Conan O’Brien took the stage as host for the 98th Academy Awards on 15th March. The star-studded event was broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, reaching fans through both ABC and Hulu.
The road to the ceremony was paved with history-making buzz. When nominations were first announced on 22nd January, Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ officially set a new record for the most Oscar nominations ever received by a single film, pulling in an incredible 16 nods. By the end of the night, the movie secured four wins, highlighted by Michael B. Jordan taking home the Best Actor trophy for his impressive dual performance.
Image Courtesy: Getty
This year’s ceremony featured 24 categories, including the debut of the Best Casting award. Cassandra Kulukundis made history as the first winner in this brand-new category for her work on ‘One Battle After Another.’ That film turned out to be the night’s big champion, winning six awards total, including the prestigious title of Best Picture.
Keep reading to see the full list of this year’s winners.
It looks like the runway has officially moved to the red carpet! While fans are counting down the days until ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ hits theatres on 1st May, the film’s leading lady, Anne Hathaway, just gave us a fashion moment for the history books at the 2026 Oscars.
Returning to the Academy Awards after a 12-year break, the 43-year-old actress turned heads in a stunning floral Valentino gown. The look felt like a clever nod to the legendary line about spring florals being groundbreaking, famously delivered by Meryl Streep’s character two decades ago. Hathaway’s ensemble featured a strapless mermaid silhouette with a dramatic train, which she paired with elegant long black gloves and a breathtaking collection of Bulgari diamonds.
The jewellery was a masterpiece all on its own. As a brand ambassador for Bulgari, Hathaway wore the Neoclassical Starlight High Jewellery necklace. This incredible piece took over 850 hours to create and features a rare yellow diamond weighing over 8 carats, surrounded by nearly 100 additional diamonds. She completed the sparkling look with matching yellow diamond earrings and platinum rings, while her hair was swept into a graceful half-up style complemented by soft, peachy makeup.
The night got even more exciting when Anne Hathaway took the stage with fashion icon Anna Wintour to present the awards for costume design, hair and makeup. The duo leaned into the fun with a skit inspired by the dynamic between Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, a perfect teaser for the upcoming sequel.
Image Courtesy: Getty
The new film is set to reunite the original cast, including Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, alongside several new faces. In a recent interview, Anne Hathaway shared her excitement for the release, noting that she hopes fans have as much fun dressing up for this movie as they did for the ‘Barbie’ premiere.
She encouraged everyone to pull out their best Miranda Priestly-approved outfits and simply enjoy the experience.
Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan achieved a major career milestone after winning the Best Actor award at the 98th Academy Awards for his performance in the film ‘Sinners.’ For the 39-year-old actor, the victory was even more memorable because it was his first-ever Oscar nomination and win. His powerful portrayal of twin siblings in the genre-bending supernatural drama enthralled both reviewers and viewers, making it one of the year’s most talked-about films. Ryan Coogler’s picture topped the Oscars with a record number of nominations and had a spectacular run during the awards season.
A Powerful Performance That Defined ‘Sinners’
As twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who must navigate crime, survival, and supernatural dread in 1930s Mississippi, Michael B. Jordan gave one of his most memorable performances in the film ‘Sinners.’ The narrative centers on the brothers as they return to their hometown to run a juke joint, only to have their lives drastically changed by an enigmatic vampire threat. The movie creates a distinctive cinematic experience by fusing drama, music, supernatural horror, and Southern Gothic storytelling.
Image Courtesy: ScreenRant
Jordan received significant praise from reviewers and viewers worldwide for his powerful portrayal of the two very different personas. With a budget of about $90–100 million, the movie itself became a global hit, earning over $368 million worldwide. Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, and Miles Caton were among the great supporting cast members of ‘Sinners,’ which gave the story greater depth.
Jordan’s ability to give both characters emotional depth and nuance won accolades from critics, which helped the movie stand out during the 2025–2026 awards season.
‘Sinners’ dominated the awards conversation long before the Oscars night. The film made history by securing 16 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, the highest number ever for a single film in Oscar history. In addition to Jordan’s Best Actor triumph, the movie received other accolades, including Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler and victories in technical categories including score and cinematography.
The Best Actor race was one of the most competitive of the night, with Jordan competing against several top contenders including Timothée Chalamet, but ultimately emerging as the winner thanks to the emotional and transformative depth of his performance.
