Nikkita Kalea "Kita" Alexander (born 25 February 1996) is an Australian pop singer-songwriter from

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, known for her 'short and evocative lines demonstrating Taylor Swift-level lyrical prowess.' Her single "

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

", peaked at number 51 on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

in November 2017 and was certified 2× Platinum by

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA) in 2020.

Early life

Nikkita Kalea Alexander was born on 25 February 1996 in

, Queensland. She was raised in

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...

, where she began performing at the age of 15, and left high school to focus on her music career.

Personal life

Kita Alexander's elder sister, Natassja Alexander, died in July 2013. She dedicated her 2017 ''Hotel'' EP to her sister's memory, saying: "It's heavily influenced and deeply personal. "Hotel" is about dealing with the loss." She married Australian professional surfer Owen Wright in 2019. Close friend and fellow musician Jack River was a member of the

bridal party A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

, alongside

Lisa Mitchell Lisa Helen Mitchell (born 22 March 1990) is an Australian singer-songwriter who grew up in Albury, New South Wales. Mitchell currently lives in Melbourne and is working on her fourth studio album. Mitchell finished sixth in the 2006 season o ...

and

Isabel Lucas Isabel Lucas (born 29 January 1985) is an Australian actress and model. She is mainly known for her roles in '' Home and Away'' (2003–06), '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' (2009), ''Daybreakers'' (2009), ''The Waiting City'' (2009), ' ...

. Alexander and Wright's first child, Vali, was born in 2016. Their second child, Rumi Alexander Wright, was born on 15 January 2021.

Career

2013-2014: ''Lion Hat''

Her first extended play, ''Lion Hat'', with six tracks, was issued in March 2013. It was produced by Jordan Millar and recorded in Sydney. Lisa Tisdell of ''Port Macquarie News'' felt, "the finished product containing songs that appeal to a cross-section of people." She moved to

Byron Bay Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...

, after turning 18. Alexander found her talent manager, Tim Manton (of After the Fall) of TAP Management, via a Google search.

2015–2016: ''Like You Want to''

Alexander released her debut single "My Own Way" in August 2015. "My Own Way" received airplay on national youth radio station

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

, and peaked at #95 on the

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Neil Z. Yeung observed that, " er influencesinformed much of her sonic aesthetic, while polished production sheen enhanced her pop sensibilities." Alexander had travelled to the west coast of United States earlier that year to record an acoustic music video for "My Own Way" at Noisey Acoustics in

Topanga Canyon Topanga () (Tongva: ''Topaa'nga'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow s ...

. "My Own Way" polled at #125 in Triple J's Hottest 200 of 2015. The singer's second EP, ''Like You Want to'' was released in November 2015. The EP was rated by AllMusic's Neil Yeung at three-and-a-half stars out-of five, which he described as, "a fun and carefree quartet of atmospheric pop... a promising start for the young singer, whose sunburned throwback pop displays a maturity well beyond her years." The title single was issued earlier in that month, which peaked at #82 on the ARIA Singles Chart. "Like You Want To" ranked at #107 in Triple J's Hottest 200 of 2015 and was then certified Gold by ARIA in 2020.

2017–2018: ''Hotel''

Alexander's third EP, ''Hotel'', was released in April 2017. The title single peaked in the top 60 on the ARIA Singles Chart in November after charting in the related ARIA Hitseekers Singles Chart for over 20 weeks. It was certified platinum, for shipment of 70,000 units, by

(ARIA) in February 2018 and 2× platinum in 2020. "

" came in at #196 in Triple J's Hottest 200 of 2017.

2019–2021: "Between You & I" and "Against the Water"

In May 2019, Alexander released " Between You & I", which samples

Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...

' 1985 song

Everybody Wants to Rule the World "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears. It was written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes and produced by Hughes. The song was first released on 22 March 1985 by Phonogram, Mercury, ...

. "Between You & I" polled at #179 in

's Hottest 200 of 2019 and was certified Gold in 2020. In February 2020, Alexander released "Against the Water". The song references her partner Owen Wright's brain injury (which occurred while surfing competitively Pipeline on the North Shore of Hawaii) and Alexander's subsequent withdrawal from touring in order to nurse him back to health.

2022: ''The One''

On 11 March 2022, Alexander released "Run" in which she disavows an unhealthy relationship and sings of finding the courage to break free and is the first taste of a forthcoming EP, due in 2022. On 19 August 2022, Alexander released "Ocean Blue". On 4 November 2022, Alexander released "Memories of You", the fourth single from her fourth EP, ''The One'', scheduled for related on 17 November 2022. "Memories of You" reckons with trauma of sexual abuse to which Alexander says, "I hope that the men who listen to this song will digest it's true meaning and have it in the back of their heads, on repeat, always".

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Kita 1996 births 21st-century Australian women singers Australian women pop singers Australian indie pop musicians Living people