One of the most vital voices of her generation, NIKI often explores innocence and growth in resonant stories ebbing and flowing between pop and singer-songwriter introspection, her past in Jakarta and her present as a confident, US-based artist. Her new single “24” is an “attempt at synthesizing my early twenties”, as she tells Apple Music, pairing translucent vocals with Joni Mitchell-esque folk that embrace nuance and hope. It’s an achingly beautiful ballad that perfectly slots into this playlist of misty, emotion-laden tracks chosen by NIKI to soundtrack moments of cherished introversion and reverie. How did your personal experiences and emotions shape the lyrics of your new single? “‘24’ is essentially my attempt at synthesizing my early twenties, and the many humbling things I have learned up to this point in my life. Namely, learning to embrace nuance and the idea that life is rarely ever dichotomous. The more you grow, the more you know, but also the more you know, the less you know! It’s a song about being world-weary, but it’s also a song of hope and acceptance.” What specific message, if any, do you hope to get across with “24”? “I think the entire song is just a flurry of ‘yes, and’ statements that I hope people can identify with, like ‘I’m a floating feather, I’m a constant cannonball’, or ‘I know more than I ever have, and yet nothing at all.’ It’s about how two things can be true at once, which was a life-changing concept I learned in therapy. I am and can be all of these things at once. Everyone can be many things at once. Of the many takeaways I’ve gathered since turning 24, I think that’s the most freeing one.”