Image Courtesy: Vanity Fair
Jordan, who had previously given acclaimed performances in movies like ‘Fruitvale Station,’ ‘Creed,’ and ‘Black Panther’ but had never been nominated for an Oscar, found the victory particularly meaningful.
Along with becoming one of the few Black performers to win Best Actor, he also became one of the most illustrious figures in Hollywood history.
Emotional Acceptance Speech and Career Milestone
During his acceptance speech, an emotional Michael B. Jordan thanked director Ryan Coogler for believing in him and for creating a film that celebrated powerful storytelling and culture. He also thanked his parents and mentors for their support during his 25-year career in entertainment. Jordan acknowledged the impact of legendary Black performers like Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Halle Berry on his career and the film industry.
Image Courtesy: The Oaklandside
From his early television performances in ‘The Wire’ and ‘All My Children’ to his current status as one of Hollywood’s most esteemed leading men, the actor thought back on his path. He reportedly got a standing ovation from the audience during the event, which celebrated both his performance in ‘Sinners’ and the Academy’s long-awaited recognition. Jordan has solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s most important actors with this victory.
Meanwhile, ‘Sinners’ continues to be celebrated as one of the most successful and culturally impactful films of the year, proving that bold storytelling and powerful performances can redefine modern cinema.
The global animated sensation ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ reached a historic milestone by winning Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards, cementing its place as one of the most influential animated films of the decade. The Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation-produced film explores the tale of a girl group secretly battling otherworldly powers while fusing fantasy storytelling, K-pop culture, and upbeat music. The movie has become a global sensation since its 2025 premiere, dominating music charts, streaming charts, and award ceremonies.
Its Oscar win now marks the culmination of a remarkable year in which the movie captured audiences across continents and proved that Korean-inspired storytelling could thrive on the biggest global stage.
A Global Pop Culture Phenomenon
‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ which is directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, centers on the fictional K-pop girl quartet HUNTR/X, which consists of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—who live double lives as global pop stars and secret demon hunters protecting humanity. The film creates a visually arresting and culturally rich journey by fusing modern 3D animation with Korean mythology, idol culture, and anime-style visuals.
Image Courtesy: Billboard
Following its debut, the film became the most popular movie on Netflix, with hundreds of millions of views worldwide and, according to sources, 482 million streaming in just a few months. Fans replicated the characters for Halloween, and the fictional band HUNTR/X amassed a sizable social media following. Its appeal went well beyond streaming numbers.
The success of the movie was greatly influenced by the music. The soundtrack produced multiple viral hits, led by the global smash song ‘Golden.’ The animated band’s vocalists, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, performed the song, which dominated charts and even topped the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks. The soundtrack also performed strongly on the Billboard 200, further proving the crossover appeal of the project.
At the 98th Academy Awards held in Los Angeles on 15th March, ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ triumphed in the Best Animated Feature category, beating other nominees including ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Elio,’ ‘Arco’ and ‘Little Amélie’ or the Character of Rain. The triumph was a turning point for Korean representation in Hollywood and solidified the increasing demand for different stories in animation around the world.
During the emotional acceptance speech, director Maggie Kang dedicated the win to Korean creators and audiences around the world, emphasizing how meaningful it was to see a story deeply rooted in Korean culture resonate globally. The full speech read: “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took so long to see us in a movie like this, but it is here. That means the next generations don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere.” The Oscars ceremony also celebrated the film with a performance of its nominated song ‘Golden,’ bringing its music and energy to the Academy stage.
Image Courtesy: Variety
The Oscar victory concluded an incredible run over the awards season for the animated feature. The movie previously bagged the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for Best Animated Feature, and ‘Golden’ received other awards, including a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media, making it the first K-pop song to do so. The song also made history as the first K-pop track nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars.
In addition to delivering a successful animated adventure, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ has changed how audiences around the world interact with animation and Korean entertainment with its distinctive blend of music, mythology, and pop culture. Its Oscar victory confirms the film’s lasting cultural impact—and signals that the influence of K-pop storytelling in global cinema is only just beginning.
The new dates mark the first time that the nu-metal giants have toured on these shores in over 10 years, and come just over a year after they played a huge headline performance at the 2025 edition of Download Festival.
