Enisa Nikaj

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Enisa
Birth name
  • Enisa Nikaj (Albanian)
  • Enisa Niković (Montenegrin)
Born (1996-03-05) March 5, 1996 (age 25)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • Songwriter
  • Music
InstrumentsPiano
Labels
Websiteenisamusic.com

Enisa Nikaj (/ɛnsɑː ˈnk/; born March 5, 1996), known as Enisa, is an American singer, songwriter and model. She is best known for her singles "Burn This Bridge", "Love Cycle", "Count My Blessings" and "Tears Hit The Ground."

She began her career in 2015 performing cover songs before releasing original music starting in 2016. In December 2019, she signed to Atlantic Records and rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie's Highbridge The Label.

Early life[]

Enisa was born in Brooklyn, New York to ethnic Albanian parents from Tuzi, Montenegro.[1][2][3] Her father emigrated from the SFR Yugoslavia to the United States at age 25, and was later followed by her mother who married his father.[4] Enisa is a middle child, and has an older and a younger brother, both of whom took up playing basketball while Enisa leaned towards music.[5] She began singing at home as a young child.[6]

Enisa attended PS 130 The Parkside elementary school,[7] where she participated in theater and the school choir,[3] and was the valedictorian.[7] At age seven, she played the role of Dorothy in a school play of The Wizard of Oz in the fourth grade.[4][8] Enisa attended Edward R. Murrow High School, graduating in 2015.[9] Rapper Joey Badass was one of her classmates.[10] She attended Brooklyn College, graduating early with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2018.[5][8][11]

Enisa plays the piano, and has done internships at advertising and marketing agencies.[12] She grew up listening to hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z and Usher as well as Albanian music through her parents. Enisa began uploading cover songs on her YouTube channel in 2015.[8]

Musical career[]

2015–2019: Beginnings[]

In 2015, Enisa began performing cover songs to artists such as David Guetta and Sia ("Titanium"), Hozier ("Take Me To Church"), Justin Timberlake ("Cry Me A River") and Adele ("Hello"). After graduating from high school she had wanted to get into the music industry,[8] and filmed her first video with a photographer friend who wanted to get into videography.[1] Her cover of Hozier's song hit 100,000 views on YouTube within three months,[13] while a reupload posted by a Facebook page amassed one million views in three days.[14] Enisa has stated in interviews that her lack of connections in the industry prompted her to post herself performing cover songs as a way to showcase her talent and she hoped that it would grab the attention of a music producer or a manager.[5][8]

The whole experience helped me realize that I don’t need to rely on anyone for anything but myself, because I have the power to achieve whatever my heart desires, as long as I believe in myself first.

Enisa Nikaj on her writing "Burn This Bridge."[15]

In 2016, she released her debut single "Burn This Bridge" on September 15,[16] with the music video being released on November 23.[17] Enisa had been inspired to write the song after being discouraged by someone in the industry who she thought would help her instead tell her that "I didn't have what it takes and I wasn't good enough basically ... I just took it out on the studio. I wrote a song and I was feeling it like 'I don't need you, I could do this on my own.'"[8] The song went on to be used in a Beats Electronics advertisement starring soccer player Alex Morgan in June 2017.[18]

In 2017, she released her sophomore single "Glory Days" on May 26.[19] It went on to be her first placement on a film soundtrack when it was featured in the opening scene of Miss Virginia (2019).[20] Enisa released her third single "Freedom" on August 25, with the music video being released on September 10.[5][21] She was featured on Statik Selektah's single "Ain't a Damn Thing Change," alongside G-Eazy and Joey Badass, released on November 30.[10]

In 2018, she released her fourth single "Reunite" and its music video on February 4. It was a tribute song to her uncle who had died years earlier.[22] In May, Enisa graduated from Brooklyn College and began pursuing her music career full-time at age 22.[11] On October 19, she teased a collaboration track with French singer Scridge, which went on to be "Karma (Remix)."[23] Following prolonged delays, Enisa confirmed in June 2019 that the French label had canceled its release.[24] After the track was leaked in October 2019,[25] it was officially released on November 15.[26]

2019–present: Record deal[]

