Following her debut studio album Recuerdos in 2019, Nicki Nicole officially presents Parte de Mi, her sophomore full-length set, and first under Sony Music Latin.
The Argentine artist kicked off October with the release of the title track as a preview of her next album. In the track, the Latin Grammy nominee wears her heart on her sleeves, with an ultra-personal record about feeling alone and empty, and yearning for advice.
Home to 16 tracks, including collaborations with Rauw Alejandro, Mon Laferte, and Dread Mar I, Parte de Mi not only showcases Nicki’s soulful powerhouse vocals but also her agility navigating between genres, such as hip-hop, reggaetón, ballads, and even disco-pop.
“Without you on the other side, who brought me here, none of this would’ve been possible,” she said of her loyal fans on Instagram.
Below, the Billboard Latin team recommends nine essential tracks on Parte de Mi:
“Parte de Mi”
Nicki Nicole opens her 16-track set with this stripped-down piano-powered heartbreak ballad where she’s vulnerable and reflective. Showing a softer side of the Argentine singer-songwriter, Nicole puts her tender vocals at the forefront to confess, “I am part of you and you’re now part of me. How long do I have to wait until you come back?”
“Sabe” (feat. Rauw Alejandro)
Showcasing her chameleonic abilities throughout the album, Nicole doesn’t shy away from a more commercial-sounding reggaetón-pop cut here, a style she experiments with in “Sabe.” She and Rauw Alejandro exchange cheeky verses in this head-bobbing banger that serves as the album’s focus track.
“Si vos me lo pedis”
An emotional song, where Nicole is asking herself many questions and searching for answers, “Si vos me lo pedis” is an honest love song where she’s trying to win a relationship back. “There are a thousand stars waiting for you/ I’ve gone months without knowing why/ Tell me if it was stress/Tell me if they were errors I didn’t know about,” she asks in the bluesy, slow-tempo funk jam that laces her raw vocals with live instruments.
“Pensamos” (feat. Mon Laferte)
“Pensamos” is a ballad with rock instrumentation and a chill atmosphere. The lyrical themes revolve around a breakup and a reflection on life, for when things don’t go the way we want — as we hear in the chorus: “And if the things did not turn out as we thought/ And if the time doesn’t wait for what I find/ Doing like it’s worse than everything.”
“Perdido”
“Perdido” is a tango-tinged bolero that starts with acoustic guitar riffs and drum beats followed by Nicki’s R&B vocals. Penned by Julio Reyes, Mauro de Tommaso, Evlay & Nicki Nicole, it’s a classic heartbreak torch song. “I have lost a love/ It has taken the color of the sun/ It has taken pity on me/ It has left me here, and I have lost a love that has even taken the sun/ It has taken pity on me/ I can’t get out of here anymore,” she sings.
“Baby”
A departure from her signature swaggering rap anthems, Nicole turns heads with this dreamy disco-pop jam. Taking a cue from the recent disco revival led by artists such as Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga, the feel-good banger stands out from the rest of the set’s 15 tracks, freshening the risk-taking artist’s sound.
“Me Has Dejado” (feat. Delaossa)
Co-penned by Nicki with Mauro De Tommaso, and Evlay and co-produced with Delaossa and Kiddo, this song was born almost two years ago, after Delaossa discovered Nicki through her Bizarrap session. Fusing the best of both worlds (Spain and Argentina), “Me Has Dejado” brings a flamenco twist to hip-hop, with lyrics that perfectly transmit passion and represent a lost broken heart.
“Mala vida”
“My most complete song,” Nicole previously told Billboard about “Mala Vida.” “The music video, the lyrics, my voice, and the beat are 100%.” For this Latin-flavored rap song, Nicki’s powerful voice lent itself to narrate a clandestine story with a witty play on words. For the music video, the artist paid tribute to The Godfather with a cinematic video featuring 1940s costumes and a riveting plot in which she seeks to avenge a murder.
“Dame” (feat. Tiago PZK)
This is quite the steamy collaboration to wrap up Nicki’s Parte de Mi album. Nicki and Tiago, two former Billboard Latin Artists on the Rise, go back-and-forth in a harmonizing battle that perfectly brings to life this sultry R&B track. With lyrics such as “give me what you’re feeling tonight, don’t forget everything we’ve been through,” “Dame” is an ode to people who have crazy and passionate chemistry. In true Nicki fashion, she also drops some flirtatious rap verses.
