Aamid all the dystopian hellscapes of the 21st century, he has ushered in compassion. Air brothers The Shazam app. And it promises young women artists as 21 years old Nia Smith. Historically, every big record company has picked up “soul/urban/R&B” singles, soulfully returned them back then when the individual stars weren’t made. But, as Raye show that you can flourish without the traditional muscle power, following the paths blazed by nia.
Like many talented south Londoners – including Raye – Nia (pronounced “Nee-a”) is a student at a Brit school. Self-taught before, he picked up the guitar, piano and trombone as a teenager while dreaming of becoming a firefighter and/or a precocious pop star. Going viral on TikTok during the lockdown encourages at least one of those desires and high-profile support slots with Mahalia, Tems, Jordan Rakei and Elmine.
Nia grew up in soul and reggae, and while there is more of the former’s excellent recent debut EP Give fearJamaican dancehall veteran Popcaan punches his lead single Personal. There, too, the heavy-hitting pitchers show the coolness of Nia’s life, her delivery of exquisite full-body balance and attitude that hints at the imperious dominance of Adele and Alicia Keys’ honeyed angst without precedent. Nia says her songs are “a place where I can tell all my secrets,” and she does so beautifully.