Someone from Highbridge The Label heard Enisa's music while at a Phillipe Chow restaurant in Manhattan, New York in 2017. A waiter had been playing Enisa's song "Freedom" and, after he was asked about it, introduced him to her music. Enisa was invited to the studio by rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie and his team in January 2018.[9][27] Two years later, while she was speaking with RCA Records, Enisa had a chance encounter with A Boogie and was invited to the studio to play her unreleased music. She was later introduced to higher-ups at Atlantic Records and was eventually offered a contract in May 2019, and subsequently signed her first record deal on December 6, 2019.[9][28]

In 2019, she released her fifth single "Wait For Love" and its music video on July 6.[29] Enisa was featured on Termanology and Dame Grease's single "Travel The World," alongside Bun B, released on September 19, with the music video releasing on January 29, 2020.[30] She released her sixth single "Something Beautiful" and its music video on December 15. It was a tribute to the victims of the 2019 Albania earthquake which had struck on November 26.[31]

In 2020, she released her seventh single "Love Cycle" and its music video on September 18.[32] After it became viral and gained particular attention among Nigerian fans, she adopted the Nigerian-given name 'Eniola' in December 2020.[33] Enisa released her eighth single "Dumb Boy" and its music video on November 20.[34] She recorded the song at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced her to become proficient with video editing and Ableton audio software. Enisa styled her own hair and makeup, and recorded, edited and color corrected all her video releases that year.[9][35]

In 2021, she was featured on Tanzanian singer Rayvanny's "Number One (Remix)" released on February 1,[36] with the music video releasing on February 24.[37] Enisa released her ninth single "Count My Blessings" and its music video on February 26.[38] The song sampled Tunisian singer Saber Rebaï's rendition of "Sidi Mansour."[39] Enisa released her single "Love Cycle (Remix)" featuring Nigerian singer Davido on March 26.[40] She released her tenth single "Tears Hit The Ground" on July 4.[41]

Modeling career[]

Enisa was the cover model on the annual 2014 edition of Prom Guide magazine.[42] In November 2013, she was shortlisted as one of the top five contestants selected from nationwide submissions before gracing the cover in January 2014. After her foray into music in 2015, Enisa was approached through social media by record labels and managers. She chose to sign with Wilhelmina Models in January 2016 and was managed by Bobby Gutierrez.[1][43] During this period, she appeared in fashion magazine editorials for C-Heads in February 2016, Vulkan in April 2016,[12] Slimi in November 2016,[44] and Twelv in October 2017.[45]

She has described her style as being "timeless and classic with a modern edge and a hint of Brooklyn attitude,"[12] and as being "more conservative. Rather than being flashy and all that. But it’s very New York City."[5] Enisa describes the city as her biggest inspiration, stating, "I'm influenced just by walking down the street in SoHo, or on 5th Avenue. I just get influenced by so many people," and admires the style of Victoria Beckham.[1]

She appeared in the promotional campaign for Puma's "GRL PWR" Nova sneaker in January 2019.[46] She appeared in editorials for Flaunt in March 2021,[9] and Out Now in June 2021.[35]

Discography[]

Singles[]

