'Lick Back': Nikita Kering steps into a new era with her first studio EP

Kenyan R&B superstar Nikita Kering is rolling out the red carpet for her first studio EP since her highly successful 2022 effort 'The Other Side'.

'Lick Back' EP is set to drop on 29th May following a plethora of singles and features throughout the years, as well as successful projects that have positioned Nikita as one of the most bona fide household names from East Africa's music scene.

The gap years also include her highly-publicized departure from her blockbusting record deal, becoming the first Kenyan female artist to sign with Universal Music Group South Africa.

"The EP is about getting my revenge for everything to everyone. Kinda like taking things into my own hands and being unapologetic. We're all going through a tough time in this world, I think it's time someone speaks on it." Nikita mentions the EPs' inspiration.

The "Last Name" singer has already teased the artwork and tracklist to a resounding reception online, with fans sharing their excitement of the project due to drop this Friday.

The multi-award-winning songstress taps features from East Africa's current highest-streamed artist Sofiya Nzau known for her floating vernacular delivery with hit songs such as "Mwaki" that has been streamed close to half a billion times on Spotify alone.

"I started working on the intro and it sounded quite tribal. Then I remembered wanting to work with Sofiya for a while and it all just clicked. I hit her up and she was really willing to do it. We got into the studio and the ideas just flowed. She showed me how to sing in Kikuyu which was really cool! I'm so glad she agreed to be on the song, she's the most perfect addition to the EP" Nikita reveals on her collaboration with Sofiya on the intro track blending their Kikuyu and Nandi roots.

'Lick Back' is a five-track LP that reflects Nikita stepping into a new era. Combining genres of R&B, Dancehall (riddims) with splashes of Gengetone, sonically the EP is a mirror of her high school music influences reimagined in a modern way.

She conflates English, Swahili, and Patois on different records, experiments with rap, and manages to maintain a playful yet fearless touch that balances her authentic cultural identity with a global appeal.

Thematically, the body of work speaks to relatable tropes such as Nikita's emotional boundaries on "Niwache" which is Swahili for "Leave me Alone" where she warns lovers to love her or leave her alone, to subject matters of self-worth where she checks promoters and malicious business partners seeking to exploit her and undervalue with "Give me my Money".

Power reclamation anthems such as "Outside" where she glows on a post break-up single rather than dwelling on heartbreak and sappiness display her relentlessness to the EP closer "Sema Ukweli" where she straddles in more familiar ballad territory on a cut that broods honesty, flirting with the idea of a lover cons leaving and returning in her life as she probes them for truth, clarity and ground rather than confusion - even when it's difficult.

"Sema Ukweli" stands for "Tell T in Swahili.

Production was handled by a cast of Kenyan producers, including hit-maker Vic West, Cap and Brim.