Since then, she's become known for her rapid-fire bars mixed with smooth, melodic choruses, seamlessly switching between rapping and singing. Half a decade later, she's also had two high-profile relationships and worked with some of the biggest names, including Rauw Alejandro, Young Miko, Tiago PZK, and Gordo, all while dropping hits like "8 AM," "Dispara ***," and "Mamichula."
Her increased popularity in Argentina and abroad led her to embark on her first headlining tour of the U.S., which will include stops in cities like Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, and Miami.
New Times recently spoke with the 24-year-old musician at Telemundo's studios on the western edge of Doral about her upcoming tour.
"There's a great audience that hasn't seen me perform live in the U.S. as I haven't toured here, and I usually play festival shows when I am here," Nicole shares. "The tour is not only for my album Alma but also for those who haven't been able to see me perform my first two albums. It's about bringing them the hits but also giving them the classics they never got to experience."
Hot off a high-profile breakup with fellow Argentine rapper and collaborator Trueno, Nicole stepped into the booth to speak her truth for her 2023 album, Alma. On the record, she shows vulnerability and raps about everything from heartbreak to early-morning sneaky links and struggles within the industry.
"I feel like not only because this is my first U.S. tour, but Alma as a whole is a very intimate project. Yes, there will be high-energy performance moments, but this record is very personal, and I think that helps me connect with the audience a lot more," she adds. "The show has everything, really. There are high and low points during the show, especially a little sadder, but I feel like that's what I am too — nuances and the versatility of what I've done in my music, representing it in the live show. Come prepared to laugh, cry, and enjoy because you can go through all the emotions."
With a career that began to take off before the pandemic, Nicole has a sizable discography from which to pick and choose songs, including her newer cuts like "Ojos Verdes."
"The cumbias are not going to be missing. The setlist will contain up to the latest song that I release," Nicole emphasizes. "I think it's going to be a very special show because it's the first time I'm going to meet an American audience who will appreciate the range of styles."
With New Times having recently spoken to friend and collaborator Tiago PZK, Nicole reflects on her growth as an artist.
"I have toyed with previewing some of the songs on tour to see the audience's reactions," says Nicki Nicole.
Photo by Lalo Yasky
It's a moment of sudden nostalgia for someone who became internet famous so fast. Early on in her career, Nicole struggled to attract attention to her music, but now she has 22 million Instagram followers who keep up with her and her music.
"It's been five years, but it feels like nothing if this started yesterday and seeing it also in what is being generated at a musical level and arriving in the United States with an album that is also 100 percent Argentine, like Alma is, is a great pride, honestly," she adds.
Although she started in the Argentine trap scene, like many of her contemporaries, she's hopped onto other genres like reggaeton, corridos, and, of course, cumbia, one of which she collaborated with the legendary group Los Ángeles Azules.
"I wanted to make a cumbia, but I didn't want to do it by myself," Nicole says. "That's when they told me in the studio to send it to Los Ángeles Azules. It sounded like a good idea, so we sent them 'Otra Noche.' That's when I realized that I loved doing cumbia. Then we did 'Ojos Verdes.' we also did 'Doctor' with Luck Ra. And from there, I feel like people could get to know something they didn't know about me."
Over the summer, Nicki teased fans with a post that read, "Album 70%." Even though this is the Alma Tour, will she preview material from her next project?
"I can tell you that there are no cumbias on it — it's more rap-focused," he shares. "I have toyed with previewing some of the songs on tour to see the audience's reactions; maybe I will do that."
Besides that, she remains tight-lipped about her upcoming full-length project, aside from the fact that she's been listening to a lot of music by Lauryn Hill, friend and collaborator Cazzu, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar.
"I've been listening to them and paying a lot of attention to the lyrics to understand better what I want to express in a way that is more digestible to the people. And listening to a lot of trap, to be honest," she says.
For now, Nicki is focused on Alma and growing her audience outside of Argentina. Regarding collaborators joining her on tour, she says: "Maybe we can get Miko to show up to one of the dates."
Nicki Nicole. 8 p.m. Saturday, September 28, at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-7300; fillmoremb.com. Sold out.
