Nikkole Hall (born July 12, 1980), better known by her stage name Nikkole, is a Creole-American singer and songwriter. She is known for her Billboard charting hit songs "Zero" and "Gonna Get It Right" from her 4th studio album Hallucinations (2014).[1] The songs have peaked on the Dance Club Songs chart at #7 and #20 respectively.[2] She is a featured artist on the song "You Keep Lifting Me Higher" from Norman Brown's album Stay With Me (2007)[3] that has reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker Albums, Jazz Albums charts and also peaked at #11 on the Billboard Top R&B/ Hip-Hop Albums Chart and at #107 on the Billboard 200.[4] Nikkole has also been featured in the top 10 of Cosmopolitan Magazine's search for the Next Female Rock Star in 2008.[5] In 2022, Nikkole signed on as co-host of The Vantage Point, a radio talkshow on Soul Cafe Radio of the NorthStar Radio Group.[6]
Music career
Nikkole's debut album Appearances was released on January 9, 2001.[7] The album was funded in part by her career as a model at the time and background vocal stints for various artists.[8] This was followed up with A Girl Like Me on October 11, 2005.[9] In 2007 Nikkole was a featured vocalist and co-writer on the song “You Keep Lifting Me Higher” from Norman Brown’s album Stay With Me.[3] The album reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker Albums, Jazz Albums charts and also peaked at #11 on the Billboard Top R&B/ Hip-Hop Albums Chart and at #107 on the Billboard 200.[4] On August 12, 2008 Nikkole released her third album Creolepatra.[10] She was chosen as one of the semi-finalists of America’s Top 10 Fearless Female Rockstars by Cosmopolitan Magazine in a StarLaunch Search in 2008.[5] The title was eventually won by Mieka Pauley. She also collaborated with Arturo Sandoval on a single entitled "Amazing" in 2011.
After having spent over a decade toiling in relative obscurity, Nikkole's breakthrough came with her fourth album Hallucinations released on July 15, 2014.[1] The first two singles, "Zero" and "Gonna Get It Right" reached #7 and #20 respectively on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.[2] The songs were accompanied by music videos, both of which were directed by Ethan Lader.[11] The album was produced by British producer Derek Bramble and had a more pop influenced sound compared to her previous releases that were more R&B influenced.[12] In 2015, the music was nominated for 4 International Music and Entertainment Association (IMEA) Awards,[13] and went on to win 2 of the Awards for Pop Artist of the Year and Pop Song of the Year.[14] In the same year, the music was also nominated for 2 Awards at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA).[15][16] In 2016, Nikkole was nominated for an award at the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA).[17]
In 2019, Legendary Producer Leon Sylvers III started producing and writing with Nikkole on her fifth album, "Vulnerable", which was released on November 5, 2021.[18]
The album, "Vulnerable" by Nikkole was selected as the #1 R&B album of 2022 by Goldmine Magazine's Top 10 Soul and R&B albums of the year.[19]