  • "Burn This Bridge" (2016)
  • "Glory Days" (2017)
  • "Freedom" (2017)
  • "Reunite" (2018)
  • "Something Beautiful" (2019)
  • "Wait for Love" (2019)
  • "Love Cycle" (2020)
  • "Dumb Boy" (2020)
  • "Count My Blessings" (2021)
  • "Love Cycle (Remix)" (2021)
  • "Tears Hit the Ground" (2022)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Engel, Lauren (February 16, 2016). "'Everything happened organically, sharing is everything': A Talk with Enisa". www.c-heads.com. C-Heads Magazine. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "Producenti amerikan, Timbaland shpreh interesim për 'Vallen e Shotës'". Telegrafi (in Albanian). August 19, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Turishta, Kozeta (April 24, 2017). "Ekskluzive: Enisa nga Nju Jorku, një shqiptare superstar". Dritare.com (in Albanian). Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Rexhepi, Blerand (August 24, 2019). "ENISA: Një 'Amy Whinehouse' shqiptare!". www.koha.mk (in Albanian). Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Rose, Audrey (October 6, 2017). "Enisa Exclusive Interview: Fashion Story 'Freedom'". twelvny.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Enisa Nikaj, shqiptarja që mund të bëhet një yll muzike". AnabelMagazine.com (in Albanian). September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Nikaj, Enisa. "November 21, 2020". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Bonilla, Brian (February 28, 2017). "Star on the Rise: Enisa Nikaj from Brooklyn College". www.tun.com. The University Network. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e Ju, Shirley (July 20, 2021). "Enisa: The Albanian Recording Artist Talks Latest Release 'Tears Hit the Ground'". Flaunt. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Setaro, Shawn (November 30, 2017). "Premiere: Statik Selektah Grabs G-Eazy, Joey Badass, and Enisa for 'Ain't a Damn Thing Change'". Complex. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Nikaj, Enisa. "May 31, 2018". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Ntoi, Kevin (April 19, 2016). "'Enisa'". VulkanMagazine.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016.
  13. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "November 21, 2015". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  14. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "December 8, 2015". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  15. ^ Mastrogiannis, Nicole (November 23, 2016). "Enisa Debuts 'Burn This Bridge' Visual". iHeartMedia. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  16. ^ "Enisa, shqiptarja e rradhës që nis rrugën drejt suksesit". Bota Sot (in Albanian). September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. ^ Stutz, Collin (November 23, 2016). "Enisa Isn't Looking Back in 'Burn This Bridge' Video: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  18. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/BU1UypMlrTO/
    https://twitter.com/IAmENISA/status/871078164465954822
  19. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "May 26, 2017". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  20. ^ "Kënga e yllit të ri shqiptar në filmin e Netflix". Gazeta Telegraf (in Albanian). July 12, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  21. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "August 25, 2017". Twitter. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
    Nikaj, Enisa. "September 10, 2017". Twitter. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  22. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "February 4, 2018". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  23. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "October 19, 2018". Twitter. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  24. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "June 9, 2019". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
    Nikaj, Enisa. "July 15, 2019". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  25. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "October 7, 2019". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  26. ^ Camaj, Margaritë (November 22, 2019). "'Karma (Remix)' from Enisa, Scridge, and Ghenda will have you moving to the rhythm". Earmilk.com. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  27. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "January 10, 2018". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  28. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "May 22, 2019". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
    Nikaj, Enisa. "December 6, 2019". Twitter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  29. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "July 6, 2019". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  30. ^ "Video: Termanology ft. Bun B & Enisa – Travel The World". BlackoutHiphop.com. February 8, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  31. ^ "Albanian singer sings for earthquake victims: 'All profits go to them'". AnabelMagazine.com. December 16, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  32. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "September 18, 2020". Twitter. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  33. ^ Ukpong, Cletus (December 7, 2020). "American singer adopts Nigerian name, after 'overwhelming' love from Nigerians". Premium Times. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  34. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "November 20, 2020". Twitter. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  35. ^ a b "New Standard: ENISA Spikes Pop With Raw Soul and Endless Attitude". June 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  36. ^ "Rayvanny announces Tracklist To 'Sound From Africa' Album". EastAfricaHerald.com. January 31, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  37. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "February 24, 2021". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  38. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "February 26, 2021". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  39. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "April 12, 2020". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  40. ^ "New Music + Video: Enisa feat. Davido – Love Cycle (Remix)". BellaNaija. March 26, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  41. ^ "Highbridge the Label & Atlantic Records Officially Welcome Enisa". Broadway.com. June 4, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  42. ^ "Prom Guide 2014". Clearwater, Florida: Garfield Bowen. January 2014. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
    "Prom Guide". Issuu.com. January 2, 2014. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  43. ^ Nikaj, Enisa. "January 9, 2016". Twitter.
    Wilhelmina Models. "January 25, 2016". Twitter.
  44. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/BSWuQDRBCbQ/
  45. ^ Rose, Audrey (October 2017). "'Freedom' By Enisa" (PDF). twelvny.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2021.
    Gutierrez, Bobby. Enisa x Twelv Magazine. Vimeo. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  46. ^ Mowatt, Robyn (January 14, 2019). "Exclusive: Lola Plaku & Puma Reveal Their First Colorful Nova GRL PWR Collab". Hypebae.com. Retrieved October 7, 2021.

External links[]

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