If there’s one thing Nyk would like his fans to know, it’s that he’s not afraid to be honest – about himself and his music. Read on to find out what else he revealed to us.
“Probably hitting 500K plays on Spotify in a month” was the answer Nicholas Ng Yungkit or better known as NYK gave when asked what his proudest moment was so far. He might only be 23-years-old, but with a second single and EP on the way, there’s so much more we need to learn about this cheeky shopaholic before he takes the international music scene by storm.
FEMALE: Share with us how you started out?
Nicholas: “I began posting a few Youtube covers casually but that was about it. After my graduation in UK, I started performing at gigs and writing originals (which included my debut single FWB). Since then I’ve played for The Sam Willows, opened for James Arthur and eventually signed a recording deal with Sony Music Malaysia.”
F: How did you end up with the name Nyk?
N: “I’d always wanted ‘NYK’ as my license plate! In 2016, a friend of mine (the same person who designed my logo) suggested I use it as my stage name. It’s funny how it’s an acronym for Ng Yungkit (my chinese name), and it can be also pronounced as Nick.”
F: Are you involved in the recording and producing processes of your music?
N: “I’m typically the only songwriter and composer for my music and it’s something I plan to stick to. Production is done chiefly by the Swedish production house I work with; FWB was done by a guy called Freddie, who wrote Paris by The Chainsmokers and have worked with Girls Generation.”
F: Tell us more about FWB. How it came about and why you made it your debut single?
N: “It’s the fastest song I’ve ever written (30 minutes). On the surface it’s a pop song about sex but the overarching theme is about modern dating. I think people these days are struggling with commitment more, and everyone’s afraid of labels. Unfortunately I’ve been on the heartbroken end of that process; right after that inspiration just hit and I penned FWB down really quickly. It’s something really relatable, the song is (relatively) catchy and serves as a record of what’s going on with society at this moment in time (I think I’m quoting Lana Del Rey on this one, it’s a pretty cool way to look at what art is). So it made a lot of sense to pick it as a single.”
F: Who served as your greatest influence both in life and in music?
N: “Probably John Mayer. He’s extremely real, self-aware, and he perceives the world differently from everyone else. That makes him an insane songwriter; he’s come up with the most original and great lyrics ever. And he’s solely responsible for helping me mature and seeing things beyond the surface.”
F: Who would you love to collaborate with if given the chance in the future?
N: “Probably Alextbh, I’m such a fan. More impossible collabs would be with DEAN, Anderson Paak, Frank Ocean and Childish Gambino.”