Dates kick off with an opening night in Stuttgart on October 18, before continuing later that month with shows in Munich, Cologne, and Paris. From there, six shows are scheduled for the UK and Ireland, starting with arena gigs in Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester at the end of October, and continuing with shows in Dublin and London at the start of November.
The tour wraps up with further European shows, including stops in Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Milan and more.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday (March 20) at 8am GMT, and pre-sale options will be available from tomorrow (Tuesday March 17). Visit here for UK tickets, and here for international tickets.
NOVEMBER 2 – Dublin, 3Arena 4 – London, The O2 8 – Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome 9 – Antwerp, AFAS Dome 11 – Hamburg, Barclays Arena 13 – Hanover, ZAG Arena 14 – Berlin, Uber Arena 16 – Prague, O2 Arena Prague 17 – Krakow, Tauron Arena 19 – Vienna, Wiener Stadhalle 21 – Milan, Unipol Forum
Joining the band for the UK gigs will be metal icons Architects, and Youth Code. The latter will be only joining for the first half of the tour, and will be replaced by Pixel Grip for the second half.
The new UK and European dates carry on from a run of other live dates KoRn have planned for 2026, including a tour of South American with Spiritbox, which kicks off in May.
Jonathan Davis and co.’s last studio album, ‘Requiem’, came out in February 2022. In a four-star review, NME said: “It would be a push to call this Korn’s first ‘happy’ album. More accurately, ‘Requiem’ has brought something new to a discography that, until now, has been an exploration of human suffering. It’s led to the band’s most nuanced record to date.”
This week (March 16), the French-Haitian pop artist graces The Cover, NME’s spotlight on the best and brightest emerging artists around the world. The artist was profiled by Erica Campbell and photographed in London by Tom J. Johnson exclusively for NME – read the story and see the photos here.
To accompany her appearance on The Cover, Naïka has shared with NME an exclusive playlist titled ‘Soft & Dangerous’, featuring songs by Chronixx, D’Angelo, JayO, Knucks, Lojay and more. Stream it on Apple Music here and on Spotify below.
In her Cover story, Naïka speaks about her globe-trotting upbringing, her multicultural ethos and newly released debut album ‘Eclesia’. She also discusses her sound, which she calls ‘world pop’ – “in quotations”, she adds. “There’s such a thing as world music and I don’t love the term, because I feel like it’s so general and like a catch-all for everything that’s not in the Western world. But I feel ‘world pop’ makes sense to describe what I’m doing.”
“I feel like I’ve never belonged to one community,” she tells NME of her fanbase and listenership. “To see the audience and to see people from all different walks of life, all different religions, different genders… When I see this diversity, it really makes me feel at home.”
With its propulsive opening and declarative lyrics, Men Without Hat’s “The Safety Dance” remains an undeniable hit. A club floor-filler with an anti-establishment bent. The “man” in this case? Club bouncers who had no time for New Wave’s misfits.
In 1982, the pop music landscape was changing. Disco was on its way out, and New Wave had sprung up to take its place. This was by no means a smooth translation, and along with a new style of music came a new subculture and style of dancing. Instead of disco’s smooth two-step movements, New Wave fans started pogoing – jumping up and down to the music – and bouncers considered this act a danger to other dancers.
The song’s origins
Ivan Doroschuk, frontman of Canadian New Wave act Men Without Hats, was one of the many pogoers who struggled to have their moves tolerated by club security. “Every now and then [DJs would] slip in Blondie’s ‘Heart of Glass’ or ‘Rock Lobster’ by The B-52’s [to their sets],” he told Pop Culture Addict in 2012. “Well, obviously, anybody who was into that kind of music would rush on the dance floor and start jumping up and down and would bang into the guys trying to do their disco two steps. I got thrown out of a lot of clubs because of that.”
Annoyed that he wasn’t being allowed how to dance how he wanted to, Doroschuk turned to the medium he knew best to protest and penned “The Safety Dance,” the band’s first big hit. “We can dance if we want to/We can leave your friends behind, the singer declared in its opening lines. “‘Cause your friends don’t dance, and if they don’t dance/Well, they’re no friends of mine.”
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Doroschuk originally conceived of Men Without Hats as a punk outfit, but as the music world shifted, so did the band.
