]All of that.

[00:04:12]Who Who's helped you most along the way?

[00:04:14]Who would you say?

[00:04:14]>> I would have to say our manager, Calvin Nowkin. He's definitely groomed me for this business, you know, as far as educating me on certain things and just from performing to actual vocal training to a lot of things, so it would have to be him.

[00:04:35]Cuz you're still quite young, but when you started you were even younger, obviously, but did that ever hinder you or have >> Oh, definitely, because, you know, it was I'd say it took a great portion of my adolescence years away from me cuz music was all I had. That's all That's all I had to be focused on if I wanted, you know, to make it happen, you know, quickly or as fast as fast as possible. But I started like in 10th grade throughout my 12th grade years. Every day recording, every weekend recording, always going to meetings, always going here, networking.

[00:05:09]It was very very difficult for me to participate in other extracurricular activities in school or whatever, anything. And I would always try to join and I would have to get out. I'm like Did Did you get experience any jealousy from like your school friends? That was the thing. I never told anyone what I was doing. Never. I didn't want to be like that. I don't want to come to school "Guess who I just met yesterday?"

[00:05:32]or "Guess who I'm working with today?" I was never the one If anyone told it was my sister or my mother, "Hey, guess what?" I'm like, "No, don't say" cuz I didn't want it to be like that. I want to enjoy my school cuz I love school ever since grammar school. I loved it. I just like to learn, you know, go to school, the environment. I just loved it. And I didn't want people to look at me differently, even more differently than what they already did.

[00:05:54]Or, you know, just regular girl, whatever. So, I I switched schools a lot because eventually it got, you know, out that I was recording and I'm just trying to be a singer, and it would get crazy. So, I just would go to another school, whole another school to where I was another whole another person. I can just whatever, focus on my schoolwork.

[00:06:15]Very difficult. Do you think that sort of experience then has helped you for sort of what you're facing now, all the traveling and the meeting people?

[00:06:23]>> Most definitely, cuz you get to Yes, exactly, meet different people and understand different cultures and, you know, just get, you know, real around it. You know, just in one environment forever. Yeah, it just completely broadens your horizons now.

[00:06:38]And you you've you've taken that step down the road now, and there's no going back. [laughter] I know. I know. How's sort of fame and success or, you know, that what sort of perception have you got of that, and how are you preparing yourself because, you know, you're on that? Yeah, it's just important to stay grounded. As long as you have people around you that know where you came from and they were there in the beginning or help you stay focused and realize, you know, you're expressing yourself to, you know, thousands and millions of people out there, you know, through music. It's just important to stay grounded, you know, with family, and that way you can't really go wrong.

[00:07:21]>> [laughter] >> Absolutely. And going back to the music, um, you said you did this 26-track demo. How How much of that music actually made it onto the album? About four or five songs actually made it onto the album. It We All of a sudden, you know, we had great songs on the demo, but more More and more songs just more better songs. Just just kept flowing in like like within a month, I had recorded so many more songs. We were like, "Wow, we had so much to choose from." But luckily, you know, we I have a great album. Every song is a hit song.

[00:07:57]Is it kind of like how everything you made you could see a change and a growth in each track that you were making?

[00:08:02]>> Yes, yes, cuz you know, the songs have different, you know, vibes to them. You have one song that are very very emotional. Some is very dance-like. Some just, you know, so it's very versatile. It's You have different feels for it and it got better and better. Like it was performing it gets better and better and better, so it's Yeah. growing. Looking at the different moods, tempos, and feels to the tracks on the album, which would you say best reflects Nefeia, which >> Uh, that's a hard one.

[00:08:31]I wouldn't say one best I would say it'd have to be all of them collectively because they each have a different feel to them and they all, you know, are part of me, so all together that is me. Can't really pick out one certain song and say that's, you know, my style or whatever, you know, so >> [laughter] >> all of it.

[00:08:51]And it's really weird because I did not write every song on the album, but every song on the album relates to me in some sort of way. If I didn't experience them, then someone very close to me did. And it's it's strange.

[00:09:03]But it's good. It's a good feeling. I love the album.

[00:09:06]How do you How do you write? Is it kind of a an emotional release for you? Do you very sort of cathartic?

[00:09:12]>> I pull from um different things that I've seen or witnessed or heard about or gone or going through. Or even when I hear a certain track, how it makes me feel like, "Ooh, I want to talk about this." Or I want to do this or whatever, so yeah, it all just come from different creative ideas you have going around in your mind.

[00:09:33]Let's look at the Don't Mess With The Radio. Tell me a little bit little bit about the track and inspiration behind it. Well, that was from Organized Noize, of course. We go way in the whole Dungeon Crew. That was done a while ago. Like, I was just being introduced to this business.

