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Domenica "Nikka" Costa has been singing since she was five. By
the time she was seven, she was wooing crowds from Israel to
Germany with her talent. From Chile to Milan, she managed to
release several platinum albums internationally. Under the
influence of her famed father, Don Costa, Nikka became a
sensation overseas by the time she was an adolescent. In her
mid-twenties, she lived in Australia and issued Butterfly
Rocket in the mid-90s.
Now the red-headed soul siren has made her way to the U.S.
charts with her Virgin Records release, Everybody Got Their
Something. On this American debut she definitely proves she
has her something - Costa is fierce without being
overwhelming, and passionate without leaning towards
melodrama. This album makes it clear that she is a child of
the 70’s. She is Frank Sinatra’s goddaughter after all, and
spent sometime in the studio as a child being groomed by the
likes of Quincy Jones and Sly Stone.
Her raspy voice and stylish sensuality catapulted her into
America’s living rooms with “Like A Feather,” a funky track
featured in a Tommy Hilfiger commercial. The barebones song is
also the first on her seventh album and sets the tone for an
exquisite journey through the jazzy, intergalactic world of
this self-proclaimed “funky white b*tch.”
There are moments on Everybody Got Their Something where
Costa’s voice seems to transcend the beautiful and powerful
instrumentation. “So Have I For You” is a powerful rock ballad
that defines Costa as a poetic lyricist and an insightful
voice. The lonely echoes of her intonations on this track are
reminiscent of Lenny Kravitz riffs, right down to the
guitar-heavy chorus: "Mama, you can choose the rain, but I
choose the sun/That's all I need to free myself." The song
ends with a rousing crescendo and electric guitar wailing, as
Costa rivals the passionate tones of Janis Joplin. ”Nothing”
is a calmer, simpler ballad that achieves simplicity while
striking a balance between evoking love and apathy. Her
penchant for good old-fashioned soul is clear.
Nikka defines herself at her most lyrically and vocally mature
on “Push and Pull,” a contemplative song about the
contradictions that can sometimes overwhelm life: “You push
and you pull and struggle with the knot/it ties you up while
you’re fadin’.”
”Tug Of War” finds Nikka offering brasher tones than in many
of her other songs. That sassy vibe fits the tone of the
lyrics, but can be a bit sluggish, and sometimes the music
overpowers her usually subtle sound. Her rougher side reveals
itself here, and her raw passion is alluring. But Costa is
more than just a passionate, funky-ass diva. She seems to have
been a singer from the womb, and has voice control to rival
the candy-coated, frivolous pop songs that have drained
remnants of soul from R&B and rock.
“Everybody Got Their Something” is an inspirational
“shake-those-blues off” song that will have you dancing out
the door on Monday morning before you realize you've forgotten
your keys. Nikka channels the funky bass of Sly and the Family
Stone's 1973 classic "If You Want Me To Stay” and rides the
waves of the track perfectly. It is on this song that it is
clear that Nikka is as free as she wants to be.
Everybody Got Their Something is a funky girl’s dream come
true, and a lustful man’s telescope into the mind of a woman
on the verge of becoming herself. This effort from Nikka Costa
proves that her legacy will be her ability to fuse rock, folk,
soul and attitude effortlessly.
~J.Victoria
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