This story is part of our Sondio Latino series for Hispanic Heritage Month.
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NICKI NICOLE HAD the kind of earth-shattering breakout moment most artists dream of: When she was just 19, the first song she ever posted on YouTube — the moody, minimalist “Wapo Traketero” — exploded in Argentina, making her a star. Fans got to know her soulful vocals and her ability to toggle between R&B and hip-hop.
Five years later, Nicole has cemented herself as a leading female voice out of the country, showcasing her versatility across her past three albums, which have earned her eight Latin Grammy nominations and hundreds of sold-out shows. “I feel much more professional than I did before, and I’ve learned to not only enjoy myself but transmit that feeling in my music,” she says. “I’ve learned to trust my intuition, which I didn’t do before.
With that newfound confidence, Nicole is hoping to release her fourth album, a trap and hip-hop record, by the end of the year. She says it’s the best album she’s ever made, something “so much more epic” than her past projects: “This new era of Nicki is going to surprise people.”
Part of this chapter includes touring the United States for the first time — a goal she’s had since she started making music. She’ll kick things off in New York’s Irving Plaza before making her way to Dallas, Miami, and L.A. “I’m excited to represent my country and go to places where my favorite rappers have performed,” she says.
The new album and the tour will cap off a year of musical experimentation and personal growth for Nicole. Her previous LP, Alma, which came out in 2023, drew attention with its jazzy, soul-leaning sound. “I’m proud that I was able to communicate what I felt in such a digestible way,’ she says. “Now I listen to that music from a new place.” However, what she’s planning is going in a different direction, and she’s excited for her fans to hear it. “[My last album] represented me, but this next project is super different, with some nostalgia in the elements,” she explains.
Following Alma, Nicole launched a string of singles that hinted at a side she hadn’t introduced to fans. She joined Grupo Frontera for the song “Desquite” — or “Retaliation” — and released the scathing cumbia ballad “Ojos Verdes.” “Good luck finding me in someone else’s green eyes,” she sings on the track. Both songs came weeks after her headline-making split from corridos star Peso Pluma, whom she dated for several months.
The breakup was a big source of gossip. In February, Pluma was filmed holding hands with another woman, sparking rumors of infidelity. At the time, Nicole issued a statement that went viral: “Respect is a necessary part of love,” she wrote on social media. “When there’s no respect, I won’t stay. I leave.”
She wishes she hadn’t had to address her personal life in such a public way. “I haven’t gone through the best time with my personal life going public, but I’ve realized that it’s another thing I can’t control,” she admits. “I don’t like feeding people parts of my life so they can judge.… My music does the talking. But I’m just a human, I’m just a person. People are going to find things out, and people are going to have opinions.”
She says going through such a rough time taught her to “not care anymore” about what people say about her. She’s hoping to channel those lessons into her upcoming music. More importantly, she wants to keep bringing her culture to unprecedented heights: “I’ll never stop fighting for this dream.”