Nikita Kering’ named November’s spotlight artist in Africa by Spotify

Ahead of the release of her upcoming EP, The Other Side, Kenyan songstress Nikita Kering’ has been announced as Spotify’s EQUAL Africa artist for November.

The multiple award-winning singer and songwriter was announced on Monday and joins the group of featured African female artists who the global music streaming platform describe as confident, compassionate and fierce.

The programme seeks to provide female artists with the support and resources to grow their craft and reach worldwide audiences through multiple playlists.

As November’s featured artist, Nikita will also receive off-platform guidance and tools to help take her music career to even greater heights.

"As a young woman, making music has always been more than just vibes. It’s been a blessing. However, having to always keep a third eye open has been a big challenge. Like any other male-dominated field, it’s hard to know if my talent and expertise will be enough to get me to the top,” the 20-year-old star said.

"I'm so happy that platforms like EQUAL create a safe space where we can share our experiences as women and find ways in which this space can be safe for us all," she added.

Kering’ started performing when she was only three years old, but it was not until 2021 that her smash hit ‘Ex’ catapulted her to mainstream success.

The song, her biggest yet, was one of the most streamed songs in Kenya on Spotify that year, and alongside its accompanying EP, A Side of Me, they ended up earning her several awards, including 'Best RnB and Soul Artist' and 'Best Female Artist East Africa' at the 2021 All Africa Music Awards.

In 2020, the R&B singer was the youngest performer at the annual Women in Music concert series in Nairobi.

“As a company known for being at the forefront of empowering artists since it was founded, Spotify is proud to have the talented Nikita Kering’ join the EQUAL Africa family as the artist for November. We are looking forward to working with her to help build on her growing fan base,” Spotify’s head of music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, said.

For her upcoming EP, Kering' hopes to break the silence on mental health struggles.