Spotlight: Crafting an Artistic Persona of Her Own, Nija Charles Showcases Her Strengths in ‘Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You’
THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS OF CRAFTING ANY PIECE OF MUSIC — is vast, encompassing producers, engineers, songwriters, the artists themselves; it truly does take a village. Singer-songwriter Nija Charles not only understands this sentiment, but has used it to her artistic advantage, garnering years of songwriting experience with the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Summer Walker, Drake, Ariana Grande, and plenty more A-listers. Most people might be inclined to bask in the greatness of accomplishments like that, sulking in the cultural significance that is bred from songs like “Rain on Me” and “No Guidance.” But Nija knew that she had another musical gift — she just needed one of her collaborators to give her that motivational push.
“I was in Paris working with Beyoncé and Jay-Z on THE CARTERS album,” Nija recollected. “I played her the demo to ‘Heard About Us.’ She was like, ‘You have the most beautiful tone in the world.’ That was the first moment that validated it for me. Like, if Beyoncé says that, then let’s do it!”
Less than four years later, Nija released her debut album, Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You, and brought Beyoncé’s manifestation to life very much on her own terms. Nija’s work feels like that of a tenured industry vet, with songs like “Finesse” possessing thematic control through her vocals and their production in seamless synchronization. Discussions of problematic lovers and relationship ethics sift through each song with intent, flowing with the hills and valleys of romanticism in the 21st century. Having a thematic focal point is one thing, but Nija shows a sliver of the immense talent required to put any song — or a whole record — together. Her ability to tie everything together with the tools we know she has combined with her alluring voice is what cements her as both a melodic and linguistic force to be reckoned with in an already crowded industry.
Nija’s melodic innovation was the first thing I noticed when listening to Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You, with the track “Not One of Them” sporting a refreshing R&B-drill inspired instrumental that Nija rides with pitch-perfect conviction. It may seem like a relatively arbitrary choice — especially considering drill’s almost claustrophobic impact on rap and even pop music — but what’s different about “Not One of Them” is Nija’s ambition to take things a step further, borrowing familiar signifiers of the rising New York drill subgenre (wavy hi-hat patterns, rhythmically synced 808s, crooning vocal cadence) and applying her own artistic intricacies and experiences to create a truly grandeur piece of music.
“I feel like I pull from a lot of places on this one,” Nija explained regarding the process of making “Not One of Them.” “I have that traditional song structure knowledge from what I learned as a songwriter. I’m also a fan of music, so I’m able to pull from the nitty-gritty of what drill music is. So when I went into making ‘Not One of Them,’ I knew what it was going to take in order to mesh. It’s about having the right amount of everything.”
It’s one thing to have the components of a hit song, but the art of actually arranging and organizing the track is a whole other conversation.
“The chords of the song are actually pop chords,” Nija explained. “But, when masked with the hard drums, it doesn’t feel that way. So it’s just about knowing. Almost like being a chef, right? You have to know the right amount of ingredients to put in anything to make it what it is. It was the same way when making ‘Ease My Mind’ as well. It’s just knowing the right amount of everything. That’s something I learned by being a songwriter, being a music fan, and then going with my gut of what feels good.”
Part of that confidence might have come from writing Billboard-charting hits for today’s top talent, all while being just 24 years old — her resume has the bravado and depth of someone close to retirement. Nija clearly understands how powerful every experience is, from playing your song for Beyoncé to deciding to craft an artistic persona of your own. But with so many musical memories to behold, it can be hard to choose just one that stands above the rest.
“I wouldn’t say that there’s just one moment,” Nija said when recalling her journey towards releasing music of her own. “It’s a bunch of moments, you know? Every day it was a learning curve.”
When you love what you do, impactful moments in your career can become fleeting memories. For Nija, this package of memories is her debut album, Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You, which is available on all streaming platforms.
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