Enchanting NIKI Unleashes Astrologically-Inspired Single “Blue Moon”

NIKI, a singer-songwriter hailing from Jakarta and now based in LA, has unveiled a new single, “Blue Moon”. This release follows the announcement of her forthcoming album, Buzz, set to be released on August 9 via 88rising, and the flirtatious lead single, “Too Much Of A Good Thing”.

“Blue Moon” was composed by NIKI during her 2023 Nicole World Tour, in the wake of a four-year relationship that felt like home but abruptly ended. In astrology, a Blue Moon is a rare cosmic event often associated with increased clarity. It’s apt, therefore, that NIKI channels this energy, expressing her experience with candor and openness.

NIKI shares, “I wrote ‘Blue Moon’ as a lament for the gradual, then sudden end of a truly meaningful relationship. It’s about the deepest and rarest of loves we might chance upon (once in the bluest of moons, if we’re fortunate), and then realizing we discovered it too early for it to survive. It’s that classic scenario of the right person at the wrong time.”

Like the lead single “Too Much Of A Good Thing,” “Blue Moon” is co-produced with Ethan Gruska, a close friend and collaborator. In addition to vocals, NIKI contributed drums, guitar, and piano to the song. The track also features a poignant violin, viola, and string arrangement from legendary multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose, renowned for his work with Bon Iver, The National, St. Vincent, and many others.

Buzz, the third studio album by globally acclaimed singer-songwriter NIKI, emerged from a profound internal upheaval. The result was a compilation of warm, evocative folk-rock songs that spark and glow like an intimate bonfire. “I experienced an identity crisis,” the 25-year-old shares about Buzz. “It involved a lot of trial and error, and I discovered fragments of myself in the process. I named it Buzz because it feels like I’m on the brink of something momentous.”

NIKI’s journey has been a progressive one since her high school days in Jakarta, Indonesia. As an international academy student, she honed her skills by writing heartfelt poems in English class and performing acoustic covers of American pop songs on YouTube. With a guitar in hand and the support of her family and classmates, Nicole Zefanya claimed her place in global stardom as NIKI.

And she has indeed made her mark – with over three billion streams worldwide, sold-out shows across multiple continents, grand performances at global festivals, front-row appearances at Paris Fashion Week, four songs on a Marvel film’s soundtrack, and some of the most extraordinary, confessional songs released in 2024, NIKI has already built a seasoned portfolio before turning 25.

In Buzz, her songwriting continues to be as personal as ever. While conceptualizing songs for Buzz, NIKI drew inspiration from other trailblazing women known for their candid, guitar-backed lyricism. “Joni Mitchell is my songwriting guiding light,” she says, along with uncompromising feminist icons like Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon, and Liz Phair. To align with the wandering spirit of Buzz, NIKI developed her own flexible approach to guitar playing.

To further channel this creative and personal transformation, NIKI started collaborating with producers who had worked with her favorite contemporary singer-songwriters. She engaged Tyler Chester, who had worked with Madison Cunningham and Sara Bareilles, and also brought on board Ethan Gruska, a collaborator of Fiona Apple and Phoebe Bridgers.

Buzz resonates with the hard-won wisdom of a young woman who fearlessly pursues her dreams — yet can still afford to laugh if she trips along the way.