“I just realized that pop music was one of the biggest platforms for getting a message across. So I made the switch from punk guitars to New Wave synthesizers for that reason,” Doroschuk shared in the 2016 book, Is This Live?: Inside the Wild Early Years of MuchMusic: The Nation’s Music Station.
The track was released in 1982 as the second single from Men Without Hats’ debut album, Rhythm Of Youth. Although it took a few months for the song to become a hit in Canada and the US, it eventually climbed up the charts in both countries. At home, the song peaked at No.11, while it did even better stateside, reaching No.3 and spending 24 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
Different interpretations
As the success of “The Safety Dance” grew, so did different interpretations of the song’s meaning. Some thought it was a euphemism for safe sex, while others – inspired by the imagery in the music video – presumed it to be an anti-nuclear protest song. In 2020, Doroschuk explained the former interpretation was incorrect, while the latter wasn’t strictly true. “It wasn’t a question of just being anti-nuclear, it was a question of being anti-establishment,” he told The Sudbury Star.
Like many hits of the 80s, the global popularity of “The Safety Dance” was driven by the music video, directed by Tim Pope, who made a name for himself helming videos for The Cure and Talk Talk. During the pre-internet days and era of costly international calls, Doroschuk and Pope discussed the video’s script and treatments by mail, where they both settled on the idea of Doroschuk as a pied-piper character.
The band then swapped the woods of Mount Royal in Montreal for the English countryside and decamped to the town of West Kington, Wiltshire. Pope leaned heavily into the location and incorporated more British imagery into the video, including traditional Morris dancers, a Punch and Judy sideshow, and even a maypole. It was this unlikely setting and Doroschuk’s Medival appearance that set the band apart from their pointy-shoe sporting and perfectly coiffed New Wave peers.
In the intervening decades since its release, “The Safety Dance” has maintained its status as a cult hit. In 1984, “Weird Al” Yankovic parodied it with his song “The Brady Bunch,” and it was later inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2020, alongside Men Without Hats’ most successful single, 1987’s “Pop Goes The World.”
“I’m very honored,” Doroschuk told The Sudbury Star at the time. “It’s just hard to describe. It amazes me every time something like this happens — whether it’s the hall of fame, or popping up in commercials and movies, I’m always amazed [those songs are] still going […] It’s a bit surreal, for sure, but I’ll take it.”
The stylish world of the Ocean’s franchise may soon get a new star-powered chapter. Bradley Cooper is reportedly in talks to star with Margot Robbie in the upcoming ‘Ocean’s 11’ prequel, a project that has already created a lot of excitement in Hollywood. With a fresh story set decades before the events of the cherished 2001 film, the upcoming film seeks to broaden the well-known heist universe. If finalized, Cooper could not only star alongside Robbie but may also step behind the camera to direct the project, making it one of the most exciting developments in the franchise’s history.
The Legacy of ‘Ocean’s 11’ and Its Expanding Universe
One of Hollywood’s most stylish and cherished heist series for a long time has been the Ocean’s franchise. Before being reinvented in 2001 with Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ which starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon, it started with the iconic 1960 movie starring Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
The movie followed master thief Danny Ocean and his team as they planned an elaborate Las Vegas casino heist, quickly becoming a major box-office success and spawning sequels ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ (2004) and ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ (2007).
Image Courtesy: Brands and Films
Later, the franchise grew with the 2018 female-led spin-off ‘Ocean’s 8,’ which starred Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock. Warner Bros. is currently working on a prequel that will examine events that occurred long before Danny Ocean’s well-known heist. It is anticipated that the forthcoming movie will transport viewers to the glamorous world of 1960s Europe while introducing a fresh cast of characters while staying connected to the established storyline.
The prequel has been in development since 2022 and is being produced by Margot Robbie through her production company LuckyChap Entertainment. Early rumours even hinted that the plot would center on Danny and Debbie Ocean’s parents, thereby connecting the upcoming movie to characters from the previous instalments.
As the lead star and producer, Margot Robbie is at the center of the production. Robbie has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most significant creative forces in recent years, thanks to blockbuster movies like ‘Barbie,’ ‘The Suicide Squad,’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’
She has contributed to the development of a number of well-known movies through LuckyChap Entertainment, and the ‘Ocean’s 11’ prequel is one of the company’s most ambitious projects to date. Although exact plot details are still being under wraps, Robbie is anticipated to play a significant role related to the fabled Ocean family in the upcoming film.
