Nico & Vinz facts for kids

Nico & Vinz
Background information
Also known as	Envy (2010–2012)
Origin	Oslo, Norway
Genres	Afrobeats hip hop R&B
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Polydor Records Universal Music Group
Associated acts	David Guetta Alesso Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ansolo Bebe Rexha Kid Ink
Members	Kahouly Nicolay Sereba (Nico) Vincent Dery (Vinz)

Nico & Vinz are a music duo from Oslo, Norway. The group includes Kahouly Nicolay "Nico" Sereba and Vincent "Vinz" Dery. They started making music together in 2010. Back then, they were known as Envy. By the end of 2012, they changed their name to Nico & Vinz. They are most famous for their big hit song "Am I Wrong". This song became very popular, reaching number 2 in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Their Music Journey

Starting Out as Envy

Nicolay Sereba has roots in Norway and Côte d'Ivoire. Vincent Dery has roots in Ghana. Their music mixes different styles like pop, reggae, and soul. They grew up listening to many types of music because their parents often took them to West Africa.

The duo first appeared as Envy at the Emergenza Festival in 2011. They won first place at the Taubertal Open Air Festival World's "Emergenza Final." This competition helps new artists get noticed. After winning, they released a collection of songs called a mixtape. It was titled Dreamworks: Why Not Me. You could also find their music online through WiMP. Nico speaks English, Norwegian, and French. Vinz speaks English, Norwegian, and Dagaare.

In June 2011, they released their first song as Envy, called "One Song". This song reached number 19 on the Norwegian Singles Chart.

First Album: The Magic Soup and the Bittersweet Faces

Envy released their first studio album on April 27, 2012. It was called The Magic Soup and the Bittersweet Faces. This album reached number 37 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. "One Song" was the main song from this album. Another song from the album was "Go Loud".

Becoming Nico & Vinz and "Am I Wrong"

In April 2013, the duo released their song "Am I Wrong". This was after they changed their name from Envy to Nico & Vinz. They signed with Warner Bros. Records in the United States. They changed their name to avoid confusion with other artists. Because "Am I Wrong" became a huge hit around the world, the song's credits were updated to their new name.

The song became very popular. It reached number 2 on the charts in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. It also hit number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the US. After "Am I Wrong," they released another song called "In Your Arms". This song also did well in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.

The music video for "Am I Wrong" was filmed in Botswana and at Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is a famous waterfall between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The video was made to show a positive side of Africa. Often, news about Africa can be negative. The music video was released on YouTube on June 20, 2013.

In early 2014, Nico & Vinz won the European Border Breakers Award. They also performed at the Spellemann Awards, which are like the Norwegian Grammys. They went on a tour in Scandinavia. "Am I Wrong" was then released worldwide. When it first played on American radio in April 2014, it was the most added song. It reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They performed "Am I Wrong" at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. They also sang it on the TV show Dancing with the Stars in Los Angeles.

Their album Black Star Elephant came out in September 2014. They then released the song "When the Day Comes" in October 2014. Nico & Vinz also worked with David Guetta on his 2014 album Listen. They sang on the song "Lift Me Up" with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Their song "Find a Way," which features Emmanuel Jal, was used in the movie The Good Lie. The song "When the Day Comes" was featured in the EA Sports video game FIFA 15.

Recent Music: EPs Cornerstone and Elephant in the Room

In October 2015, the duo released a shorter album called an EP. It was named Cornerstone. The first song from this EP was "That's How You Know". It featured Kid Ink and Bebe Rexha. This song reached number 2 in both Norway and Australia. They also sang on Alesso's song "I Wanna Know".

Nico & Vinz released "Hold It Together" in January 2016. This song was planned for their third studio album. The second song from Cornerstone was "Praying to a God".

In November 2017, Nico & Vinz released another new EP called Elephant In The Room. It included their songs "Intrigued" and "Listen". In 2019, they mentioned in a podcast that they are working on a new album.

Awards and Recognition

• 2014: Spellemannprisen as this year's Spellemann (Artist of the Year)

Their Music

Studio albums

• The Magic Soup and the Bittersweet Faces (2012) (credited as Envy)
• Black Star Elephant (2014) (credited as Nico & Vinz)

Mixtapes

• Dreamworks: Why Not Me (2010) (credited as Envy)

Extended plays

• Cornerstone (2015)
• Elephant in the room (2017)