Naïka

For other people with the same name, see Naika.
Naïka
Naïka in 2023
Background information
Birth nameVictoria Naicka Richard
Born (1998-03-03) March 3, 1998 (age 26)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active2016–present
Labels
Websitewww.naikaofficial.com

Victoria Naicka Richard[1] (born March 3, 1998), known professionally as Naïka, is an American-born French-Haitian singer and songwriter.

Early life and education

Born in Miami to a Haitian mother and a Malagasy father, Naïka spent her childhood living in various countries and regions, namely Paris, Guadeloupe, Kenya, South Africa and Vanuatu, before moving back to Miami when she was 16.[2][3][4] She developed her musical interests at an early age.[4][5]

In 2015, Naïka placed second in the BMI John Lennon Foundation Scholarship competition.[6][7] She studied Performance as her major at Berklee College of Music in Boston,[8] being selected during her first year for a tour with Michael Bolton. She participated in the NBC casting show The Voice[6][7] and, during her 7th semester, she was selected to take part in a bootcamp class by songwriter Kara DioGuardi, which resulted in her debut single "Ride". Following her graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career.[4]

Career

Naïka on the German TV show ZDF-Fernsehgarten in 2018

Her 2016 rendition of the Haitian traditional song "Papa Gèdè (Bel Gason)" received 200,000 clicks within two days.[6][8] After releasing several singles between 2017 and 2019, she rose to prominence in early 2020, when a TikTok video of her version of "Don't Rush" garnered over 12.2 million views. In 2020 and 2021, respectively, she released the EPs Lost in Paradïse, Pt. 1 and Lost in Paradïse, Pt. 2, under the label AWAL.[9] Naïka was later signed to Universal Music.[6] In April 2024, Naïka made an appearance during Saint Levant's performance at Coachella 2024, duetting to an unreleased song.[10] Her debut album is scheduled for release in 2025.[3]

Artistry

Naïka is a multilingual artist, singing in French, Haitian Creole, and English.[3][6] Her musical style, which she defines "world pop", is based on a mix of world music – blending European (particularly French), African, Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean music – with pop, soul and R&B.[2][3][4][5][6][9] She cites influences from Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Usher, the Black Eyed Peas, as well as classical composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.[4]

Personal life

Naïka lives and works in Los Angeles.[4] Since 2023, she has been in a relationship with Palestinian rapper Saint Levant.[11][12]

Discography

EPs

  • 2020: Lost in Paradïse, Pt. 1
  • 2021: Lost in Paradïse, Pt. 2
  • 2022: TRANSITIONS EP

Singles

  • 2017: "Ride"
  • 2017: "Limbo"
  • 2018: "Serpentine"
  • 2018: "Oh Mama"
  • 2018: "Blame"
  • 2018: "Snowing in L.A."
  • 2019: "Deja Vu"
  • 2020: "Enchanté" (with SACHI)
  • 2020: "Head in the Clouds" (feat. TeaMarrr)
  • 2020: "Water"
  • 2020: "African Sun"
  • 2021: "Sauce"
  • 2021: "Belle, Belle!"
  • 2021: "Don't Lie"
  • 2022: "H2O"
  • 2022: "My Body, My Choice"
  • 2022: "Guava"
  • 2023: "Milkman"
  • 2023: "1+1"
  • 2023: "Messi" (with June Freedom)
  • 2024: "6:45"
  • 2024: "1+1 (Acoustic)"
  • 2024: "6:45 (Acoustic)"
  • 2024: "Messi (Sunset Mix)" (with June Freedom and Peace Control)

References

  1. ^ "6:45 (Acoustic Version)". Apple Music. May 20, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "We've created so many boundaries, I want to tear these walls down". MYP Magazine. February 20, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "About Naïka". naikaofficial.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Meet Naïka". Voyage LA. February 17, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Randolph, Choya (December 23, 2019). "Naïka Creates Her Own Brand of 'World Pop'". Musicrunner. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Naïka | Biografie" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "A&R Factory Present: Naïka". A&R Factory. May 26, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Naïka". Position Music. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Tindel, Arielle (March 18, 2021). "Featured find: Naïka has the 'sauce' and the recipe to an emerging genre". We Are: The Guard. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  10. ^ Sharawneh, Dana (August 28, 2024). "A timeline of Saint Levant and Naika's relationship (IYKYK)". Cosmopolitan Middle East. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  11. ^ Laïreche, Rachid (June 3, 2024). "Saint Levant, Libre rêveur". Libération (in French). Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Catabui, Quinn (January 7, 2025). "A Complete Timeline Of Saint Levant & Naika's Relationship". Grazia Middle East. Retrieved January 7, 2025.