At just 20 years old and with only one single to her name, British Musician Nia Smith has set the world aflame. And now she shares her incredible new single ‘Personal’.
Produced by Grammy-award-winner Jimmy Napes & Ed Thomas (Stormzy & Jorja Smith), Nia states that; “Made this song with people I love. We had a lot of fun writing Personal for sure. It’s about letting go of that bad energy, we don’t need that in 2024. period. Nothing personal but you’ve got to do what’s best for you.”
With an easy and minimalist instrumental introduction, Nia’s impressive vocals take centre stage on ‘Personal’.
The incredible presence of her voice amplifies the message of the song, namely Nia standing up for herself and letting an unnamed man know what she thinks of him. With a controlled anger and powerful calm, the lyrics further prove Nia’s maturity is far beyond her age. This release follows on from ‘Give Up The Fear’ which saw Nia receive support from the likes of NME, Line Of Best Fit, Wonderland and Rolling Stone UK. She’s also fresh off the back of her debut single ‘Give Up The Fear.’
Nia has been singing since her early years; writing songs from the age of 14, she soon learnt the guitar and piano, before attending a succession of prestigious music schools, including the Brit School, followed by ELAM. Her interest in music stemmed from her dad’s record collection playing around the house and she was brought up on a versatile musical diet listening to a range of artists from Aretha Franklin to Lauryn Hill, Adele, Amy Winehouse. “I would steal his iPod and learn the lyrics,” she recalls.
Nia soon started garnering buzz via her breathtaking covers and song clips on TikTok (her cover of Adele’s ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ has over 3 million views). She’s also a striking live performer having supported Mahalia in Manchester in 2021, then Tems at London’s iconic Koko, the following year. In 2023 she sold out her first ever solo show at BeauBeaus (she can namecheck its owner, renowned British artist Slawn, as a fan) – “I was always hustling to try to get on stage,” she grins. It’s evident that seeing the hustle and bustle around her, life in Brixton gave Nia a sense that there was always something she could be doing to make things happen.
Fast forward to now and Nia is able to present her art to the world. Powerful and technically impressive, there is a tender vulnerability threaded through her storytelling and although she may just be getting started, Nia’s songs already feel accomplished and full of heart. Further honing her live craft, yesterday Nia performed at Mahalia Presents at the Jazz Cafe, and this Summer is supporting SZA as BST (29th June) as well as performing before Kaytranada at All Points East (16th August).
You can tuck into Nia Smith’s new track and video for ‘Personal’ below!