Mumbai and LA-based artist Nikitaa creates a witty blend of sassy melodies, partnered with powerful lyrics that lend added depth to each of her compositions. Solely composed, sung, and written by Nikitaa, her latest track, Scheming, is a musical cosplay that draws inspiration from a Tiktok video of a girl calling out her cheating boyfriend.
Talking about the track that released today, Nikitaa adds, "I started writing and producing this song by drawing inspiration from this video I found on TikTok of a girl calling out her cheating boyfriend. The woman he tried to cheat on had reached out to his girlfriend, and they basically planned his public humiliation. I instantly started to hear the song in my head as this fantastical story, starting with the line, Butterfly clips in my hair turn to dragons. I've always used myth and mystery in my music, and this year I want to apply that writing skill to relatable and human moments like these. When I finished the first half, I posted it online, and it went viral. A lot of people loved the idea of turning the ordinary into something fantastical and dramatic just as much as me".
Scheming is a really simple song when it comes to production, and she left it that way so as to could keep the spotlight on the lyrics and vocals. It does, however, have a lot of dramatic flair—the sample of the little kid laughing, the sound of someone digging in the dirt right after the chorus promises to bury this cheating man in the ground. the subtle use of a fireball sample to accent transitions the same way a gong or reverse cymbal would. Nikitaa even created the artwork with the assistance of AI software because she wanted something fantastical and larger than life.
Nikitaa has come a long way with her music - also known as her self-coined genre "Goddess Pop”. In 2021 Nikitaa collaborated with Ash King and Nikhil D’Souza on her singles. She then released her big hit Hindi single Zindagi Hai Abhi in collaboration with renowned composers Amaal Mallik and Daboo Malik in 2022. Inspired by the 80's up-tempo pop production, the vibrant song talks about cherishing life and living it to the fullest, followed by Bad Trip and Bad Trip Lo-Fi with music director Amaal Mallik, released later. She ended the year with Chup and Apsara.