R&B award-winning artist Nikita Kering’ is set to release a new EP dubbed ‘The Lick Back’ on Friday, May 29.
The project features a collaboration on the Introduction with Kenya’s most-streamed artist, Sofiya Nzau, known for her hit song “Mwaki.” The track blends their Kikuyu and Nandi roots for an upbeat single that serves as a prologue to the five-track EP.
Speaking about working with Sofiya, Nikita said the partnership just “clicked.”
“I started working on the intro, and it sounded quite tribal. Then I remembered wanting to work with Sofiya for a while, and it all just clicked,” Nikita said. “I hit her up and she was really willing to do it. We got into the studio, and the ideas just flowed. She showed me how to sing in Kikuyu, which was really cool! I’m so glad she agreed to be on the song; she’s the perfect addition to the EP.”
‘The Lick Back’ reflects Nikita stepping into a new era, and the album art suggests a moodier EP.
Produced by Vic West, Cap and Brim the project combines the genres of R&B, Dancehall (riddims) with splashes of Gengetone to sonically mirror her high school music influences reimagined in a modern way.
She switches from English to Swahili and Patois on different records, experiments with rap, and manages to maintain a playful yet fearless touch that balances her authentic cultural identity with a global appeal.
“The EP is about getting my revenge for everything to everyone. Kinda like taking things into my own hands and being unapologetic. We’re all going through a tough time in this world, I think it’s time someone speaks on it,” Nikita says of the new project.
Thematically, the EP features relatable tropes:
- “Niwache” speaks to Nikita’s emotional boundaries, where she warns lovers to love her or leave her alone,
- “Give Me My Money” deals with self-worth, in which she warns promoters and malicious business partners seeking to exploit and undervalue her.
- “Outside” is a power reclamation post-break-up in which she refuses to dwell on heartbreak and sappiness but instead focuses on her relentlessness
- “Sema Ukweli” is a return to ballad territory in which she questions a lover constantly leaving and returning in her life as she probes them for truth and clarity
EP will be available to stream on all platforms on Friday.
