Nikita Kering is Apple music's 1st Africa rising star to be featured from East Africa

• Nikita is the first Africa Rising artist from East Africa to be featured

Nikita Kering
Nikita Kering

Apple Music's latest featured artist in its Africa Rising artist development program is 19-year-old Kenyan-born pop singer-songwriter, Nikita Kering. She is the first Africa Rising artist from East Africa.

"I'm so excited for this new chapter! I’ve always wanted to stand out in Africa and the world as a whole, so being selected as Apple Music’s newest Africa Rising artist is definitely an awesome start. I can't wait to see what's next.”

As the youngest ever nominee, winner, and performer at The All-Africa Music Awards in Lagos, Nikita’s noteworthy accolades include being named Afrima Revelation of the African Continent (2019) and Afrima Best Female Artist in Eastern Africa (2019), as well as being included in Mr. Eazi’s Empawa Africa Top 10 artist program.

Having been featured in over 100 TV and radio shows, including a prominent feature on the BBC when she was 16, Nikita’s ultimate dream is to build a Talent Academy in Kenya for disadvantaged African children.

Nikita Kering
Nikita Kering

Her debut 7-track EP A Side Of Me (2021), available to stream on Apple Music, was arranged by Nikita herself, as she lyrically broaches universally relatable themes by attempting to put herself in her listeners’ shoes.

Capitalizing on the enormous success of her single “Ex” (2021), A Side Of Me is the songstress revealing a lesser-known part of herself to her audience so they can better identify with her, a theme she’s championed since the release of her debut ballad “Happy With You” (2018).