Image Courtesy: Variety
Carrie Solomon is writing the script for the movie, which will present a unique story inside the franchise instead of just recounting events from earlier films. The project has gone through several changes behind the scenes. Filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung later joined the project but left it as well because of creative disagreements with the company, while director Jay Roach was originally slated to direct the film before stepping away.
Despite these changes, producers remain committed to moving the film forward, and Robbie’s involvement has been a major factor in keeping the momentum strong.
Bradley Cooper’s Possible Role and What’s Next
Bradley Cooper’s possible involvement is the most significant recent development. According to reports, the Oscar-nominated actor is in negotiations to co-star with Margot Robbie in the prequel and may even write and direct it. The project would be Cooper’s fourth directing endeavour after critically praised movies like ‘Maestro’ and ‘A Star Is Born,’ if he signs on. His background in front of and behind the camera makes him the perfect choice to direct the film’s artistic direction and play a major part.
Image Courtesy: Forbes
Filming for the prequel is anticipated to start in the coming months after the final creative team is confirmed. Although Warner Bros. has not made an official release date announcement, industry reports indicate that if work continues as planned, the film may hit theaters in late 2026 or early 2027. For fans of the franchise, the potential pairing of Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper promises a fresh take on the slick heist saga.
With its glamorous 1960s setting, new characters, and ties to the original story, the upcoming ‘Ocean’s 11’ prequel could bring a whole new generation into the world of clever cons, daring robberies, and unforgettable style.
Speaking at the Oscars last night (Sunday March 15), Javier Bardem condemned Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu for creating “another illegal war” and declared “free Palestine” while presenting.
While presenting the trophy for Best International Film, Bardem’s declaration of “no to war and free Palestine” from the podium drew a huge round of applause at the awards show, where he was seen sporting a “no a la Guerra” (meaning “no to war”) patch on his lapel.
As noted by Vanity Fair, the last time the No Country For Old Men actor had worn that patch to an awards show was back in 2003, when the US had just begun its invasion of Iraq.
Last night, Bardem sported the patch again to protest the war with Iran, telling reporters on the red carpet: “I’m wearing a pin that I used in 2003 with the Iraq war, which was an illegal war. And we are here, 23 years after [that], with another illegal war, created by Trump and Netanyahu with another lie.”
His political message follows international backlash surrounding American military strikes against Iran, after Israel and the US launched joint airstrikes across Iran late last month, killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and targeting hundreds of other military and leadership sites.
Javier Bardem says “no to war and free Palestine” at the #Oscars, earning a huge round of applause from everyone in the room.
Javier Bardem on his "Free Palestine" remark at the #Oscars: "It's important to understand that you can be part of the movie-making community and also be a citizen who uses this huge speaker to denounce injustice." pic.twitter.com/TxgtuwomBx
Trump labelled the campaign ‘Operation Epic Fury’, and said it would end a security threat to the US, although Israeli Defence Forces used the term “pre-emptive” to justify its attack, meaning that this is not a response to an imminent threat, but rather, as highlighted by the BBC, a “war of choice.”
Speaking to Variety about the importance for advocating for Palestine, Bardem said: “It’s important to understand that you can be part of the movie-making community and also be a citizen who uses this huge speaker to denounce injustice.”
Bardem’s statement at the Oscars comes shortly after he joined over 100 entertainment world figures in signing an open letter criticising the Berlin Film Festival for their “silence” on the ongoing destruction and violence in Gaza.
“We write as film workers, all of us past and current Berlinale participants, who expect the institutions in our industry to refuse complicity in the terrible violence that continues to be waged against Palestinians,” the letter read.
“We are dismayed at the Berlinale’s involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the German state’s key role in enabling it. As the Palestine Film Institute has stated, the festival has been ‘policing filmmakers alongside a continued commitment to collaborate with Federal Police on their investigations.’”
All her life, people have been trying to figure Naïka out. The French-Haitian singer-songwriter, a third-culture kid who flitted across multiple continents in her childhood, has long known the importance of staying authentic to herself.
After all, “what else would I do?” she tells NME over a call from her home in France. “I’m so complex, and I always had this fear that I’m too complicated, but I never let it influence my moves. I kept pushing through.”
