From Bulgaria to England and finally Toronto, singer-songwriter and modern pop recording artist NIIVA turns up the sweet and sultry vibes with her latest single, "Friends."
NIIVA has already amassed over 1.6 million streams with her lyrical liquid courage and countless collaborations. Her debut single "Black Mamba" for KPOP girl group aespa reached No. 1 on the Billboard World Album charts, No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Back and ready to attack, NIIVA is jumping into a sultry and relatable theme with her groovy new single, "Friends." The bold new track expresses NIIVA's love for a friend, a sort of forbidden fruit situation. It's that familiar friends-to-lovers scenario but with a steamy pop songstress edge.
Produced by Toronto's Emery Taylor (Kiesza, R3HAB), "Friends" kicks off with NIIVA's smooth and sensual vocals that linger into the first verse with heaps of passion and lust. She instantly brings the listener into those primal moments of craving someone's love, a situation that sure doesn't look like "Friends." NIIVA's radiant and sexual performance stylings, alongside Taylor's infectious production, bring this hot and heavy atmosphere that's impossible to resist.
The driving drum arrangements and twinkling keys, alongside NIIVA's broad vocal range and conceptual lyrics, keep the listener locked in and engaged from start to finish. It's one of the most well-rounded and desirous modern pop songs we've heard from an independent act, and it's clear NIIVA's successful music career has only just begun.
When you're ready to take that leap of courage and move from friends to lovers, hit play on NIIVA's irresistible new single, "Friends," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, NIIVA. Congratulations on releasing your steamy and bluntly honest new single, "Friends." What inspired you to write a song about the friends-to-lovers scenario?
Thank you! We love a bit of spice in this house. The friends-to-lovers scenario is the story of my romantic life, so I thought it was about time I put it into song. The best way to know if you want to be with someone and if they’re a good fit for you is to get to see them at their most unfiltered, without the pressure of a romantic relationship - and vice versa. That’s how I knew I wanted to be with the person I’m with now - I saw him in his purest form, as friends first, without any attempts to impress or be something we’re not.
What atmosphere or vibe did you want to set up for listeners when they hear "Friends"? How did you want this new track to make them feel?
I wanted to convey the mixed feelings of frustration, excitement, and tension that come with realizing you’re crossing a line with someone you might not want to risk losing. The crossover from friends to more is always a dangerous move because you never know if it’ll work out romantically. It’s a scary gamble but an incredibly tempting and exciting one, so the dichotomy of that is what we tried to put into the song.
You have a history of making vibrant, high-energy, and lively pop bangers like "Friends". Can you tell our listeners about your songwriting experiences with other artists?
I love writing for pitches and other artists because I find it to be more freeing for me. When I write for myself, I tend to filter myself more, which makes it a slower process because I need to make sure it’s something I would say and reflects my sound and my brand. Writing for others is much less subjective, and I find my ideas flow more freely and quickly because I’m taking myself out of the equation. I love to do both; it’s just the process is different.
What's next for you?
One thing I didn’t get to do when I released my EP is to perform it live because it came out when everything was shut down in quarantine, and there were no live shows. Now that everything is in full swing, I’m excited to be doing shows and performing all my music live on stage. Streaming music is one thing, but seeing people’s faces while you sing the lyrics to them in person is how music is meant to be experienced by me.
