Nikka Costa facts for kids

Domenica "Nikka" Costa is an American singer. She was born on June 4, 1972. Her music mixes different styles like pop, soul, and blues. Nikka also started her music career as a child singer in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of famous music producer Don Costa.

Nikka Costa's Early Life and Music

Nikka Costa was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her parents were Italian-American. She grew up surrounded by music and famous artists. This was because she traveled the world with her father, Don Costa, who was a well-known producer and musician.

Starting as a Child Star

When Nikka was five years old, she recorded a song with Hawaiian singer Don Ho. In 1981, two Italian producers, Danny B. Besquet and Tony Renis, were working with her father. They decided to record an album with Nikka singing and her father playing guitar. This album was very popular in Europe, and Nikka became known as a child star.

At age nine, Nikka sang with Frank Sinatra. This happened during an appearance on the lawn of the White House.

First Songs and Albums

In 1981, Nikka's career as a main recording artist began. She recorded the song "(Out Here) On My Own" from the movie Fame. Her father, Don Costa, played on the song. This single became very popular in several countries. It reached number 1 in Italy.

Her first album, Nikka Costa, was released outside the U.S. in 1981. After that, Nikka toured all over the world. Her second album, Fairy Tales (cuentos de hadas), came out in 1983. Sadly, her father, Don Costa, passed away from a heart attack shortly after this album was recorded. Another pop album, Here I Am... Yes, It's Me, was released in 1989 to finish a contract.

After finishing high school, Nikka decided to change her music style. She moved away from pop music. She started focusing on R&B, funk, and soul. She was especially inspired by artists from Motown.

Nikka Costa's Adult Music Career

In the early 1990s, Nikka Costa was already an experienced musician. She changed her style from childhood pop music to a more grown-up soul sound. She married Australian producer and songwriter Justin Stanley. They moved to Australia and later had a daughter named Sugar McQueen.

While in Australia, Nikka started writing new songs. She formed a "happy funk" band called Little Mona & the Shag Daddies. This band played a few shows in Sydney before breaking up.

New Bands and Albums

When Nikka was 22, she started another band called Sugarbone. They toured Australia in 1994. Nikka said it was "really scary" to show her new music, but people liked it, which helped her feel more confident. After touring with Sugarbone, she signed with the Mushroom Records label in Australia.

In 1996, she released the album Butterfly Rocket in Australia. This album earned her a nomination for the ARIA Music Award for "Breakthrough Artist" that year. The next year, in 1997, she was nominated for "Best Female Artist."

Gaining Fame and Touring

In 2000, Nikka's song "Like a Feather" was used in a Tommy Hilfiger TV advertising campaign. This exposure, along with the song's music video, helped her become known in the U.S. music industry. Her album Everybody Got Their Something was released in 2001. It reached number 120 on the Billboard 200 chart. The main song from the album and "Like a Feather" were popular on the radio.

In 2002, Nikka Costa was the opening act for Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour in the U.S. and Canada. In 2005, Nikka released the album can'tneverdidnothin'. She also toured with Lenny Kravitz, who played on her record. In 2006, she and her husband Justin Stanley recorded the theme song for the TV show Courting Alex.

Collaborations and Movie Soundtracks

Nikka Costa has also been a guest singer on albums by other artists. She sang on Mark Ronson's album Here Comes the Fuzz. Mark Ronson has also produced several of Nikka's songs.

Her song "Push & Pull" from the album Everybody Got Their Something was on the soundtrack for the 2001 movie Blow. The song "Everybody Got Their Something" was also used in the 2009 movie All About Steve. Her song "Stuck To You" from the album Pebble to a Pearl appeared in an episode of Grey's Anatomy and in The Peanuts Movie.

Recent Music and Projects

Nikka Costa is currently signed with Stax Records. She released the studio album Pebble to a Pearl on October 14, 2008. In 2010, she released the single "Ching Ching Ching" in Europe. This song showed a change in her style, moving from soul/funk to electro-pop. The song reached number 69 in Germany.

A new EP (which is like a mini-album) called Pro Whoa was released in 2011. Nikka also helped write the song "Diamonds Made from Rain" on Eric Clapton's 2010 album Clapton. Her album Nikka & Strings: Underneath and in Between, which features covers of famous rock songs, was released on June 2, 2017. Her latest album, Dirty Disco, was released in 2024.

Nikka Costa's Albums

• Nikka Costa (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 (2008)
• Nikka & Strings, Underneath and in Between (2017)
• Dirty Disco (2024)

Awards and Nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards given by the Australian Recording Industry Association. They started in 1987.

See also

In Spanish: Nikka Costa para niños