For Niki Kini, honesty has never been optional, but on God’s Hitlist, it’s unavoidable. The British South Asian pop artist’s latest release captures the disorienting feeling of doing everything right and still watching life unravel.
Written during a period marked by financial stress, overwork and emotional exhaustion, the track balances sharp humour with raw vulnerability. It pairs punchy pop hooks with an undercurrent of existential frustration. It’s a song for anyone who’s ever felt targeted by fate, and proof that even in moments of doubt, Niki Kini knows exactly who she is. We caught up with her to talk about the song’s origins, her creative process, cultural identity, and what growth really looks like behind the scenes.
1. God’s Hitlist is such a striking title. What was the initial spark for this song, and what does the phrase mean to you personally?
God’s Hitlist came from a period in my life where it felt like everything was going wrong. I was worried about being laid off from my job, I was working insanely long days, felt like I was running out of money to survive and so, it was a culmination of loads of events that brought this song to life. This song really is for anyone who feels like they’ve been on a Higher Power’s personal hitlist because despite the efforts and good intentions, things don’t always pan out the way we want. I remember I was in my living room with my producer, and I just blurted out the line ‘I must be on God’s Hitlist’ to the beat he was playing, and immediately we both knew we were onto something.
2. Can you walk us through the emotional headspace you were in while writing God’s Hitlist, and how that feeling shaped the sound and lyrics?
Honestly at this point I felt frustrated and a little aggravated at the universe. My work ethic is one of my best and worst traits. I’m a massive workaholic, and so I put every waking minute into my craft and my artistry. I’ve achieved some insane bucket list gigs and events so far as an independent artist but I owe that to a combination of being recognised by the industry and fans, as well as my hard work. However, sometimes hard work doesn’t pay off and it takes a toll on your mental health, your physical health, relationships and more. When I wrote God’s Hitlist I didn’t feel like my hard work was paying off, I felt like I was in a rut especially in my personal life. When you listen to the track you can hear the punchy delivery of the lyrics in the chorus contrasting with the dreamy, choir-like pre-chorus which is a reflection of the duality I was facing with this situation – one minute I was mad at the universe and the next I was begging for a sign or a break. I think the song encompasses the turbulent feelings one goes through when they’re in that slightly scary, unknown space of “what happens if this next thing I try doesn’t work”.
3. The song feels both confrontational and vulnerable. Was there a particular moment or experience that pushed you to be that honest in this track?
I don’t think there was a single moment that drove me to bring this track to life. It was a series of unfortunate events that created the slightly sour feeling of ‘you’re not good enough’. I’m a very positive person in general, and I have a delusional amount of self-belief in my art but we all still have days where we wobble and this was definitely mine. I know that I’m not the only one who has faced these feelings. I think in a lot of ways my generation and the new generations are genuinely concerned about what our futures look like. The prices of virtually everything is going up and yet job redundancies are happening left, right and centre, it’s a really scary time. Something I’ve always been passionate about is creating music that allows you to escape – if you listen to the lyrics they’re super honest yet playful – “wednesday’s the day I got laid… off” – but the beat is still fun and has an 80’s-esque vibe that you can’t help but groove along to. This track is one of those where you can cry, scream and dance all at once, and I think you can only do that in songs that are brutally honest and relatable.
4. Your online content has gone viral for blending humour, relatability, and sharp commentary. How does your viral presence feed into your music, if at all?
Firstly, thank you so much! What a compliment! I’ve always looked at my social media as an extension of who I am, what my music is about, why music matters to me. I try to use my platform as a space to show parts of me that maybe my music doesn’t always capture. For me, music will always come first so I would argue that it’s the music that drives my viral presence, I’m not an influencer nor am I trying to be (although a cheeky PR package never hurt) but what I really do want out of my social presence is to grow my community.
5. What drives you creatively when you sit down to write, and how do you know when a song feels truly finished to you?
I have always said you know it’s a good song when it feels right. The arts are all subjective – I might absolutely love something someone else absolutely hates and I think that’s okay. There’s no right or wrong and that’s what makes music so much fun. Writing for me is a very natural process, I’m a creative person in general but when it comes to writing I try let the ideas come to me. I work with an incredible producer, Shinra, and we currently make all of my songs together and I think working with someone you feel safe with creatively massively helps with the creative process from concepts to lyrics to production ideas. We always trust the process since a lot of my music can be a little weird and irreverent lyrically!
