Anonymous artist niina makes electro-pop its most vulnerable on "miss u"

Unlike other producers, electronic one-woman project niina does not rely on a catalogue of samples and instead chooses to write and produce all music herself. This self-sufficiency is part of what makes niina’s sound so uniquely her own, and having self-released an EP last year, her traction is only growing in underground electronic communities.

While operating in the same circles as Joy Anonymous, Godford, and her long-time inspirations Mura Masa and Jamie xx, it’s Lolo The Great that she finds a natural sense of collaboration – having teamed up for January’s single “Homesick”, and today releasing the kaleidoscopic new track, “miss u”.

“Lolo and I wrote this about a similar situation we found ourselves in; being in a relationship gone wrong and the power that we can get from also being vulnerable,” niina tells BEST FIT. “I would love for listeners to just feel empowered and like they’re not on their own.”

Laced with luscious synth melodies and an infectious danceable energy “miss u” explores the emotions that follow a recent breakup – reflecting on the good times spent together and yearning for co-dependency, but it is by no means a lament.

Expertly fusing pop and dance music, the track combines a catchy hook with colourful instrumentation, while the soft auto-tuned vocals are reminiscent of Tones and I’s 2019 floor filler “Dance Monkey”.

niina explains, “This was a really cathartic track for Lolo and I, it kinda feels like a question and answer to me in the way that it’s worked out. The question being the vocals and the vulnerability and the instrumental being the fight back and strength in answer to the question.”

Interestingly, niina chooses to remain anonymous for now and is represented in her music videos by the self-titled ‘niina girls’ – a collective of female dancers. As she sings “I think I miss you / I think I think about you too much” the girl lip-syncing to niina’s vocal is surrounded by her friends who support and uplift her in her time of need – imbuing the track with a hint of reassurance that things will get better in time, with the right people around you.

Dressed head to toe in varying shades of pink, with braided hair and tulle dresses a la Villanelle, the ‘niina girls’ are intentionally ultra-feminine. “In the time I’ve spent in the creative industry I’ve often felt frustrated by how male-dominated it is and always has been,” niina elaborates.

“I think I came to realise that the space I wanted to inhabit with my music wasn’t just a space made up of one individual, but a space made up of many females in the creative industry creating their own art. I want to build a platform with my fellow creatives rather than just a platform based on who I am as a person, and this is how the character niina was born.”