[00:09:49]That was, you know, where I really got my start, you know, as far as recording and working with producers. It was over there with them.

[00:09:56]And they thought it'd be a great idea from, you know, someone my age or someone like me to come out, you know, talking about when you first get your new car, you know, teenagers. You want to be in control and you like, we going to have a good time. Just being thankful for another day. But, I'm in control.

[00:10:11]Don't mess with my radio.

[00:10:13]>> [laughter] >> Yeah, I know. Well, it's important, like you say, you started off and you you're obviously getting advised by so many people.

[00:10:20]You do need to retain some sort of sense of control for yourself, don't you?

[00:10:25]True. That's very, very true. Everybody has their own little input, but it's it's good to listen and, you know, take heed to what you hear because you have people who've experienced more than you have or been in it longer than you and they know more about it. So, it's like, I'm going to listen to what so-and-so is saying so maybe I can know before it happens to me, you know. Yeah, definitely, definitely.

[00:10:48]Tell me a bit about the video cuz obviously you mentioned the car thing and whatever.

[00:10:52]>> Yeah.

[00:10:53]>> [laughter] >> Well, the video is basically, like I said, it's like a party song. I'm getting up, I'm waking up and I'm riding in my truck um with my girls and we just singing along, having a good time and I meet this guy.

[00:11:05]And towards the end of the video, he, you know, gets in with me and he messes with my radio and I put him out >> [laughter] >> in the rain.

[00:11:13]So, that's what he gets but, you know, that's very cruel. I probably wouldn't normally do that.

[00:11:18]>> [laughter] >> You drop him off at home.

[00:11:19]>> to let him know, you know.

[00:11:22]Maybe drop him off at the bus station or something like [laughter] that.

[00:11:25]Something.

[00:11:27]Just so he could get home. Yeah.

[00:11:29]Uh, do you I If you've got time for a personal life?

[00:11:32]>> No, absolutely not. Even when you have so-called time off, you really don't.

[00:11:39]You're like on standby. Yeah. But, you know, me being a new artist, you know, and you know, trying to get to a certain level in my career, you have to do so much, you know, groundwork or whatever, pay your dues.

[00:11:53]You It can't just happen. You can just chill out and do whatever you want to do, you know, it's certain things I have to do and go through it, which I'm willing to do cuz I want to succeed, you know, in this business. So, it's it's all good.

[00:12:05]That's the thing, is people sort of see the mega successful stars and they think, "God, they just got there like that."

[00:12:10]>> there.

[00:12:11]You know, but >> so not what it seems.

[00:12:13]>> [laughter] >> It is so not what it seems.

[00:12:16]So, I mean, you are you are experiencing some success now. I mean, we're not talking Mariah Carey style yet, but you know, >> [laughter] >> but um uh what what have you done with the money that you've got so far? Have you spoiled yourself at all or Well, I put it into um of course my family.

[00:12:36]A lot. No, I'm kidding. And I um purchased a um what we call a facility home, which has cuz I'm starting up my own entertainment company, Nivi Entertainment, cuz I want to get into so many different types of things like is representing producers from models to artists to, you know, whatever, you know, under Nivi Entertainment. And we have a what we call a facility home, which has an office, conference room, a gym, a salon, and on the third level, you know, a studio house is a money-making house, basically.

[00:13:10]So, um I invest, you know, in some in things like that, and you know, just saving, putting away for certain things that I want to do as far as when I get into designing and, you know, Oh, really?

[00:13:23]>> production myself. Yeah, a lot of things I plan on doing in the future.

[00:13:28]And acting her as well. Mhm, of course, yes, no doubt acting.

[00:13:33]What which which area do you think? I mean, you're just concentrating on singing at the moment or At the moment, but it all kind of, you know, goes together. You know, when you do videos, you're you're acting, you know. Even at the same time you have to portray your own true personality through, you know, your music, but at the same time it all goes together. If you got skill in both areas, it just works even better and Okay.

[00:14:01]Um Yeah, I mean, so many strings to your bow. It's a very exciting future out there. Is there anyone who sort of does inspire you? I mean, we've seen quite a out of your contemporaries, you know.

[00:14:15]Is there anyone else that inspires you?

[00:14:17]Oh, Janet Jackson, of course, no doubt, because of the success she's had in her career. I remember me being a little little girl and she was number one. She still is. And that's the success I want to have in my career. The longevity that she's had is incredible. So, that's what I want to do. And I love to dance. So, I plan on being a an incredible performer just like she is.

