Artists To Watch In 2015: Princess Nokia

Whilst guitar slinging, classic rock aficionados would beg to differ, the internet has undeniably become a breeding ground for great underground music. Gone are the days of playing gig after gig, hoping to get noticed by record executive. It’s 2014, and all you need is a sound cloud page and a bit of luck.

Enter Princess Nokia. Real name Destiny Frasqueri, she first bumped onto the scene in 2012 as Wavvy Spice, a spit fire rapper embodying the likes of Lil Kim and M.I.A, and gaining tumblr notoriety through song ‘Bitch, I’m Posh’. Since then she’s evolved into Princess Nokia, which sees Destiny’s harlem grit take a more down tempo, multi-faceted turn, with OWWWLs helping out on production duties.

Princess Nokia put out her independently released debut album, Metallic Butterfly, in May. Combining elements of trip hop, 90s r’n’b and techno, along with influences of anime, feminism and the cyber world, Metallic Butterfly is an ambitious feat for such a new artist. But it pays off. Whilst the record sees Princess Nokia manifests herself in a variety of genres, it never seems convoluted or directionless. Instead, the variety of influences come together to create an entirely unique voice: "the confessions of a cyber girl" filtered through icy electro beats, jungle drums and a good dose of female self love. 

The definite stand out is Dragons, a gamer girl love song that pairs Destiny’s timid, smooth vocals with a frenzied rave beat. Inspired by Destiny’s obsession with the chemistry of Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones, it’s the perfect encapsulation of everything Princess Nokia is and stands for. 

Princess Nokia hasn’t got a record deal, but she doesn’t need one. She’s a fiery independent force, carving her own path and niche in the music world. She’s a testament to how to the internet can inspire, nurture and breed some of the most innovative artists of our time. 

So you know what to do. Get on sound cloud, search Princess Nokia, and get clicking the follow button.. because she’s certainly one artist you'll wanna keep an eye on in 2015! 

Words By Isabella Trimboli