Domenica "Nikka" Costa (born 4 June 1972) is an American singer whose music combines elements of pop,
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, and
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
. She also had a career as a child singer starting in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of music producer
Don Costa
Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including ''Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way''.
...
.
Early life
Nikka Costa was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her father,
Don Costa
Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including ''Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way''.
...
, was a producer and musician. During her childhood, Costa was surrounded by famous musicians and traveled around the world with her father.
At age five, Costa recorded a single with Hawaiian singer
Don Ho
Donald Tai Loy Ho (August 13, 1930 – April 14, 2007) was a Hawaiian traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer. He is best known for the song "Tiny Bubbles" from the album of the same name.
Life and career
Ho was a singer of Native ...
. Italian producers, Danny B. Besquet and
Tony Renis
Tony Renis (born 13 May 1938), stage name of Elio Cesari, is an Italian singer, composer, music producer and film actor.
Life and career
Renis was born in Milan. In the mid-1950s he met with Adriano Celentano, and the two started performing an i ...
, were working with her father on the album ''Don Costa Plays the Beatles'' when they had a brainstorm to produce an album with Nikka singing, while her father played acoustic guitar. The album was well received in Europe and Costa became known as a child star. At age 9, Costa sang with
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
in an appearance on the lawn of the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
.
Costa's career as a recording artist under her own name started in 1981, when she recorded the song "
(Out Here) On My Own" (from the movie ''
Fame''). The single reached No. 72 in Germany, No. 7 in Switzerland, No. 32 in the Netherlands, No. 13 in the Flanders region of Belgium., and No. 1 in Italy. The album ''Nikka Costa'' was released outside the U.S. in 1981. Costa toured the world. Her second album ''Fairy Tales (cuentos de hadas)'' was released in 1983. Don Costa died of a heart attack shortly after the album was recorded. The pop album ''Here I Am... Yes, It's Me'' was released to fulfill a contractual obligation in 1989.
After graduating from high school, Costa decided to move away from pop and moved toward funk and soul, becoming influenced by
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
artists.
Adult career
While already a music business veteran, in the early 1990s, Costa transitioned away from childhood
pop to mature
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
. She married Australian producer/songwriter
Justin Stanley
Justin Stanley is an Australian musician, producer and songwriter.
He has worked with an eclectic range of musicians including Beck, Prince, Jimmy Cliff, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney and Snoop Dogg.
Some of the artists Stanley had produced, in ...
and moved to his country. (Costa and Stanley now have a daughter named Sugar McQueen.) While in Australia, Costa began writing her own songs and formed a "happy funk" band called Little Mona & the Shag Daddies, which broke up after four gigs in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. Costa's next venture was a band called Sugarbone, which toured Australia in 1994. Costa describes the experience as "It was really scary to unveil it, but the reaction was good. It helped my confidence." After Sugarbone, she signed to the Mushroom label in Australia. In 1996, Costa released the album ''
Butterfly Rocket'' in Australia. The record led to a nomination for
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
Breakthrough Artist in 1996 and Best Female Artist in 1997.
In 2000, Costa's song "Like a Feather" was featured in a
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( /hɪlˈfɪgər/; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.
After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place in upst ...
television
advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and conc ...
. That exposure coupled with the track's music video helped launch her U.S. music career. The album ''
Everybody Got Their Something'' was released in 2001 and reached No. 120 on the
''Billboard'' 200.
The title track and "Like a Feather" were radio hits, although the latter did peak at No. 53 in the United Kingdom.
In 2002, Costa was the opening act for
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
'
Dream Within a Dream Tour
The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the fourth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her third studio album, '' Britney'' (2001). The tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears di ...
in the US and Canada. In 2005, Costa released the album ''
can'tneverdidnothin'''. She toured with
Lenny Kravitz, who also performed on the record. In 2006, she and her husband Justin Stanley recorded and performed the theme to the short-lived
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
sitcom ''
Courting Alex
''Courting Alex'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from January 23 to March 29, 2006, and was a vehicle for Jenna Elfman of ''Dharma & Greg'' fame. The series was based on the British sitcom ''According to Bex''.
Elfman portrays Alex Rose ...
'' starring
Jenna Elfman.
