Biography
Embracing the essence of timeless soul, Nikka Costa updates her vintage leanings through sharp, contemporary touches rather than slipping into mere recollection. That fusion surfaced clearly on Everybody Got Their Something, the 2001 album that brought her broader attention. Across the rest of the decade she balanced modern dance-pop impulses with refined throwback style, creating room for later ventures such as the dramatic presentation of Nikka Costa & Strings: Underneath and In Between and the buoyant sensuality of Dirty Disco, the 2024 set that ended a 16-year stretch without new original material.
Born in Tokyo on June 4, 1972, Nikka Costa is the daughter of arranger and producer Don Costa, whose credits include extensive work alongside Frank Sinatra. Drawn to music early, she appeared on record for the first time at age five, contributing vocals to a Christmas single by Don Ho. In 1981 Italian producers Tony Renis and Danny B. Besquet, both prior collaborators with her father, oversaw her self-titled debut album issued throughout Europe. A reading of “(Out Here) On My Own,” the song co-written by Lesley Gore and previously cut by Irene Cara for the soundtrack of the 1980 musical Fame, turned the project into a hit across the continent, although it never reached American stores. She did perform stateside as a child, joining Sinatra for a rendition of “To Love a Child” at a White House event in the opening year of the Ronald Reagan administration, yet most of her early recording activity remained focused on Europe.
Following the 1989 release of Here I Am…Yes, It’s Me, Nikka Costa wed Australian musician Justin Stanley and relocated to his homeland. There she moved through short-lived groups including Little Mona & the Shag Daddies and Sugarbone before resuming a solo path by the mid-’90s. Her Mushroom Records debut Butterfly Rocket appeared in 1999 and drew acclaim, earning a nomination for Breakthrough Artist at the ARIA Music Awards. The resulting profile secured a deal with Virgin Records, which issued Everybody Got Their Something in May 2001.
The advance single “Like a Feather,” whose funk groove featured in a Tommy Hilfiger television campaign, helped launch an extensive promotional effort that included an opening slot for Britney Spears in 2022. Even so, her next full-length, Can’tneverdidnothin’, did not arrive until 2005. Co-produced by Costa and Stanley and boasting appearances from Questlove, Lenny Kravitz, and Jon Brion, the album closed her time with Virgin. She then shifted to Stax/Go Funk for 2008’s Pebble to a Pearl, whose lead track “Stuck to You” became a dance hit.
In 2011 Costa explored a new direction with the electro-pop EP Pro Whoa!. After remaining largely silent for six years to focus on her family, she resurfaced in summer 2017 with Nikka & Strings, an album of classic pop covers scored for string quartet. Following another extended break, she returned in 2024 with Dirty Disco, an ode to physical dance music.
Born in Tokyo on June 4, 1972, Nikka Costa is the daughter of arranger and producer Don Costa, whose credits include extensive work alongside Frank Sinatra. Drawn to music early, she appeared on record for the first time at age five, contributing vocals to a Christmas single by Don Ho. In 1981 Italian producers Tony Renis and Danny B. Besquet, both prior collaborators with her father, oversaw her self-titled debut album issued throughout Europe. A reading of “(Out Here) On My Own,” the song co-written by Lesley Gore and previously cut by Irene Cara for the soundtrack of the 1980 musical Fame, turned the project into a hit across the continent, although it never reached American stores. She did perform stateside as a child, joining Sinatra for a rendition of “To Love a Child” at a White House event in the opening year of the Ronald Reagan administration, yet most of her early recording activity remained focused on Europe.
Following the 1989 release of Here I Am…Yes, It’s Me, Nikka Costa wed Australian musician Justin Stanley and relocated to his homeland. There she moved through short-lived groups including Little Mona & the Shag Daddies and Sugarbone before resuming a solo path by the mid-’90s. Her Mushroom Records debut Butterfly Rocket appeared in 1999 and drew acclaim, earning a nomination for Breakthrough Artist at the ARIA Music Awards. The resulting profile secured a deal with Virgin Records, which issued Everybody Got Their Something in May 2001.
The advance single “Like a Feather,” whose funk groove featured in a Tommy Hilfiger television campaign, helped launch an extensive promotional effort that included an opening slot for Britney Spears in 2022. Even so, her next full-length, Can’tneverdidnothin’, did not arrive until 2005. Co-produced by Costa and Stanley and boasting appearances from Questlove, Lenny Kravitz, and Jon Brion, the album closed her time with Virgin. She then shifted to Stax/Go Funk for 2008’s Pebble to a Pearl, whose lead track “Stuck to You” became a dance hit.
In 2011 Costa explored a new direction with the electro-pop EP Pro Whoa!. After remaining largely silent for six years to focus on her family, she resurfaced in summer 2017 with Nikka & Strings, an album of classic pop covers scored for string quartet. Following another extended break, she returned in 2024 with Dirty Disco, an ode to physical dance music.
Albums
Dirty Disco
2024
Nikka & Strings: Underneath and in Between
2017
Pebble To A Pearl
2008
Can'tneverdidnothin'
2005
Everybody Got Their Something
2001
Butterfly Rocket
1996
Singles
