Recording artist Nikitaa is known for her ability to weave together elements from her Indian culture with her vibrant pop sensibility to create a unique sound that she calls “goddess pop.”
The singer/songwriter’s latest release, “Clutch” does just that. Highlighting Nikitaa’s luscious tone, “Clutch” is an infectious record that will take over your body and leave you wanting more.
In addition to the vibrant tune, Nikitaa also debuted a self-shot quarantine-style music video. The stunning visual adds an ethereal element to the track and really amplifies the “Goddess Pop” aesthetic.
Celeb Secrets caught up with the artist about that process and just how difficult it was to achieve the final result. Take a read at the full Q&A and make sure to keep up with Nikitaa by following her on Instagram at @nikitaathewild.
CS: What was it like shooting the video on your phone?
Nikitaa: “I was terrified! I think I grossly underestimated what all I could do with my iPhone and also grossly underestimated my ability to direct the video in real time – which is exactly what I was doing. It was pretty much my directorial debut and I think I had to fight that sense of intimidation I’d built around it. I’ve written my own scripts for all my videos before but never directed in real time. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and that definitely fed my fear.”
CS: What other equipment did you have, and what went into making this possible?
Nikitaa: “On a whim, I picked out my first outfit (the tan jacket and the pearls), did my own hair and makeup and enlisted the help of my mom and brother to shoot a few run throughs. I’d done a little bit of research on frame rate etc, so I knew what settings I wanted to use on my iPhone already. All we had was the iPhone, a gimbal for it, and a ring light with three warmth settings and a built in dimmer. It turned out so well, we ended up shooting for 2+ hours with me directing the types of shots I wanted, my mum holding the ring light and my brother shooting all the footage. We then planned out two more nights when we would shoot. This was the only time we were free since everyone works from home, and my brother has a 6 month old baby to care for as well (him and his wife appropriately divided baby duty of course). The whole thing was so funny to me because my mentor here in India – Daboo Malik – had been suggesting for so long that we do something like this, and I finally managed during a lockdown, no less. Diamonds do really form under pressure.”
CS: Was the process easier or more difficult than you expected?
Nikitaa: “In most ways it was SO much easier than I thought! We were determined to make the best of the situation, and in that regard I really do think I have such a supportive family that rallies behind me no matter what it is we have to get done. The only real difficulty was lighting. iPhones aren’t really built to shoot during nighttime. My dad was surprisingly good at adjusting the lighting the whole time. He has a real knack for it. At one point he used an old discarded curtain over the ring light to warm it up more than the settings would allow and it was actually perfect. We even did slow-mo syncs on some of the shots to create that crisp footage + sharp movement look that you see in a lot of videos.”
CS: Since this is Celeb Secrets, do you have any secret behind-the-scenes moments you can share with us?
Nikitaa: “I actually have a few! I think the funniest was when my brother literally pulled the neck of his t-shirt up around his nose while shooting the slow-mo lip-sync cause he didn’t want to make me laugh the way he was laughing at how funny it was to watch me lip-sync my whole song over and over at half speed – especially the little giggle at the top of the track and all the runs in the last chorus.
There’s also the very last shot we did, that made it to the end of the video, where I’m fanning myself. I spontaneously exclaimed “bas ho gaya” – which is Hindi for “That’s it, I’m done” or similar to saying “I’m over it.” which was actually directed at the whole shoot as I was so exhausted at this point, but in the end the remark seemed like a joke over this lockdown to me and was visually very much in keeping with the whole sassy confident vibe of the song and the visuals.”
Nikitaa’s single “Clutch,” as well as the accompanying music video, are available on all platforms. Let us know what you think by reacting below or tweeting us @CelebSecrets.
