Nik Qistina Biography
Nik Qistina is a Malaysian musician born on 10th October 2000. She became popular after uploading video clips of her covering songs of artists like Meghan Trainor, Billy Joel, Rihanna, Mariah Carey among others. She has a single song known as ‘Young Hearts’.
Nik Qistina Career
At the age of 13 Nik Qistina posted clips of herself singing songs like Mariah Carey’s Emotions, Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi (in the bathroom) and Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing. The videos caught the attention of Universal Music Malaysia who then signed her up in 2016.
“Honestly, before signing the contract, I was really nervous. I was never exposed to singing beyond Vine. Getting the Universal offer made me more aware of how I want to see myself as an artiste,” she said
during an interview in Petaling Jaya.
She released her debut sing Young Hearts under Universal music Malaysia. At the time she was still in school and her mother was against the idea of persuing a career in the entertainment industry.
“This was in 2016 and I was still in school. My mum reminded me that I had to prepare for SPM. She said if I wanted to do any music-related events, it could only be on weekends. It was quite hard at the
beginning.”
Nik Qistina
Now 17 and with the SPM exams behind her, Nik Qistina is ready for a more serious and focused pursuit in music. And her mum is on board as well.
“We communicated a lot and she grew to be more understanding,” Nik Qistina revealed.
Nik Qistina Interview
Q: Now that SPM is done and dusted, what’s next for you?
Nik Qistina: I’ve been doing a lot of covers of my favourite songs. I’m perfecting the videos and taking my time to release them. I want to start producing more content like video blogs as well. I miss engaging with my fans. It was quite worrying when I had to take a break last year to focus on SPM. I felt that I’ve built up so much. Now, I have to start over again.
Q: Why is it important for you to engage with fans?
Nik Qistina: Whatever I put out, I believe that there must be at least one person who can relate to it. I’ve been getting mails from people saying thank you for the stuff I’ve posted. It’s a humbling feeling. It makes you believe that you have a voice in the world. I try not to take advantage or be complacent about it. There is always something more than I can do to be better.
Q: When did you realise that you don’t just want to be another girl with a guitar?
Nik Qistina: Ultimately, I want to be someone who is in control of her life. I realised when I was younger that the world didn’t revolve around me. When I’m on stage performing, people may be looking at me but there must be something more to keep them interested. I try to better myself every day by learning new things so I can be more than just a pretty face. I want to be someone with a meaningful voice that people can listen and relate to.
Q: Since you share a lot of your life on social media, you must have encountered some haters. How do you deal with that?
Nik Qistina: I was 13 when I started out. In the early stages, I used to get bothered by it. I’d get death threats, messages from people telling me to be someone else or criticising me for what I had done. I would take some of it as constructive criticism. That was in the past. I’ve become stronger. I know who I am. The haters are just judging me from what they see. They don’t know anything.
Q: You’re looking to release an EP soon. Tell us more about it.
Nik Qistina: We’re planning to include about six to seven songs in the EP. The tracks have a “dreamy nostalgic vibe”. The songs are related to what I’ve been through and how I’m learning from those experiences. Hopefully, when you’re listening to the EP, you’ll be able to feel the emotions in my songs. Fans have been asking me to record Malay songs and I’m excited to share that there will be one in this EP. I think the song is really lit and awesome!
Source: Star2.com
Nik Qistina Interview 2
ESQ: How did you feel about signing with Universal Music Malaysia?
Nik Qistina: Like a dream come true! Being on a record label changed my life forever. When I got signed, I was really excited. I met them and we talked about what the direction of my music career should be like, and what my future would be like in music.
ESQ: What’s the story behind your latest single Young Hearts?
Nik Qistina: The composer, the lyricist and I sat down and talked about what I wanted the music to be like and what people could relate to. The song is really about coming to the realisation that loving yourself first before anyone else is so important. The music video just shows the message, and if you hear the music itself you can get the sense of the story.
ESQ: What was it like working with Kieran Kuek?
Nik Qistina: He’s very talented! I heard his demo before Young Hearts. It was a different track from Young Hearts and I loved it completely, but I didn’t want that to be my demo. I wanted my own song. That’s when Young Hearts was written. He made an amazing arrangement, he made the beats and everything. When I heard it the first time, I fell in love with it completely.
ESQ: What kind of challenges have you tackled in the process of recording this single?
Nik Qistina: I wasn’t really prepared; I was so new, I had never even been to a studio before. I had met Kieran Kuek for the first time, and I was quite tired from coming back from school. Because of that I didn’t really do well for the first recording. But when I came back the second time, I nailed it completely. Even Kieran complimented me that I learn fast. Yeah, I had a rough time in the beginning stage of recording. But I learn from my mistakes.
ESQ: Any weird, unconventional inspirations that have influenced your music style?
Nik Qistina: This is weird, but you know Ke$ha? Her crazy face, when she had that Animal album, that was kind of crazy and did sort of inspire me to be in the industry as well. I don’t see myself being Ke$ha, but she inspired me with her glitter and her performances. I have more artists I love and look up to. I have Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Demi Lavato. I’m mostly inspired by Demi Lavato, because she inspired me to sing. I love singing, but she made me want to become a singer.
ESQ: How do you balance school work and your music career?
Nik Qistina: My schedule’s not too packed yet, so I can still manage school and music at the same time, so far it’s very good. Whenever I get stressed, I meditate, I just zen myself and remember that this is just a temporary feeling, and I can shut it off straight away because the universe is mine.
Source: esquire.my (2016)