Natik is an urban/pop artist originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but just recently moved to Nashville, TN in order to pursue his dreams of being a pop music icon. A multi- talented musical powerhouse, Natik produces, writes lyrics, and sings on every one of his songs to date. Natik’s blend of crisp harmonies and smoky, smooth verses carry his listeners on a trip through his stories. Some of Natik’s musical influences include Nick Jonas, Santana, Calvin Harris, Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar, and Kygo. Natik was introduced to music at 6 years old with classical piano. He is a ninth-generation pianist in his family, and began playing with the help of his grandparents, who both are piano teachers. He began learning and playing jazz/rock piano at 12 years old, and later went on to lead his own band in the 7th grade. Natik began his solo career in his sophomore year of high school under his actual name, Nathan Kim. Through his new moniker, Natik’s music began to shift towards a pop style with an electric undertone, incorporating elements of funk and jazz that he grew up around. His most popular song to date is “Escape”, surpassing 150 thousand plays in over 50 countries.
“F.Y.L.T.” by Natik is a sexy and cheeky new single that is guaranteed to have you singing along. “F.Y.L.T.” stands for “f*ck you like that” and the sultry piano and contagious bassline is the perfect foundation for the raw lyricism Natik brings to the table. A talented vocalist, Natik showcases his unique and individual tone in “F.Y.L.T.”. He changes things up by delivering flawless bars through every verse to prove his versatility and the authentic flare to his artistry. “F.Y.L.T.” is layered with elements of funk and jazz thanks to Natik diverse upbringing. The delicious urban pop track “F.Y.L.T.” is being added to my personal playlist and I highly recommend you do the same! Stay tuned for the release of Natik’s second EP, set for fall 2019.
Check out “F.YL.T.” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Hi Natik! Welcome to BuzzMusic! How did moving to Nashville from Cleveland affect you as a musician?
As an artist, I’m always taking away and getting inspired by the community of artists and creators around me. As soon as I got to Nashville, I was impressed and humbled by the level of talent that came out of this city. The amount of diverse musicianship and opportunities to collaborate allowed me to expand my depth as a writer and producer. Being in a place like this, I’ve been able to push myself to find out what I could bring to the music scene, and as a result I’ve found my niche that genuinely reflects my artistry.
What do you hope your listeners take away from “F.Y.L.T.”?
When we wrote this song, it was the most relaxed and fun process. You can dig as deep as you want for a message, but I think I’ll leave that open to the public for interpretation. As this song might suggest, I don’t take myself too seriously. This song was designed to make people have a good time. When I listen to any music, I look for that natural, indescribable force that makes me tap my foot, or bop my head. That’s the reaction I always search for in my listeners. If I’d take anything away from this song, it is to have fun, and don’t take life too seriously.
What was the writing process for this song? What inspired it?
We kind of went into this write not knowing what to expect. We started by deciding to write about my girl troubles, and luckily I had plenty of those at the time. That’s kind of how my writing works. I’ll be struggling with some shit and I’ll be like “damn this could be a cool song”. To sum it up, this song is about the dilemma of casual dating, starting with friendship, and only ending with blurred lines. If we go for a drink maybe I’ll give you details. When we were really starting from scratch, the whole song started with that intro. After that, we felt like it could have used a really powerful and energetic piano line to drive the song, and I ended up laying down that part. None of us really write rap, so we were kind of just messing around until we realized that the song was dope. If you catch yourself dancing to the idea of a song, you know it’ll be a good one.
What challenges have you faced being an up and comer in Nashville?
I’d say the biggest challenge that I’ve faced so far, is trying to find my sound and improving as an artist / producer. I think this is a challenge that every creator must face, but have fun with. I love the process learning and competing, and though I do face this challenge, I am blessed to be able to share and create music. In Nashville, pop is young in the sense that is still an emerging genre, but it’s growing. I want to be a part of the Nashville pop wave, and influence it in one way or another.
What can your fans expect from your much anticipated second EP? Do you have an official release date?
Fans, you should expect some spicy funky hip-hoppy pop! Yes, you heard that correctly. Well, I guess “read that correct” in this case. I’ll be honing- in on this new style that I’ve been moving towards. Expect energetic, expect groovy, and I expect y’all to be blasting this stuff with your friends. And while my music is constantly evolving, so is my message. I have plenty to talk about in this upcoming project, and I hope people get inspired. Right now there’s no official release date, but it should be announced soon, so stay tuned!
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