A cocktail of blues, Motown, R&B, and funk, Nikka Costa’s expertly crafted “nu-soul” sound translates to an innate magnetism on stage, as evidenced by her recent performance at NYC’s Sony Hall.

by guest writer Kayleigh Schweiker

Stream: “Dance N Forget” – Nikka Costa

Blue Crush is a 2002 film marked by a sense of freedom and fearlessness.

Three women set out to regain their confidence and accomplish personal feats off of Hawaii’s North Shore, and viewers ebb along with main character Anne Marie as she navigates through the highs and lows of surf. Paired to a poignantly crafted soundtrack, one song in particular seems to capture the essence of the movie and its messaging: During the climax of the film, protagonist Anne Marie exits the water after conquering her fears and riding the perfect wave inland. As the film crescendos into applause, the soundtrack bleeds into the soulful “Everybody Got Their Something” by Nikka Costa. Effortlessly inspirational in its lyricism, Blue Crush was my first introduction to the emerging world of “nu-soul,” helmed in part by Nikka Costa.

Whether it be used to reflect the high of riding a perfect wave or paired with the visuals of a Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign, Costa’s critically acclaimed discography pairs well with the changing tides of any listeners’ life.

While her songwriting delivers emotionality through its lyricism, her sound is anything but sad.

A unique blend of disco, Motown, soul, and R&B, Nikka Costa’s music is tangible joy – and seeing her songs performed live is no exception. A veteran to the stage – as evidenced by her experience performing alongside the likes of Britney Spears, Lenny Kravitz, Frank Sinatra, and Prince – a live Nikka Costa show is a perfectly seasoned party.

On November 12^th, crowds gathered at Sony Hall for the East Coast leg of Nikka Costa’s “Dirty Disco” tour. In a display of 360-degree artistry – from a powerhouse vocal performance to raw relatability – her show bathed attendees in an infectious joy.

Kickstarting the night with the album’s title track, Costa took to the stage in a red fringed bodysuit, reflective glasses, and knee-high gold boots, setting the stage aflame in a callback to disco.

Navigating listeners through songs on Dirty Disco, including “Keep It High” and “Glitter to My Tears,” Costa also paid tribute to her roots in the early 2000s with crowd-pleasers from her repertoire including “Like a Feather” and “Everybody Got Their Something.” Drawing back the veil of her inspirations within R&B and soul, Costa also performed a cover of Rufus’s “Dance Wit Me,” bringing the crowd along as she danced beside her band.

Dirty Disco - Nikka Costa — Nikka Costa’s studio album ‘Dirty Disco,’ released August 2024

After a six-year hiatus, Dirty Disco is Costa’s testament to happiness. Written during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Costa mentioned in a previous interview: “I just really felt that what everyone the world over needed was an alternative to the heaviness living in our hands with the phones 24/7 and the isolation we all got kind of used to. Even just mentally, being timid to get back out in the world was another thing to try and overcome.”

Echoing this, Costa announced on stage during her Sony Hall show: “We wanted to make something you can dance to as you clean the house.”

While not cleaning the house at the time, dance was rife among attendees at Sony Hall.

Costa delivered an enchanting showing on stage, not only in her deliverance of expert vocals, but in a full embrace of the art of performance.

Punctuating her show with moments of raw dialogue between herself and the crowd, Costa spoke about her creative influences on Dirty Disco, introduced her powerhouse band members, and expertly drew the crowd into silence for a tender moment of a capella.

Infusing a personability into her time on stage, Costa created a refuge for attendees to fearlessly loosen their inhibitions.

An expert on the stage, Costa navigated attendees through a sonic journey defined by happiness.

While her stage presence has certainly been crafted during her impressive tenure as a vocalist (including her spot on the Billboard 200, multiple ARIA Music Award nominations and her international acclaim – as evidenced by chart-topping singles in Germany, the U.K. and Australia), her innate magnetism is a rare form of perfection.

If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to catch one of the stops along the Dirty Disco tour, take it. Through my eyes, a Nikka Costa show is a personification of her intentions behind Dirty Disco: A coming together of people and a timeless celebration of joy.

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