Nia Pearl can sing, has incredible style, and is en route to possibly bagging her first Metro FM Music Award.
Her collaboration with Sam Deep, Stixx, Boohle and Mano on Shela got a nod for Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Amapiano and Best Music Video.
The 35-year-old singer opens up to Sowetan about her journey to the top.
Take us through your journey in music
I’ve been in the space for a while because I studied music and graduated in 2015. I was fixated on figuring out the music industry. I spent three years doing covers, corporate gigging, and band work; at that point in my life, I was drawn into old-school SA hits – the jazzy side of things, Afro-pop... In 2019, I told my sisters, “I want to see how I can get myself in the commercial space now… no more of the background, no more of just doing covers".
I then sent Maphorisa direct messages on Instagram that he never saw until I met him at the mall. I sang for him; we exchanged numbers, then started meeting up in the studio. I somehow weaved myself into amapiano that way.
At first, I had plans of doing an Afro-pop song, but after trying one beat on an amapiano song, I was taken.
You went quiet at some point. What happened?
Lockdown happened and people started to know who I was, my name, my song, which was incredible, but it was a confusing time because people wanted to see and hear from me, but I couldn’t perform.
I was spending a lot of time in the studio working on new material, trying to figure out my voice because amapiano was a new thing to me. People were comparing me to Sha Sha.
So, I found it better to lock myself in a corner and shut the world out which, in hindsight, I think I did too much. This resulted in people saying: ‘We thought she was going to be the next [big] thing; she’s gone quiet.’ But I was there. I was just recording and figuring myself out.
When did things finally click?
When I met Babalwa M, she reached out and wanted us to hit the studio. I agreed, and that’s the day we made Amalobolo in 2023. We got along so incredibly well… the chemistry in the studio was insane. Even with Kelvin and Stixx, it was wonderful… I felt like I had found a family and friends in the industry.
I also discovered that what I enjoy the most in amapiano is more of the soulful, jazzy side.
What was your reaction to the Metro FM Music Awards nominations?
I was actually out. I wasn’t aware because I wasn’t at the announcement event. My sister sent me a couple of messages about the nominations. I then went to X and saw that I was nominated for so many songs.
My mind was blown away. We left feeling happy about the song, Shela… but never did I anticipate its success. All you could hear in December was this song.
Let’s talk fashion – how important is style?
Immensely. I want to have a fashion house. I’m a fashion girl and a hardcore fashion enthusiast… If I weren’t a singer, I’d probably be a fashion designer or stylist.
What’s next?
To grow my label… give a lot of talented people opportunities, especially people from the Eastern Cape.
I also want to see myself outside of the country performing at big festivals such as Coachella as well as see myself at the Grammys one day.