6. As a British South Asian pop artist, how have your cultural roots influenced your music, your storytelling, or the way you navigate the industry?
I think there are subtle undertones throughout my music. I’ve sung in microtones (Carnatic scale) on tracks, I’ve written songs about being Asian (‘All Things Nice’), and my look is incorporating more and more of my Indian roots. I grew up in a very White area and so, I shyed away from my roots a lot when I was younger. I’m now stepping into embracing my roots more which I really love. I didn’t see a lot of Asian artists in the UK music industry and I always found it hard to navigate because I thought maybe the world didn’t want to see me as a British-Asian artist but now I’m at a stage in my career where I’m like “whether you’re ready or not, y’all need to see this”.
7. You have achieved huge milestones already, including performing at Reading and Leeds Festival and the Rugby World Cup. What did those moments mean to you, and did they change how you see yourself as an artist?
I look back at those performances like it was a dream, just massive pinch moments truly. I think as an artist who genuinely pours their life and soul into music and towards creating a long-lasting career, it has just meant so much to me to be recognised by the industry and in such a competitive market too. There’s a lot of downs in any creative industry and so it is honestly these kinds of highs that remind you all the work you put in is worthwhile. I think for me it really reminded me that even when you feel like no one is watching or no one cares about what you’re doing, someone always does and it might not be the people you were expecting. It has motivated me to continue to graft and grow my fanbase so more opportunities like these can come my way.
8. Have there been any challenges or misconceptions you have faced in the industry, and how have those experiences shaped your resilience or confidence?
I think the industry throws millions of challenges at all artists – from terrible deals to being snubbed out of records to not having a big enough social presence. The list could go on, and on and any artist who wants a long-standing career has to have incredibly thick skin because you will have 1000 more no’s than yesses. Working in the industry as an artist since I was 15 has allowed me to realise that it’s not ‘rejection’, it’s redirection. Those experiences from the age of 15-21 took a huge toll on me because as a young artist you’re still figuring out who you are as a person but I’m now in a place where when I want something, nothing is getting in my way. It doesn’t mean I always get what I want but it does mean that I will put every shred of effort into doing my best. I’ve manifested a lot of opportunities that have come my way and that’s not just asking the universe for opportunities but genuinely sitting down and making a plan of how I can bring it to life and then acting on it.
9. Success can be loud and very public, but growth often happens quietly. What has been the most important behind-the-scenes lesson you have learned so far?
The most important lesson I have learnt along the way is working on myself. Self-growth is what has changed the trajectory of my career so far. Yes, I’ve had viral moments, I’ve built my following but I still have a long way to go. I now live my life purposefully – everything I do in my day-to-day is in one way or the other is for the benefit of my career and artistry. Today, you can’t just be an artist or musician in my opinion, unless you have a team already invested in you physically and financially, so I’m learning the business, I’m functioning as a business in every aspect of my life because I’m so determined to become a global artist.
10. Looking ahead, what do you hope listeners take away from God’s Hitlist, and where do you see your artistry evolving next?
I hope listeners feel seen. I think we live in a world where people just want to be seen and heard and so, I hope this song makes people feel less alone. It’s so easy to look at someone’s life and think they’ve got their sh*t together when in reality everyone is figuring out all the time. I am very excited for the next few months, especially with my debut EP on the horizon! I hope that this lets my listeners into my head and world even more.
With God’s Hitlist, Niki Kini transforms burnout, fear, and frustration into something cathartic and communal. It’s a reminder that vulnerability doesn’t weaken pop music, it sharpens it. As she steps into a new chapter defined by creative control, cultural confidence, and hard-earned self-belief, Niki Kini isn’t waiting for permission anymore. She’s already written herself off the list, and into her own lane.
We have added God’s Hitlist to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream Niki Kini‘s exquisite, growing discography including Salesman, All Things Nice, and WATCH YOUR BACK.