Costa was a guest singer on
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
's album ''
Here Comes the Fuzz
''Here Comes the Fuzz'' is the debut studio album by British producer Mark Ronson. The album was released on 8 September 2003, led by the lead single, " Ooh Wee". Unlike Ronson's later releases his debut album focuses more on the genre of hip h ...
''. Ronson has produced some of Costa's songs. Her song "Push & Pull" from the album ''Everybody Got Their Something'' is included in the soundtrack of the 2001 movie ''
Blow
Blow commonly refers to:
*Cocaine
*Exhalation
* Strike (attack)
Blow, Blew, Blowing, or Blown may also refer to:
People
* Blew (surname)
* Blow (surname)
Arts and entertainment Music
*The Blow, an American electro-pop band
Albums
* ''Blow ...
'' starring
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
. Her song "Everybody Got Their Something", was used in the soundtrack of the 2009 movie ''
All About Steve
''All About Steve'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Phil Traill and starring Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, and Bradley Cooper as the eponymous Steve. The film is the winner of two Golden Raspberry Awards and has a 6% approval ...
'' starring
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Sandra Bullock, various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, Bullock was ...
and
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...
. Her song "Stuck To You" from the album ''
Pebble to a Pearl
''Pebble to a Pearl'' is the fourth album by the American funk/soul singer Nikka Costa. The album was produced by Costa's husband Justin Stanley, who also worked with Jamie Lidell and Beck. It was released independently on Costa and Stanley's ...
'' appeared in an episode of ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' in season five and in
The Peanuts Movie
''The Peanuts Movie'' (known in some countries as ''Snoopy and Charlie Brown: A Peanuts Movie'') is a 2015 American computer-animated comedy film based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts'', produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed ...
.
Costa is currently signed with
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Stax was ...
. She released the studio album ''
Pebble to a Pearl
''Pebble to a Pearl'' is the fourth album by the American funk/soul singer Nikka Costa. The album was produced by Costa's husband Justin Stanley, who also worked with Jamie Lidell and Beck. It was released independently on Costa and Stanley's ...
'' on 14 October 2008. In 2010, she released the single "Ching Ching Ching" in Europe. The song is notable from a genre change from
soul/funk to
electro-pop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
. The single reached No. 69 in Germany,
making it Costa's first single to chart in Germany since "On My Own" in 1981. A new EP titled ''
Pro Whoa
''PRO★WHOA'' is a six-track EP by the American soul singer-songwriter Nikka Costa released on 21 June 2011. It marks a change in musical direction, from funk and soul toward a more pop-oriented aesthetic. It was the first release on Costa's own ...
'' was released in 2011. Costa co-wrote the song "Diamonds Made from Rain" on
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
's 2010 album ''
Clapton''. The album ''Nikka & Strings: Underneath and in Between'', consisting of covers of rock standards, was released on 2 June 2017.
Discography
*''
Nikka Costa
Domenica "Nikka" Costa (born 4 June 1972) is an American singer whose music combines elements of pop, soul, and blues. She also had a career as a child singer starting in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of music producer Don Costa.
Early ...
'' (1981)
*''Fairy Tales'' (1983)
*''Here I Am... Yes, It's Me'' (1989)
*''
Butterfly Rocket'' (1996)
*''
Everybody Got Their Something'' (2001)
*''
Can'tneverdidnothin''' (2005)
*''
Pebble to a Pearl
''Pebble to a Pearl'' is the fourth album by the American funk/soul singer Nikka Costa. The album was produced by Costa's husband Justin Stanley, who also worked with Jamie Lidell and Beck. It was released independently on Costa and Stanley's ...
'' (2008)
*''Nikka & Strings, Underneath and in Between'' (2017)
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987.
!
, -
,
1996
, "Master Blaster"
,
ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist - Single
,
,
, -
,
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, "Get Off My Sunshine"
,
ARIA Award for Best Female Artist
The ARIA Music Award for Best Female Artist, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Ind ...
,
,
, -
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Nikka
1972 births
American expatriates in Australia
Child pop musicians
Living people
People from Beverly Hills, California
American expatriates in Japan
Singers from Los Angeles
American funk singers
American soul singers
21st-century American women singers
20th-century American women singers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers