On 'A Side of Me,' Nikita Kering proves she is special [Pulse EP Review]

Nikita Kering isn’t ordinary. Her vocals seem bought from mid-2000s Nigerian Gospel music and 2000s R&B. Her delivery sits inside beats like she’s Khaleesi, dancing straight into a fire, unfazed and unscathed. Her music is also a bridge between Alternative, throes of Gospel, R&B and Sentimental Ballad.

Records like ‘Never Let You Go’ and ‘Crossing Lines’ showcase her ability to switch genres, while still maintaining brilliance. Although ‘Never Let You Go’ shows the easily missable rawness in her burgeoning talent, she more than makes up for the rawness with her methodical delivery and the deft use of her vocals.

Going forward, as much as beats for a record like ‘Never Let You Go’ can co-opt an easy victory, they can also get quite typical. There’s a reason why ‘Never Let You Go (Acoustic)’ is more of a musical victory than the original version.

Kering is also topically astute. Although she doesn’t really tell any exceptional story because she's only 19, she knows how to use her vocals as an effect for embellishment and quality elevation while crafting catchy hooks. As she matures, her pen will get better and she will have access to collaborative songwriting.

It’s difficult to pick a best record on A Side Of Me EP though. Records like ‘Forget,’ ‘Where You Been’ and Ex’ are so good.

Telling Nadeska Alexis, on Africa Rising Radio about the EP, she says, "This was purely a selfish project. The reason it was a selfish project is because it was an experiment. I didn't even know what the hell my sound was. And that's why the EP just sounds like Alicia keys, then we have Tiwa Savage, and then we have everything. It was a mixture of all of my dreams and people that I look up to.

"So it really was an experiment. And the reason it's called A Side Of Me is because it's just one part of me that needs to be seen. But then there's soon to be a lot of other stuff that people are yet to see. So it's just a portion of what I have. And it was a time for me to figure out who I am and I'm still trying to understand myself."

The queens are coming in African music and it’s about time.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

7.5 - Victory