[00:14:41]You're a solo artist. Mhm.

[00:14:50]Sorry. Okay, sorry.

[00:14:52]What do you What you gain from being a solo artist? And do you sometimes wish you had someone that backed you up?

[00:14:58]>> Oh, wow. Because at the same time there are I I would think the same amount of advantages as there are disadvantages, but me being a solo artist also, it's it's a lot more pressure just on you. And sometimes when you're in a group, you have a lead singer and there's still pressure on them, but you you have someone it feels like that support.

[00:15:19]You're not standing there alone. Like the light's not just on you, it's on all of you, you know. But at the same time, you know, all the attention is on me versus when you're in the group, you know. So, it kind of goes both ways, but >> [clears throat] >> Is there anyone you'd like to work with in the future? Ah, wow, so many different people.

[00:15:38]I have so many different influences and so many different types of music that I listen to, but to name a few, like Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill, Aerosmith. There's just so many different people, but that's just to name a few, cuz I listen to country music to old jazz to opera to hip-hop to rap to R&B to pop to rock, heavy metal, all of it.

[00:16:04]I think that's what's exciting at the moment is because there's there is that sort of ability and acceptance to fuse so many different styles of music and it's like makes it so much more exciting, whereas before everyone's like, "No, you've got to be in rock.

[00:16:17]You've got to be in pop."

[00:16:18]>> um sectioned off, you know. But at the same time, you know, if you really listen and you really love and appreciate music, you can hear the connection in all types.

[00:16:27]Definitely. I hear it.

[00:16:30]You've got a great sense of style. I love your boots. Thank [laughter] you.

[00:16:35]And how do you put it all together? Do you have a stylist or do you >> Yeah, I do, but you know, it's mainly me. You know, even if I wasn't singing, um I'd still be in the entertainment business in some way. But still, I wear my colored hair, I wear my clothes like It's because it's kind of like I love colors and I just like eye-catching things, you know, that stands out above, you know, the crowd, the rest of the crowd. I don't want to look like everybody else. At the same time, it's not that I'm trying to look different, it's just stuff that I just wear. Just [laughter] you, so lately >> with that, one with that, you know. Are you a shopaholic?

[00:17:10]>> Yes.

[00:17:11]>> [laughter] >> Shoes.

[00:17:14]Really mainly just shoes and like old jewelry Mhm.

[00:17:19]I don't know. Colorful things.

[00:17:22]>> [laughter] >> So, where are we going to see you performing? Cuz I know that you said that performing is something you love to do.

[00:17:29]>> Yes, it is. Well, hopefully very very soon on um um hopefully like a tour over here and different things in the future. Once I know when, I can't tell you. I don't know exactly when, but you will see a lot of me in the future. One hot dance show as well.

[00:17:46]>> Yeah.

[00:17:46]>> [laughter] >> Yeah, my my um show is is a lot of energy in it. I'm dancing, I'm singing live.

[00:17:54]And it's it's not a lip sync. But yeah, it's a lot of fun, you know, connecting with the audience and being able to look at someone and try to pull out what the meaning of the song is and let them say, "I know what you're talking about." That feels so incredible.

[00:18:10]You've got a really hard schedule at the moment. You're constantly on the go, plus with the dancing, performing. How do you look after yourself? Do you have like a regime or Well, you have to eat.

[00:18:20]And that's something I had to learn. I was like, "I don't have time to eat."

[00:18:23]But you need food for the energy. I'm like I like this, but you know, I need food. So, you have to eat and get as much rest as you possibly can. It's so hard to fit sleep into the schedule.

[00:18:34][laughter] But that's very very essential. And just eating the right types of food cuz the wrong types of food can weigh you down.

[00:18:41]You just saw exercise. I love to exercise. What you do get a great workout when I'm dancing on stage, you know, as well, but just those main three things, you know, sleep, eat, workout. Cool.

[00:18:53]Well, you look good on it.

[00:18:55]>> [laughter] >> Very good. More than good. It's been a pleasure to meet you. And I look forward to you bringing your show into town.

[00:19:04]Definitely. Definitely. Take care. Well, actually, just while you're here Wow, everything is happening.

[00:19:12]>> Everything's going, isn't it?

[00:19:14]Do you have cuz I probably won't catch up with you for a while. Do you have any idea what the next single's going to be?

[00:19:19]>> I have no idea. We're like in the pages, which is a good thing cuz they're like, oh, we got this, we got this. What are we going to do? So, no, I really don't know. I really have no idea.

[00:19:29]I don't think you're far wrong, actually.

[00:19:31]>> [laughter] >> Lovely to meet you. You're so