Some recent perusing on Wikipedia revealed an exciting discovery: the impending twenty-fifth anniversary of one of my favorite albums!

Nikka Costa is one of my all-time favorite musicians. A quick primer on my girl in case you’re not hip. Nikka: was a child star (dueted with her god father Frank Sinatra at nine years old), released her first album as an adult, Butterfly Rocket, in 1996 from Australia where it charted (she was nominated for the 1996’s “Breakthrough Artist” award and 1997’s “Best Female Artist” award at the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards), was friends, mentee and collaborator with Prince for fifteen years prior to his passing. She’s released a total of nine albums, toured with Britney Spears and Lenny Kravitz, and had her music featured in television shows, films, and national advertising campaigns. Nikka’s talent and industry experience are evident.

Nikka Costa’s fifth studio album, Everybody Got Their Something, was released on May 22, 2001. It’s funky, soulful, bluesy, rocky—to this day, I have a hard time succinctly encapsulating Nikka’s sound, and this album is the perfect amalgamation of her artistry. The album comes in hot with the punchy funk track Like a Feather. Nikka’s distorted vocals and bold lyrics create a strong, infectious start to the project. The hits don’t stop coming: next up is So Have I For You—an emotional, mellow alternative rock track that showcases Nikka’s vocal range. It’s followed by Tug of War—a slow-tempo, guitar-heavy song before you reach the title track: a piano-led, empowerment anthem. 

Sometimes the only thing you got is what makes…
You feel like you’re something else altogether
You have everything
You don’t need another reason to be something

I get hype every time I sing along to the bridge. I feel lifted up, like I’ve been seen and like I can see myself clearer. Anyway, I won’t wax poetic about all the lyricism on this project. (I will only add that my mama’s favorite lyric from this album is “there’s nothing I don’t know, just hasn’t come to me yet,” from Tug of War—which is both a badass bar and also exactly what I’d expect a mother to pick.)

Speaking of my mama, she is who I get to thank for my deep attachment to this album and to Nikka Costa. My parents both heard Like a Feather on a television ad, dug through the collection at their local Rasputin Music and brought home the gem that was a regular part of my childhood. It is an understatement to say I’m emotionally attached to the album. Everybody Got Their Something is one of the very few albums I still know completely in playback order because my family spun the CD so often. Just hearing one of the tracks on my iPod’s shuffle warms my spirit with jubilant nostalgia, and I typically end up queueing the whole album.

Of course, attachment to childhood memories is one thing, but this album is more than a reminder of simpler times. It’s a bona fide hit. The album features collaborations with ?uestlove, Mark Ronson, and Billy Preston. Prince loved the antepenultimate track, Push and Pull, so much he covered it on his Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas DVD. Though the album mysteriously failed to take off in the American music industry—it’s top chart placement was No. 120 on the Billboard 200 chart—it has lived on as a classic in my family and in my household.

I would like to wish Nikka Costa a very happy twenty-fifth anniversary to her baby. Thank you for being a bold, fearless woman and sharing your art with the world. I remain a fan and eager to see what you have planned next! Speaking of iconic albums turning twenty-five: Bilal’s debut album, First Born Second, will also celebrate this milestone in July! I had the joyful pleasure of seeing Bilal earlier this month at a show honoring the critical album. Full review to come!