whitetigeress

April 19, 2005

Nikka Costa likes to laugh. A lot.

The 32-year-old soul diva often breaks into a hysterical cackle at the end of her spirited answers. An interview with her is a fun, comfortable dialogue that feels more like a party than an assignment. She likes her performances the same way.

“I love doing raunchy, raw, dirty gigs where everybody’s packed in there and the windows are steamy,” says Costa. “I kind of came up performing in pubs in Australia where the PA’s all f---ed up and you’re screaming over the drums, everybody’s drunk and getting into it ... it’s cool,” she says.

Costa may very well be peering into a crystal ball depicting her performance tonight at Fletcher’s, a Baltimore nightclub where “intimate” is an understatement. The Fletcher’s concert takes place on a day off from tour with fellow GAP commercial veteran Lenny Kravitz.

Packing a low-key club is one of many ways Costa rejects the mold of the female artist with pop appeal. When asked about her place among midriff-exposing MTV goddesses, Costa cringes.

“Oh god, [I’m] definitely not a pop star,” she says. “If you’re saying the word pop as in popular music then fine, but I think the state of pop music right now is lacking in musical excitement or credibility.”

Though her music is always more real than that of many studio-concocted beauties who masquerade as “artists,” Costa herself is no slouch when it comes to image. The sexy, fashionable singer and songwriter views pop as good business sense.

“That’s all part of selling what you’re doing ... I like to look hot, man,” Costa says with a laugh. “I’m not trying to be a pop star. I don’t really care, but I’m not trying to have shitty photos, either.”

Right on.

Costa tours hard, writes her own tunes, and, oh yeah, she can sing. Man, can she sing.

A forerunner of attractive and talented R&B-oriented popsters like Joss Stone, Costa name-drops deep influences, many of whom she was exposed to via her father, famed producer and arranger Don Costa.

She hopes her younger cohorts will forgo her own work as a reference in favor of the work of her heroes: blues empress Bessie Smith, jazz icon Sarah Vaughn, even Delta-bluesman Robert Johnson.

“I hope they’re listening to the stuff that I was listening to, to learn how to sing, as opposed to just listening to me,” says Costa. “I hope they’re going way, way, way back to the roots of it all.”

Costa is touring in anticipation of the upcoming May 24 release of Can’tneverdidnothin’, her first full-length release since 2001’s Everybody Got Their Something.

Everybody gained popularity on the strength of singles such as the title track and “Like A Feather,” which was featured in a Tommy Hilfiger commercial.

Costa excuses the four-year lapse between releases with a work ethic that allows her original material to gestate, or as she says, “marinate.”

“I like to make sure I like all the songs, that I’m happy with the lyrics, ’cause I write everything. I don’t really write on the road,” says Costa.

The road did, however, come into play when shaping the sonics of Can’tneverdidnothin’.

“We wanted this record to be a lot more raw, like my live shows,” says Costa. “We would play shows, and people would say, ‘Wow, I like the record, but f---, if you see her live, it’s like so much ... harder ... and in your face.’ ”

This quality that channels her “live energy” has replaced Everybody’s predilection for DJ culture and hip-hop bits and pieces.

“I don’t think there’s any samples on this record,” Costa says thoughtfully.

Costa’s upcoming release reflects a lyrical rawness, as well. Her words are so raw, in fact, that the album’s cover will be accented by a “Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics” warning sticker.

Never one to censor her music or her language (she isn’t quite Tarantino but she sure as hell isn’t Will Smith, either), Costa calls the label “ridiculous” and points to a conservative government, but not without also owning up to the risqué content.

“There’s the word ‘bitch’ in there, and there’s also the F word in there,” says Costa with a chuckle.

“Well, I guess the song that has ‘f---ing’ in it is about f---ing,” she says before cracking up into a contagious giggle. “But you know, it’s not like Lil’ Kim or something ... but then again, maybe it is, I don’t know.”

Source


Her new album can'tneverdidnothin will be released on May 24. You can listen to her new single either at her website or you can purchase it at itunes.

I am really looking forward to this. I love her music.

Rogue588

Her new site's up..


Been listening to this album for a while. Pretty funky. I'm diggin' "On And On" right now.

the aftermath

I liked the first album, can't wait to hear this.

auto

agreed.

First album was great.

Josh-da-man

She's got a funky Janis Joplin thing going on that I can dig.

Glad to see she didn't fall of the face of the Earth.

saoirse

She's actually got four albums before the last one, though most were done when she was very young.

You must see her in concert if you ever get the chance. Saw her a few years ago with Everlast at the House of Blues in Vegas. They were tremendous. Thats when I sought out her old stuff and then picked up her then new album. The one before her last album is the only one worth really trying to get of her earlier ones, as the even earlier ones were done when she was really young (like 7 or something).

Thanks for the heads up.

hdtv00

Well Nikka kicks ass. I totally LOVE her...hehe. Anyway the new album is good..has some good stuff on it. But it pales compared to the last one, which was purely amazing. But this one is still good, but I dont think its great.

PopcornTreeCt

Ah yes the girl that still thinks its the 60s.

cungar

Who cares about her album? More pics?

RiddickBowe

Saw her last month with Lenny Kravitz at DC's Constitution Hall. She was OK, but not as good as I remember her when I saw her when she was headlining at the 9:30 Club (a smaller, more intimate venue) in 2001. When I saw her there it was by far the best concert experience I've had. I think it had to do with the half-empty venue (quite a few people came in just for Lenny Kravitz) and the fact that it didn't seem the people really knew her music. Oh, well. I'll have to wait until she comes back to town.

I definitely plan on picking up her new album. Her previous album is great.