Nikka Costa

Nikka Costa's late teens were spent atop the German charts, and by the time she reached her mid-twenties, she called Australia home. She became a favorite in the Outback, landing a deal with Mushroom Records and issuing Butterfly Rocket in the mid-'90s. The album help garner Costa a nomination for "Best New Artist" at the annual Australian Recording Industry Awards. Everybody Got Their Something The new millennium sparked a new scene for Nikka Costa. Now a mature woman with a fiery spark of determination and passion, the red-headed siren's songwriting expanded into an alluring art, and her urban vocals sashayed with class and raw sexiness. She soon signed with the Aussie label Cheeba Sound, home to soon-to-be labelmate D'Angelo. The sultry single "Like a Feather" marked Costa's almost ignored debut in fall 2000 when the cut was used in a Tommy Hilfiger advert. Virgin Records took notice, however, and properly re-introduced Nikka Costa to the world in spring 2001 with the full-length release of Everybody Got Their Something. She returned in May of 2005 with Can'tneverdidnothin' and supported the album by touring with one of its guest stars, Lenny Kravitz. Pebble to a Pearl followed in 2008, furthering her synthesis of funk, soul, and contemporary R&B.