Naïka on The Cover of NME. She wears a jacket by Selezza London, shoes by Farrago and jewellery by Sarah Jane Palmer. Credit: Tom J. Johnson for NME
Naïka hears “all the time” that there are “too many influences” in her music; for her debut album ‘Eclesia’ – which was sung in English, French and Haitian Creole – she cites inspirations that range from Britney Spears to Miriam Makeba. “Even how I look,” she adds, pointing to her parentage, being born to a French father and a Haitian mother with Lebanese and Syrian-Palestinian ancestry. “People want to immediately figure you out so they can categorise you. Being from Haiti, people call me out [and say] I’m not really Haitian. When I’m in Haiti, I get told I’m Arab. I’m French, but when I’m in France, they ask me where I’m from. The last couple of years, I’ve grown more into accepting my pluralism, multiculturalism, and multifacetedness.”
In turn, fans have embraced Naïka. We speak during a rare day off from her sold-out European tour. Her team has been at work upgrading to larger venues in Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington D.C. to meet the demand for her upcoming North American tour. It’s a moment Naïka has been working towards since she was a little girl, listening to her dad play guitar. “It’s everything I could have dreamed of,” she says with a soft laugh. “I’ve been [making music] for a minute now, building my career and my fan base and my community brick by brick. This album really solidified everything.”
“I always had this fear that I’m too complicated, but I never let it influence my moves”
Naïka was born in Guadeloupe, living all over the world – in the Caribbean and South Pacific, and also Kenya, France, and South Africa – thanks to her father’s work in renewable energy. At 16, her family moved back to Miami, where she set her sights on a future in music, practising Britney Spears’ dance moves and listening to Usher and Destiny’s Child. “I had moved from South Africa. My dad had just lost his job, and my family was in shambles.” She pauses and breaks into laughter. “And I was like, ‘Well, this is my opportunity to make my dreams come true!’”
She performed in showcases around the city and appeared in plays and musicals. She attended Berklee College of Music, where she recorded her first songs. Then she moved to Los Angeles, where she began collaborating with songwriters and producers. A few EPs released between 2020 and 2022 allowed her to grow a steady following, but her breakout moment was the spiralling dance track ‘Sauce’, an early example of her blend of Caribbean, R&B, and pop inspirations. The song appeared in an Apple commercial and quickly racked up millions of streams. Now, Naïka has an ambivalent relationship with her early music. “I don’t love ‘Sauce’,” she laughs. “I can’t stand that song. But I owe her so much respect. She’s helped me live and stay on my feet. I never wanna disrespect that song, but I can’t listen to it anymore. Those songs reflect the very beginning of my career and my exploration of my sound and my artistry.”
Credit: Tom J. Johnson for NME
Naïka wanted ‘Eclesia’, which was unveiled in February, “to be an introduction of who I am to the world”, she says. “I gathered all of the influences, all of the sounds I grew up with that have shaped my sonic DNA.” She hand-picked the team she wanted to make the album with, a tight-knit group of close friends she considers family, gathered them in a “little house”, and sat them down with a playlist. “I explained to them, ‘This is from Haiti. These are the drums from the South Pacific I used to dance tāmūrē to. This is Miriam Makeba, an artist from South Africa who has really shaped my life and my upbringing. This is Charles Aznavour, whose songs my dad would sing me to sleep with. This is the Britney Spears song that completely changed my life’.” She also put together mood boards with collections of photos from her childhood. “I showed them the world I wanted to build before the creative process started.”
She co-wrote much of ‘Eclesia’ with one of her best friends, Noémie Legrand, who she wrote her first fully French song ‘Belle, Belle!’ with. She tapped Sebastian Tores, one of her closest friends from Berklee, to executive-produce. Grammy-nominated producer Kwame “KZ” Kwei-Armah Jr., whom she found through his work with Amaarae on ‘Fountain Baby’, worked on the album, as did producer Caye, longtime collaborator Marlon Roudette and Haitian-Guyanese DJ/producer Michaël Brun, who she considers a mentor. “[Tores] is from Mexico, Marlon is from the Caribbean. Kwame is from the UK, and he’s also Caribbean. Noémie is French and grew up in Hong Kong. It’s a mélange, a blend of different cultures, people from everywhere finding home in each other.”
