Nadia Nakai’s Album Moves Away from AKA Tribute

Nadia Nakai has announced a significant change in direction for her upcoming album. Originally intended as a tribute to her late boyfriend, AKA (Kiernan Forbes), the project is now evolving into a comprehensive solo effort.

 

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Bragga initially introduced the project in early 2024 as an EP dedicated to the memory of AKA. However, during the creative process, her vision for the album shifted. In a recent interview on YFM, Nakai explained that she decided against using her forthcoming album as a tribute to AKA, choosing instead to keep her grief private.

Discussing what her fans can expect from her new work, Nadia Nakai shared:

“The things that I’ve gone through these past couple of years have been hectic and I feel like I’ve been very resilient. I couldn’t let things just come like take me down and not be able to get up again. But I feel like that’s what women have naturally in them, to keep fighting, to keep pushing in all aspects of their lives. So I’m like this album is really that.”

Initially, the project was set to be an EP and then transitioned to a tribute album for AKA. However, Nakai has now decided to move in a different direction. The album will highlight her resilience and celebrate women in general. Elaborating on her choice to alter the album’s focus, Nadia Nakai stated:

“It did start as a tribute album for Kiernan but I just decided not to do that anymore because I wanna keep my grief to myself. People ask me ‘why did you remove his profile picture on Instagram’ and I’m like because it is no longer for you guys anymore, it never was but at the beginning you do things, you post pictures, but I feel like it’s not for people anymore to know where I’m at and how I’m feeling because they have too many opinions on what they think I should do and how I should be doing things. So I’m no longer doing that with that album and also it’s just too hectic to talk about it over and over, so I’m in a different space, I’m healing.”

This pivot in her album’s theme allows Nadia Nakai to explore and express her personal growth and resilience, while also honouring the strength and perseverance of women. Her decision to move away from a tribute to AKA and focus on her own journey marks a significant moment in her artistic career, reflecting a deep sense of personal evolution and healing.