Naïka wears a top and skirt by Sketch-Y, jewellery by Sarah Jane Palmer and Xhen Xhen, and shoes by IZIE. Credit: Tom J. Johnson for NME
Together, they crafted a sound Naïka calls “world pop”, “but in quotations”, she says. “That’s how I’ve always defined my sounds. There’s such a thing as world music and I don’t love the term, because I feel like it’s so general and like a catch-all for everything that’s not in the Western world. But I feel ‘world pop’ makes sense to describe what I’m doing.”
‘Eclesia’ shifts seamlessly between Afro-Caribbean beats, Haitian konpa and South Pacific drums, between French, Creole and English throughout 13 vibrant and vulnerable tracks. On lead single ‘Bloom’ she declares “Island girls are blessing ‘til nobody can reach them” over a glitchy dance beat. The alluring ‘Matador’ explores what it means to defy societal standards imposed on women. In ‘Blessings’, she casts spells of positive affirmation, and atop the deceptively calming rhythm of ‘What A Day!’, she sings about war and injustice: “What a day for crime/ Kids are dying in Palestine/ Blood is paving Congolese mines/ And the world keeps going.”
“People want to immediately figure you out so they can categorise you”
For Naïka, responding to the violence in the world as an artist is natural, necessary and a basic responsibility. “I’m a human being and I care about other human beings’ lives and protection and freedom and basic rights,” she says. “I’ve always written songs about the world and how it’s affected me. It’s how I process what’s happening. Whether it’s ‘My Body, My Choice’ [that] I wrote about women’s rights at Berklee, or ‘Before He Falls’, I wrote about the war in Syria, it’s something I’ve always done.”
Outside of her music, she also works as an ambassador for Fleur de Vie, a Haitian NGO focused on education and building safer schools. “I grew up in countries where I would see extreme poverty, and kids my age didn’t have shoes on and were in the street when I was on my way to school. I’ve been aware of the lottery of life from a very young age.” For Naïka, art may be a form of resistance, but it’s also how she heals. “Music has really strong frequencies. It’s a powerful art form,” she explains. “When I see songs I’ve created to express how I was feeling and my vulnerabilities, my emotions, my thoughts resonate with other people in a way that’s stuck with them, that’s the biggest thing in the world for me. Truly.”
Credit: Tom J. Johnson for NME
NME sees firsthand just how deeply Naïka’s music resonates with fans in a small room in New York City a month before the album’s release. Anthurium flowers decorate the microphone stand. A vintage rug, small couch, rattan furniture, and plants fill the compact stage. Naïka dances barefoot on the bar, to fans’ enthusiastic cheers, before gracefully moving to an ornamental platform inspired by a picture of her childhood apartment and her mother’s style, which she describes as “tropical vintage glam”. ‘Eclesia’ was always meant to be performed in a room full of people. “When I found the name, I looked up what it meant,” she says. “In ancient Greece, it meant a coming together of people. That was the ‘click’ for me. This is what I want this album to be called, because that’s really what I hope to do with my music.
“I feel like I’ve never belonged to one community. To see the audience and to see people from all different walks of life, all different religions, different genders… When I see this diversity, it really makes me feel at home.” Through her music, she wanted to create her own world, and her fans have joyfully joined her there. “I was like, ‘I’m not fully going to be accepted anywhere, so let me just make my own universe for my [feelings] and for others who feel the same way.’”
The ‘Eclesia’ tour’s last stop is in Miami, where both Naïka’s musical life and career began. “I didn’t even think about that until you just said it,” she says of the full-circle moment where she’ll play at the Miami Beach Bandshell next month. “What’s so funny is that it’s at a venue that every time we would drive past it, my dad would say, ‘One day I want to see you play there,’” she remembers. “The universe works in crazy ways sometimes.”
Naïka’s album ‘Eclesia’ is out now via AWAL.
Listen to Naïka’s exclusive playlist to accompany The Cover below on Spotify or on Apple Music here.
Words: Erica Campbell
Photography: Tom J. Johnson
Photography Assistance: Percy Walker-Smith
Hair: Jess Summer using Cloud Nine
Styling: Lauren Croft
Styling Assistance: Lena Angelides
Location: Studio Endura
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